Gone are the days when diet was enough to fulfill nutritional requirements of the body. That is barely possible now, given we don’t even consume our three-day meals properly in the rush of meeting our day-to-day needs. And even if we manage to, how good are they in meeting our nutritional requirements? Hardly. The land on which the food items grow is also deficient in organics and nutrients. Moreover, Indian diets are rich in carbohydrates and fats, but they lack in essential vitamins. A balanced diet is essential as it requires all types of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats for a proper functioning of the body. Any deficiency can affect it adversely. For instance, vegetarians, specifically, are more prone to Vitamin B12 deficiency as it is found in meat products only. The deficiency leads to decrease in red blood cells of the body.
Because Indian diets are rich in carbohydrates and fats, and also we hardly consume a balanced diet and because of depleting nutritional value of soil, most of the Indians are at a grave risk of vitamin deficiency.
How vitamin deficiency affects our health?
Vitamin deficiency progresses slowly, and the health symptoms worsen as the deficiency aggravates. Generally, vitamin deficiency can result in impaired body functioning, anemia, fatigue, bone-related problems, digestion problems, hair loss, skin rash and mouth ulcers.We remain ignorant of these signs and symptoms. What we don’t understand is that in severe cases, they can turn into major health worries, including heart and brain ailments. We only become serious about our health when we develop diseases. Rather than curative, we must focus on preventive aspects. Hence it is important to provide our body sufficient amount of vitamins, so to avoid any deficiencies and related diseases.
How to make up for / prevent vitamin deficiency?
As diet alone isn’t enough to fulfill the need for body’s essential nutrients, we need to plug the gap for any vitamin deficiency. It can easily be done by consuming multivitamin supplements. One doesn’t even require a doctor prescription for its consumption too. While they are safe to have and do not have any side-effects, they must never be over-consumed. You have to follow the nutritional label and then consume them in accordance.
Choosing the multivitamin
When buying a multivitamin, there are certain things that must be kept in mind as different people have different bodily needs for multivitamins. One must consider the lifestyle, stage of life, gender and dietary choices while going for multivitamins. It is also important that you check with your doctor before consumption for best results.
There are multivitamins available in the market like that of GNC’s which are quality products that even doctors suggest consuming. The brand has been on the market for over 80 years and is a trusted brand globally.
Now, if you think that the food you are having is taking care of all the nutrients that your body need, it’s time to wake up, take corrective measures and become ‘vitamin efficient’.
