TeamFLEX Newsletter

Weight Loss Spotlight

Weight Loss Vitamins

Vitamins for Weight Loss & Burning Fat!

Vitamins are in simple words, organic substances necessary for our life. Interestingly, vitamins play an integral role in the metabolism of fat, i.e. weight loss, and other fat burning pathways.

We must obtain vitamins from food or dietary supplements in order to sustain life. It is frankly impossible to sustain life without all the essential vitamins. Vitamins are essential to our bodies normal functions and but for a few exceptions, cannot be manufactured internally. First, let's get some of the facts about vitamins straightened out. Some people think vitamins can replace real food and they can't. As a matter of fact, vitamins cannot be assimilated without the intake of real food. Further more vitamins are not energy pills and have no energetic or caloric value whatsoever. You cannot substitute the required intake of protein, carbohydrates, fat or any other nutrient with vitamins. The vitamins themselves are not part of our body's biological structure. Having mentioned that vitamins are essential to our life a single deficiency can endanger our whole body.

To get all the vitamins you need in the amount that is required to maintain a healthy body, you would have to come up with some type of optimum diet and maintain that every day for the rest of your life which is impossible to do for anybody. Most of the foods we eat in the restaurants for instance have been processed to the point that they have little or no nutritional value left when they end up on your plate. A lot of restaurants tend to reheat food and to keep the food warm under heat lamps, which causes the level of vitamin A, B1 and C to be pretty much depleted in the food. Women especially between the ages of 13-40 run a risk of deficiency in calcium and iron if you eat out a lot.

Let's take a closer look at the different vitamins and their function in your body. Nobody knew the chemical structure of vitamins when they were first discovered. The vitamins were therefore named after a letter of the alphabet.

Vitamins are divided into two groups depending on their soluble structure. First we have the water-soluble vitamins B and C. The oil-soluble ones are A, D, E and K.

Vitamin A (retinal, carotene) is a fat-soluble vitamin. To be properly absorbed by your digestive system it requires fat and minerals. Vitamin A can be stored in your body, which means it doesn't need to be replenished every day. The retinal version of vitamin A is only found in animal food sources. The carotene version of vitamin A however is provided by both animal and plant food. Vitamin A is important for your night vision as well as for your immune system and aids in the fight against acne. Foods rich in vitamin A are fish liver oil, liver, carrots, dark green veggies, eggs, milk and dairy products, yellow fruits, and margarine. The color red, orange and yellow is however not an indicator that a food is high in vitamin A. Vitamin A supplements are available in two different forms, fish liver oil and for anyone intolerant to oil such as acne sufferers, vitamin A comes in a vitamin A acetate form, which is water dispersible.

Vitamin B consists of a whole group of vitamins ranging from B1, B2, B6, B12, B13, B15, B17 and Biotin.

Each and one of the B vitamins all have their own separate purpose in the body but they are more potent together as a group then separately.

The vitamin B group is the most important vitamins for your nervous system. Anybody who is working under stress or going through difficult stressful times should supplement his or her diet with a good vitamin B-Complex.

Vitamin B's are water-soluble and excess of this vitamin group are not stored in your body but flushed out. B-vitamins need to be replaced daily.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is found in brewers yeast, whole wheat, oatmeal peanuts, organic meats, bran, milk, pork and most vegetables. The B1 vitamin help fight sea sickness, promotes growth, aids in the digestion of carbohydrates and keeps your nervous system healthy.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is a water-soluble easily absorbed B vitamin.

Another common term used for vitamin B2 is vitamin G. The most common deficiency of all the B vitamins is the deficiency of riboflavin in the American diet. Vitamin B2 promotes healthy skin, nails and hair. Just like vitamin A, vitamin B2 is very important for your vision. B2 is found in milk, liver, yeast, cheese, fish and eggs.

Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine) is just like all the other B vitamins, water-soluble and needs to be replaced on a daily basis in your body. The B6 vitamin needs to be present for the production of red blood cells and antibodies in your system. B6 work as a natural diuretic and is required for the absorption of vitamin B12. Good natural food sources of vitamin B6 are brewer's yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, liver, kidney, soybeans, cabbage, peanuts, eggs, oats, walnuts and cantaloupe.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is very effective in small dosages. It is also known as the "red" vitamin. B 12 contains essential mineral elements. Vitamin B12 can be very helpful for women as part of a B complex supplement before and during menstruation. Elderly people sometimes have difficulties absorbing B12 and need to supplement this vitamin by injections.

Natural foods rich in B12 are beef, pork, liver, eggs, milk, cheese and kidneys. Because B12 is not absorbed very well through the stomach, the sublingual form of B12 usually work better.

Vitamin B13 (Orotic acid) is not available in the United States and research on this vitamin is still being made. It might aid in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin B15 (Pangamic acid) is water-soluble but its essential requirement in the diet has not yet been proven. Research points to B15 aiding in lowering cholesterol blood levels, aid in protein synthesis, neutralize liquor cravings etc. Vitamin B15 can is found in brewer's yeast, brown rice, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.

Vitamin B17 (Laetrile) is a very controversial vitamin and is not supported by the Food and Drug Administration due to its cyanide content.

Biotin (Coenzyme R or Vitamin H) is another member of the B complex family. It's water-soluble and is essential for normal absorption of fat and protein in your diet. Biotin eases muscle pains, prevents baldness, help alleviating eczema and dermatitis.

Choline is another member of the vitamin B complex family. Choline is a fat emulsifier and a lipotropic factor, which works with Inositol yet another member of the B complex group. Aids in memory and helps control cholesterol build up. Inositol is found in egg yolks, wheat germ, liver, heart meat and green leafy veggies.

Folic Acid also belongs to the B complex family. Sometimes referred to as vitamin M. This vitamin is essential to the formation of red blood cells. Folic acid also helps in protein metabolism. Promotes healthy skin, increases appetite, improves lactation and prevents canker sores. Deep green vegetables, egg yolks, dark rye flour, apricots, cantaloupe and carrots are good sources of folic acid.

Inositol is a lipotropic as well as a member of the B complex family. Forms lecithin together with Choline. Inositol is necessary for fat metabolism and also helps lowering cholesterol levels. Raisins, grapefruit, cantaloupe and peanuts are rich in inositol.

PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid) is the newest member of the B complex family. Paba is very important in the utilization of protein, keeps the skin healthy and preventing wrinkles. Like the other b vitamins, paba can be found in brewer's yeast, kidney, wheat germ and liver.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) is another water-soluble vitamin essential to our existence and must be supplemented through our diet. Vitamin C is very important in the production of collagen that the body needs in order to repair body tissue. Smokers and elderly people need to take little higher dose of vitamin C then the average population. Vitamin C is very effective in the healing process after surgery, heals wounds, burns and bleeding gums. This vitamin is also known as a natural laxative. Vitamin C is the number one cold preventive vitamin due to its strengthening effect on the immune system especially if your body is under a lot of stress. Vitamin C is found in all citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, berries and potatoes.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and taken orally vitamin D is absorbed with fats through the intestinal walls. Vitamin D is produced by the ultraviolet sunrays act on the oils of the skin and then absorbed into the body. Living in a polluted and smog rich environment reduces the vitamin D producing sunshine rays. Vitamin D can also be absorbed through diet and good sources of vitamin D are fish liver oils, herring, sardines, salmon, tuna and dairy products. You need vitamin D to properly utilize calcium and phosphorus.

Vitamin E is another fat-soluble vitamin and it is stored in your liver, heart, uterus, testes, muscles and in your blood. Vitamin E enhances the activity of vitamin A and together they help protect your lungs against air pollution. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant that helps preventing oxidation and thereby delaying the aging process. The best natural sources of vitamin E are nuts, eggs, wheat germ, spinach, vegetable oils, brussels sprouts and enriched flour.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin and actually consists of three different K vitamins, K1, K2 and K3. Vitamin K is not usually included in multi vitamins but has a very important role in preventing internal bleeding and hemorrhages. The most potent sources of vitamin K are found in fish oils, yogurt, safflower, soybean oil, kelp and egg yolk.