Overview

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on the circumstances and the particular organism. For example, ascorbic acid functions as vitamin C for some animals but not others, and vitamins D and K are required in the human diet only in certain circumstances.

Vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, not their structure. Thus, each "vitamin" actually refers to a number of vitamer compounds, which form a set of distinct chemical compounds that show the biological activity of a particular vitamin. Such a set of chemicals are grouped under an alphabetized vitamin "generic descriptor" title, such as "vitamin A," which (for example) includes retinal, retinol, and many carotenoids. Vitamers are often inter-convertible in the body. The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but are otherwise required less often.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Getting Your Daily Dose of Sunshine

John Denver, a folk singer, was a well-known song that started "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy ..." While in this case the wording was to describe the simple pleasures of a nice sunny day, the singer was on target when he realized. Research shows that children who are today (and today, we mean in the last ten years or so) have far less hardy immune system and show significant vitamin D deficiency, even if they are well fed and are for the health-oriented families. Many scientists believe that this shortage is partly due to a move indoors in the last ten to twenty years. At the beginning you can laugh, wondering what vitamin D has to do with the weather outside, but in reality it has everything to do with each sunny day.

As our social lives, our jobs and our livelihoods will be electronically based, as a culture we have begun to spend more time inside. Our children also learn to live, work and play online, in addition to those with a large repertoire of video games and other electronic entertainment available. As more people live in cities and other urban areas, the outdoors, many options to decrease even further. The result: a net loss of sunlight exposure.

While on the surface this may be a good thing - especially if you fear of skin cancer - in reality, some sun exposure is an integral part of a truly healthy lifestyle. Sunshine helps the body produce and use of vitamin D, which plays an essential role in many aspects of health and your immune system. .. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to problems, autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and psoriasis, the risk for certain types of cancer as well as hair loss and other physical symptoms of malnutrition.

Fortunately, the solution is quite simple. A nice walk every day, an hour or two of the yard work once or twice a week or a quick splash in the pool are all possibilities, your sunlight directly and fire up your vitamin D levels. Of course you can also use a vitamin D supplement, but not always is also a good way to get more active. This does not mean that you neglect your Sun safety habits. But in practice moderation. Wear sunscreen and a hat if you burn easily, but not completely around the sun for fear of sunburn. Instead, to monitor and moderate your exposure to ensure that one out without paying for later. You will find that you feel better and you enjoy nature, because more of it!

 

Tricia Cardone, CN, is a gifted nutritional consultant that is devoted to helping others find balance in their lives as well as celebrating their bodies and their health.

Are you searching for nutritional healing supplements? Just click one of those links for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tricia_Cardone

0 comments: