Take a Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement To Aid Weight Loss

Don’t miss out on the weight loss benefits you can receive from a top-notch multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Why do I think a well-formulated supplement is necessary?

Your metabolism can run at peak efficiency only when all necessary nutrients are plentiful. But if there is a shortage of even one crucial nutrient, fat burning may slow down.

Furthermore, a deficiency of even one important nutrient may cause food cravings and lead to overeating.

What do vitamins and minerals really do? Vitamins and minerals are involved in the myriad of chemical reactions which turn our food into energy. They form the cogs that turn the wheel. Without them, metabolism stops. No energy. No life.

Contrary to what some dietitians or physicians may tell you, you probably don’t get all of the nutrition you need from your diet. Even the best diets are often on the low side in a few essential nutrients.

Remember that vitamins as well as certain minerals are vital to life. They are not produced by our bodies. We must obtain them from food or from supplementation. Although a healthy diet is the cornerstone for any weight loss program, you can improve your results by taking a multivitamin and mineral combination.

Vitamins and minerals act as co-factors in chemical reactions. If any one vitamin or mineral is deficient, the entire metabolic reaction is blocked. Fat burning can come to a screeching halt!

Many vitamins are needed for protein metabolism and for the burning of carbohydrates and fats for energy. Stressful states or heavy exercise can lead to increased requirements for certain nutrients, especially many of the B vitamins.

Another problem which has recently come to light is that some people may genetically require larger numbers of certain nutrients. We are realizing that a “healthy diet” does not provide 100% of the nutrition that most of us need. Some people must supplement in order to get enough.

Many of us, even those who eat far too many calories each day, are deficient in one or more nutrients. A recent study of very obese individuals scheduled for gastric bypass surgery pointed out that this group as a whole was deficient in a number nutrients, even though they were eating more than enough calories!

Many of us are overfed, but undernourished! It is likely that the majority of us need to take a supplement to ensure adequacy.

Some experts think that nutritional deficiencies can lead to food cravings and poor appetite control. When you feel hungry, your body may be trying to tell you that it needs something that it’s not getting. You may be feeding it, but not what it needs. So the hunger remains unsatisfied.

When you go on a diet, you may be cutting calorie intake. You will likely have trouble meeting your nutritional needs without supplementation. Taking a multivitamin/mineral combination just makes good sense, not only for weight loss. It may make you feel more energetic and help you age well.

Read more about the individual vitamins and minerals, and the roles they play in weight loss.

B vitamins

A number of B vitamins are involved as co-factors in the metabolic process. A deficiency of any one of them can hold up the process, causing metabolism to slow. A high intake of carbohydrate foods uses up B vitamins, particularly thiamine (B1) and riboflavin (B2). Niacin (B3), in the form of NADH, is the most predominant co-factor in the manufacturing of energy.

B vitamins can readily be found in a multi-vitamin, ensuring an adequate intake. I highly recommend taking a multi-vitamin daily.

If you are overweight, chances are that fats are backing up in your liver. If you have a fatty liver, supplementing with several vitamins, including the B’s, can help clear out the fat and lessen your chances of progressing to liver damage and cirrhosis.

Vitamin C- the fat burning vitamin

Thin people have higher vitamin C levels in the blood. This important nutrient is involved in a number of bodily processes, including the synthesis of l-carnitine, which is vital to fat burning.

Vitamin C is found mostly in fresh fruits and vegetables, and is destroyed by the processing of these foods.

Vitamin C is known as a powerful antioxidant that improves immune function, wound healing, and cardiovascular health. Nobel prize winner, Linus Pauling, recommended megadoses of vitamin C, up to 10 grams per day, in order to live a long and vigorous life. Energetic and still participating in research when over the age of ninety, he was a great testimony to his favorite vitamin.

Now, interesting new research suggests that vitamin C enhances weight loss and exercise tolerance as well. Dieters who took a 500 mg vitamin C supplement were able to burn more fat and lose more weight than those who didn’t.

What’s more, those attempting to lose weight but did not get enough vitamin C in their diets had more trouble losing weight. They also felt fatigued and had poor exercise tolerance.

In order to lose weight, fight infection, and have more energy:

• Increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits
• Take a vitamin C supplement of 500 mg or more daily

Most multiple vitamins contain less than 100 mg of vitamin C. However, Synergy Vitamins contain 500 mg in a daily serving.

Vitamin E – an important antioxidant

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant to protect cell membranes and other fatty structures in the body from destruction by free radicals.

Free radicals are extremely reactive substances that can trigger chain reactions of damage to cellular structures such as cell membranes, mitochondria, and DNA. The process of burning fat and sugar for energy leads to free radical production.

Outside sources of oxidation such as cigarette smoke, sunlight, drugs, and pollution can dramatically increase free radicals. Just living, eating, breathing, and moving results in more exposure to oxidative damage. When you increase your exercise, as I hope you are doing, you will need advanced antioxidant protection.

