Vitamins and minerals: questions and answers

There are many questions about vitamins, minerals and their combinations that are not easy to find answers to. We have collected the most common ones so that the reader gets as much information as possible about how to take vitamins and minerals correctly and what their properties are.

Is it true that not all vitamins and minerals work well together? Is there a danger that some of them will make each other's properties useless when they enter the body?

Yes, some vitamins and minerals mutually suppress each other's action, and it is necessary to know well which of them are incompatible. For example, copper has the property of suppressing the activity of vitamin B12 because it oxidizes it. Therefore, these supplements should not be taken separately, because vitamin B2 will not be able to show its beneficial properties. But in complexes, separate granulation technologies are used, in which these vitamins are separated.

Those vitamins that go well together are, on the contrary, enclosed in the same granules in vitamin supplements. Then they can better demonstrate their properties. An example of such ingredients can be, for example, rutin and vitamin C.

Is it possible to take B vitamins, as well as vitamins E, D and C in the same vitamin complex? Or is it better to buy each separately?

It is better to take vitamins not separately, but in vitamin complexes - the doses are very well balanced there, and most importantly - the ratio of vitamins and minerals, and they will act on the body effectively. If you exceed the doses of vitamins, which can invariably happen when taken separately, the body can react with a decrease in immunity and other unpleasant processes.

When taking vitamin complexes, the main thing is to read the instructions and not take more or less vitamins than recommended.

What are the best vitamins for athletes to take?

For athletes who are actively involved in sports and experience heavy physical exertion, it is better to take multivitamin complexes containing both vitamins and minerals. Before doing this, it is best to visit a therapist and endocrinologist so that they can take into account your individual body characteristics.

If there are any diseases, for example, of the gastrointestinal tract, then the doctor may advise increasing the doses of vitamins, since if the stomach and intestines are not functioning properly, more of them are required.

Depending on the athlete's age, the doctor may recommend taking more or less antioxidants - in addition to strengthening the body, they help fight aging. The best antioxidants taken in combination are B vitamins, vitamins A, E, C and selenium.

Is it true that the body absorbs calcium only from food, but not from vitamin supplements?

No, it is not. There are no scientific studies confirming that calcium can be absorbed only from natural products. It is important to know that calcium in vitamin supplements should be combined with vitamin D, then it is absorbed much better. People usually do not take calcium alone, it is done in a complex, where calcium is balanced with other elements.

In natural products, such as cottage cheese, calcium is in a form that is more easily absorbed by humans than in multivitamin complexes, but it is difficult to calculate the dose of calcium that you take when eating cottage cheese. You may not get enough calcium from natural products, especially if you need more than the norm. This situation occurs with gastrointestinal diseases, injuries and bone fractures, tooth and hair loss.

How often should you take vitamins to correct vitamin deficiency?

To eliminate vitamin deficiency, which is called avitaminosis, you need to take vitamins at least 2 times a year, in autumn and spring, but ideally you can also take vitamins in winter, when there are no fresh vegetables, fruits and berries. The duration of taking vitamins is 1 month. You can take 1-2 courses of vitamins when a person has vitamin deficiency.

The vitamin complex Aevit is inexpensive and contains several essential vitamins – A, E, B. Are there any contraindications for taking it?

Yes, there are, the same as with other vitamins - if there is an individual intolerance to any of the substances in the drug. This drug should be taken with caution by those people who have been diagnosed with cholecystitis, chronic glomerulonephritis, thyrotoxicosis. People whose vascular walls have increased permeability should also consult a doctor about taking Aevit. Vitamin A in Aevit can negatively affect the process of preparing for pregnancy if you take increased doses of it.

What are the daily doses of calcium supplements for men?

Calcium is best taken with vitamin D3 - this is the prevention of bone fractures, spinal diseases. For a man who has suffered a fracture or bone injury, 800 mg of calcium will be enough, and vitamin D - from 2.5 mg - this is the daily dose. Why combine calcium and vitamin D? Without vitamin D, calcium is poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.

What does a person need for a complete diet, what substances, besides food?

In order for a person to receive the necessary doses of substances, he needs to know that they are divided into two large groups. These are micronutrients (these include minerals, vitamins and microelements), macronutrients (these include proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water). Both of these substances must enter the human body in sufficient quantities, then the state of health will improve significantly.

What is the difference between water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins?

