Vitamins and nutrients are a vital component of healthy bodily function and yet, every day, many people do the get the levels needed to achieve optimum functionality. Healthline.com cite a number of health issues caused by acute vitamin deficiency, including mouth ulcers, poor night vision, skin issues and hair loss. Vitamins and minerals have proven health benefits and can play a key role in reducing the onset of a number of chronic diseases. Now supplements are so easy to purchase both widely in supermarkets and online, such as from gundry md and similar websites, it is surprising how many people are still deficient in many vitamins.

What stops people getting enough vitamins?

Vitamins and minerals are found in abundance in fruit and vegetables but many people are failing to eat the government recommended level of five portions a day. This is blamed on a variety of factors, including a lack of awareness surrounding the benefits of eating a healthy and balanced diet, not helped in part by the ease of access to vitamin deficient fast foods.

On an individual level, the body’s ability to absorb nutrients depends on a range of factors including age, weight and gender as well as factors such as stress levels, food intolerances or allergies, or lifestyle choices which exclude certain food types such as vegetarianism or veganism.

Aiding the absorption

Even when someone is eating what they consider a healthy, nutritious diet, vitamin deficiency may be caused by an absence of certain food types that aid the absorption of vitamins. Seven-seas.com, for example, states that fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K will be better absorbed when consumed with a meal containing fat. Similarly, consumption of vitamin C is known to promote the absorption of iron, vital for healthy blood function.

Multi-vitamin supplements

Whilst a balanced and healthy diet is considered one of the most important factors in ensuring a high vitamin intake, multivitamin supplements are a useful and convenient means of ensuring your body gets the broad range of nutritional requirements it needs to support both physical and mental well-being. Vitamin D supplements, for example, can help boost the absorption of calcium, a key component of bone health. Some supplements can cause an allergic reaction, so if you have allergies, make sure you check the label or take a multivitamin which is hypoallergenic such as this o.n.e. multivitamin, for example.

Eat mindfully and drink plenty (water, that is)

Mindful eating, a recently coined term, aims to put the emphasis on the benefits of chewing your food for longer to assist with the absorption of the nutrients released when food is broken down. This movement challenges people to think more carefully about the nutritional content of the foods they eat and understand the reasoning behind eating so called ‘comfort’ foods which are often high in fat and calories but low in nutritional value. It is equally important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. An article by Livestrong.com refutes claims that drinking too much water results in the loss of vital nutrients.

Exercise – but not too much

Whilst a healthy weight is important, exercise, especially high intensity, can be detrimental to the balance of the digestive system Shape.com highlights how exercise can divert energy away from digestion whilst simultaneously diminishing your magnesium levels, a mineral that is known to aid digestion and as a result the absorption of key nutrients.