Vitamin E also protects fragile omega-3 fats from oxidation. When you add fish or flax oil, be sure to add a vitamin E supplement to your program as well.

Scientific studies suggest that an increased intake of vitamin E may help lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimers’ dementia. It may also inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a trigger for clogged arteries and heart attack.

Vitamin E may also be important for those who want to lose weight. This antioxidant can help preserve the vital cellular structures of metabolism. As I point out in other sections of this site, antioxidants are crucial for protection of the mitochondria – the energy producing machinery of our cells. Fat burning takes place in the mitochondria. When mitochondria are destroyed, there is an increased risk for obesity, low energy, and disease.

How much vitamin E should you take? I recommend 100 – 400 units of vitamin E daily. This should be optimal for most everyone. You may find that the RDA for vitamin E is much lower than this. Look for a multivitamin that contains 100 – 400 units or take a separate vitamin E supplement along with your fish oil for added protection.

Vitamin D

We don’t want to forget about Vitamin D. This essential vitamin helps us absorb and use calcium in our bodies. A lack of vitamin D may explain why osteoporosis is so predominant in our elderly. But that’s not the whole story on this once-neglected vitamin.

Important new research suggests that Vitamin D plays other important roles in our health as well. Vitamin D acts as a hormone, controlling many systems. You have vitamin D receptors in all areas of your body, even your heart and brain. When vitamin D links up with its receptors, it acts as a “genetic switch”, turning on and off the actions of certain genes. You can see how a deficiency of this important nutrient can lead to widespread problems.

It seems that vitamin D may help protect us against breast, prostate, and colon cancer. Some other forms of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and even autoimmune diseases may be related to low vitamin D levels.

Yet, most of us are deficient in this very important vitamin, especially during the winter months. Our own bodies can make a sufficient amount – if we get enough sun. But most of us don’t, or can’t.

Many experts are now recommending higher doses of Vitamin D. About 1000 I.U. daily may be a good dose for most of us who are not exposed to the summer sun on a daily basis. The recommended form of vitamin D is cholecalciferol, or D3. Milk and some vitamin products use the inferior ergocalciferol, or D2. Look for D3 when you purchase a vitamin supplement.

Chromium

High up on the list of necessary nutrients for weight loss is chromium. This often-forgotten mineral is crucial for blood sugar control.

Chromium increases insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is associated with obesity as well as multiple health problems. When you are insulin resistant, you may have more trouble losing weight. You must tame insulin if you want to lose weight more easily.

Diabetics who supplement with chromium should find better blood sugar control and a decreased need for medication.

Chromium may also support lean body mass when you are losing weight, helping to preserve valuable muscle.

One caution with chromium: If you have significantly impaired kidney function, you may not tolerate chromium supplementation. You should talk with your doctor about the right vitamin formula for you. However, for most of us, chromium supplementation of 300 – 400 mg/day are a good idea. Diabetics without kidney disease may benefit from even higher doses.

Calcium

A lack of calcium in your diet can prevent weight loss despite your best efforts.

According to a number of recent research studies, weight loss is more effective when there is adequate calcium intake. Calcium seems to play a role in metabolism and fat burning.

We all know that calcium is important for bone health. But this important mineral has many other functions in the body.

Calcium also acts as an important messenger within the cell. If calcium is in short supply, many chemical reactions may be affected. Metabolism may not be efficient. In order to accelerate fat burning, make sure you are getting enough calcium.

You may need to increase your calcium intake to maximize your fat-burning potential. Diets adequate in calcium have been shown to increase fat breakdown and preserve metabolism during a calorie-restricted diet.

How much calcium is enough? We recommend that adults consume about 1000 mg of calcium, each and every day. Men and women over the age of 50 should get 1200 mg daily, according to the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Many individuals will require supplements to meet this level. The USDA identifies calcium as a nutrient of concern, suggesting that it is commonly deficient in our diets.

If you take calcium supplements, don’t take more than 500 – 600 mg at one time. The body can only absorb so much at once. Taking calcium two or three times daily is more effective.

Magnesium

Don’t overlook magnesium. You may easily be deficient in magnesium, especially if you are a diabetic. Magnesium is found in greens, nuts, and seeds, beans, and the hull of whole grains. You will benefit from magnesium supplementation if you have diabetes or problems with insulin.

Carbohydrate and chocolate cravings have been linked to a lack of magnesium.

Magnesium helps insulin regulate blood sugar. One of magnesium’s most important roles is to keep muscle and nerve cells functioning properly. Constipation, headaches, muscle aches and pain, fatigue, asthmatic attacks, and even life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias can be the result of a low magnesium level.

You may want to make sure you are getting plenty of magnesium in your diet. For extra protection, make sure your supplement contains 200 – 300 mg of magnesium. Higher doses are generally safe, and may be advisable for those with diabetes, chronic pain issues, asthma, or constipation.

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