From the name it is logically clear that water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water, and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fats. Water-soluble vitamins include B vitamins and vitamin C. They tend to evaporate from the body faster than fat-soluble vitamins, and do not accumulate in tissues, except for vitamin B12. Therefore, a lack of water-soluble vitamins immediately affects human health. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, E, K, D. They tend to accumulate in the liver, so they remain in the body longer. With normal doses of vitamins that a person receives every day, a break of 5 or even 7 days will hardly be felt - the body will use old reserves.

Can the body produce vitamins itself?

No, it can't. It can only transform some vitamins into others. For example, it makes nicotinic acid from tryptophan. And thanks to sunlight, vitamin D is formed in the body in small quantities.

In addition, the intestines can produce biotin and vitamin K (fat-soluble), but in very small doses.

All other vitamins are obtained by a person from other sources, the body does not produce them itself. Therefore, it is necessary to eat well and take vitamin complexes to avoid vitamin deficiency and the negative conditions associated with it.

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How are provitamins different from vitamins?

Provitamins are not vitamins at first, but substances that become vitamins only after they enter the body. They are converted into vitamins by special types of bacteria. Among the provitamins is the substance beta-carotene, which becomes vitamin A in the body.

How many vitamins are in group B and why are there so many of them?

There are eight vitamins in group B. There are so many of them because vitamin B was the first to be discovered from group B, and then a number of other vitamins that were given serial numbers from 1 to 12. But only eight vitamins from group B remain because several of them were crossed out from the list. Therefore, the vitamins themselves do not go in a row from B1 to B12, but there are gaps.

Those vitamins that were discovered after the B vitamins with a long time interval began to be designated with new letters – C, D, and so on.

Why can't a person do without vitamin C?

Vitamin C, or folic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin, so its reserves in the body must be constantly replenished. Without vitamin C, protein and collagen fibers, which make up muscles and are necessary for the proper functioning of the brain, cannot be formed.

Blood vessels, as well as teeth, hair, nails, bones and vertebrae also cannot do without vitamin C - they are based on protein and collagen.

Vitamin C helps a person strengthen the immune system, resist various diseases, including infectious diseases and colds, and also helps in the fight against cardiovascular diseases and eye diseases.

According to recent scientific research, vitamin C even protects the DNA of sperm, making them more viable, making women more likely to conceive a child, and this child will be healthier than those who did not take vitamin C.

If you don't take vitamins for a week, will your body suffer greatly?

If a person has previously taken the necessary vitamins from pharmaceutical supplements or from natural food products, then there will be no noticeable deterioration in the case of a vitamin deficiency during the week. However, the need for water-soluble vitamins after this period will be much higher than for water-soluble ones, since the latter do not have the property of being retained in the body.

How to recognize the symptoms of vitamin deficiency?

There are visible symptoms of vitamin deficiency: hair loss, brittle nails, drowsiness, depression, poor sleep, fatigue. But this condition will not tell you exactly what vitamins your body lacks. If you want to know exactly what vitamins your body lacks, you need biochemical blood and urine tests. These tests are done in independent laboratories.

Is it possible not to notice a lack of vitamins in the body?

Yes, it is possible, especially in the initial stages of vitamin deficiency. At first, a person feels increased fatigue, has no appetite, hair is no longer so smooth and shiny, sleep does not come at night, a person begins to get tired quickly even if he has not worked very much.

These are the first signs of vitamin deficiency. But they are often ignored, blaming it on bad weather, a lot of work, or no time for such stupid things as your own health. If you do not start taking vitamin complexes, the final consequences may be disruptions in the functioning of internal organs, and then metabolic disorders and lack of weight control.

Who needs more vitamins – growing children or adults?

When the body grows, it needs much more vitamins than a person who has already formed. If teenagers do not take enough vitamins, they will develop poorly both physically and psychologically, the brain will work sluggishly, it will not have enough strength for active work.

A teenager needs more vitamins also because the body is growing, which means it requires more energy for growth. Vitamins can provide this energy.

If a teenager smokes, this increases the norms of vitamin consumption - depleted by smoking, the body requires more nutrients. You can no longer get them in full from natural products. You need full-fledged multivitamin complexes from the pharmacy.

Who needs vitamins more – men or women?

Women have a greater need for vitamins. The reasons are that women often go on diets, so they need to replenish their bodies with vitamins. Women have discharge during their periods, so they need to replenish their bodies with vitamins to replenish the missing elements. Women use oral contraceptives, so they need vitamins to replenish the body's losses in some micronutrients.

Finally, a woman goes through menopause, during which time many of her organs are unable to produce hormones that are essential for good health. This deficiency can be replenished with vitamins.