Happy New Year
Happy 2022 everyone! The New Year is a time for growth, resolutions, and overall wellness. With Omicron sneaking its way into our holiday parties and gatherings, it’s important we have protective measures set to keep ourselves and our families safe. If 2022 is going to be anything like 2021, we need to be prepared to be our best and healthiest selves! With that said, vitamins are going to be a key component this year in starting 2022 off on the right foot!
What Vitamins to Gravitate to this New Year
Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help reinforce bones, heal wounds, and assist your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage. With Covid still hanging around and new variants forming, listed below are some vitamins to gravitate towards to protect you and your family.
1) Multivitamins
A good quality multivitamin is one of the most important supplements for optimal health. According to the CDC, the vast majority of Americans are not able to meet their nutrient needs by diet alone. A 2013 CDC study showed that only 13.1% of the US population met sufficient fruit intake and only 8.9% met sufficient vegetable intake. Other studies have demonstrated that the produce we eat today contains lower levels of essential vitamins and minerals than the produce we consumed decades ago. Supporting a nutritious diet with a high quality multivitamin helps to ensure that we are giving our bodies what they need to function optimally.
2) Omega
Omega supplements provide the body with essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for regulating inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to our health for countless reasons, and they can only be obtained through diet and supplementation. Adequate omega-3 levels are necessary for proper cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, and musculoskeletal health. They have been shown to regulate blood pressure, maintain healthy body weight, regulate immune function, support a positive mood, and promote muscle and joint health.
3) Magnesium
Magnesium is another one of the most important supplements for optimal health because it is required for more than 600 enzyme reactions in the body. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 75% of American adults don’t meet the FDA’s Recommended Daily Intake. Individuals who are most at risk of magnesium deficiency include those who consume diets high in processed foods, have blood sugar abnormalities or diabetes, drink large amounts of alcohol, take diuretics or proton pump inhibitors, have gastrointestinal conditions, have been on long-term antibiotics, or suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Low magnesium levels can lead to issues with vitamin D metabolism, weakening of the bones, heartbeat irregularities and irregular blood pressure, blood sugar issues, irritability and anxiety, muscle cramps and twitches, and fatigue.
4) Vitamin D
It is estimated that 88% of the population receives less than optimal levels of vitamin D. Although the body naturally produces vitamin D through sun exposure, the sun is often not strong enough to meet the body’s needs. There are many factors that limit the body’s ability to convert sunlight to vitamin D, including limited sun exposure during winter months, older age, darker skin pigmentation, and use of sunscreen and clothes that shade the skin from the sun. Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining proper bone integrity, proper neuromuscular function, normal inflammatory response, muscle strength, proper calcium absorption, healthy immune response, and normal blood pressure. Studies have shown that adequate vitamin D levels are linked to decreased stress fractures, decreased injuries in athletes, and decreased rates of upper respiratory tract infections. Supplementing with vitamin D has also been shown to improve headache and migraine symptoms.
5) Probiotics
Probiotics are important for maintaining gut health, which makes them important supplements for optimal health because we digest and absorb nutrients through the gut. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help the gut function properly. The gut also contains bad bacteria and pathogens that can decrease gut function and cause illness and disease. Maintaining a good balance between the “good” and the “bad” bacteria in the gut is important for overall health. Bacterial imbalances in the gut can lead to nutrient deficiencies even if we are consuming a balanced diet and supplementing with vitamins and other nutrients. Research shows that supplementation with probiotics supports healthy immune function, inflammation regulation, proper brain health, and weight management. It also helps to counteract some of the harmful side effects of taking common medications, like NSAIDs and antibiotics.
Tips on Finding the Right Vitamin for You
Finding the right vitamin for you or your loved ones can be tricky. Its hard to sometimes see the fine print in many vitamins that claim they do one thing, when in reality do another. Here are some tips to make sure you pick out the right vitamin for you or your family.
- Always check with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, doctor, or pharmacist before using a supplement. ALWAYS.
- Take a look at what foods you are eating. Supplements are not meant to replace eating healthy food.
- “Natural” ingredients do not mean a product is safe. Some products may interact with medications and other supplements and cause serious adverse effects. Carefully read the supplement label, follow directions, and pay attention to warnings.
- Buy supplements from a reputable source. Supplements are not regulated; therefore, you want to purchase supplements from respected companies who are able to demonstrate that the product passes tests for content, potency, purity, and uniformity.
- Look for third-party verification on the bottle. Many supplements are certified by USP (the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention) or NSF International, third party organizations that conduct testing on supplements to determine if what is on the label is actually in the bottle, and that the product does not contain high levels of contaminants, such as heavy metals. These credentials are on the label. However, it is expensive and not all companies can afford the verification services.
- Be aware if the health claims for the product sound too good to be true. More than likely it is.
- Choose organic herbal supplements. Many herbal supplements will not have third party verification. Organic herbal supplements are lower in harmful pesticides. Purchasing herbal supplements from large, well-known companies increases the chance the supplement contains the appropriate amount of the active ingredient
Let’s Start The New Year Off Right
Let’s start 2022 off with positive resolutions, a healthy lifestyle, and growth! With finding the right vitamins for you and your family, this year is going to flourish! A great option for you and your kids is our Vegetarian Naturals® Kids Whole Life™ Organic Multivitamin Gummies! These vitamins are Third Party Tested, Certified Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, and Vegan Friendly — a safe and healthy way to start the New year off right!
~Calla Martin~
Sources
- https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/vitamins-and-minerals.htm#:~:text=Vitamins%20and%20minerals%20are%20considered,energy%2C%20and%20repair%20cellular%20damage.
- https://www.stamfordspine.com/blog/top-5-supplements-for-optimal-health
- https://thelifestyledietitian.com/8-tips-on-choosing-the-right-supplement/