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Author:
Benji Paras

Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?

Most low carb diets advocate that users reduce consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. While this may lead to considerable weight-loss, it will most definitely lead to a reduction in necessary stores of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients.

This is why it is important for low carb dieters to augment meals with supplements.

The following is a partial list of some of the essential nutrients you may be lacking if you are on a low carb diet:

1. Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, berries, fruit juice, fresh vegetables, potatoes, and tomatoes. A healthy intake of Vitamin C facilitates the absorption of iron, keeps blood vessels healthy, and can arguably prevent cancer. Here's a little known fact: a red pepper has more vitamin C than an orange!

2. Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is found in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, certain cereals, nuts, and wheat germ. Vitamin E has been associated with good skin health and the prevention of cancer and heart disease.

3. Fiber.

Fiber is found in vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Fiber is associated with good colon health and has been shown to reduce the chance of colon cancer. A fiber intake of 20-35 grams per day has been shown to prevent and alleviate constipation--and also break dietary "stalls" in weight loss.

As a low carb dieter, you will need to find supplements that take the place of these essential nutrients if you want to lose weight and maintain good health.

Some low carb diets suggest that you take up to 30 different types of supplements daily. However, it may be easier to assess your diet, find out what you are lacking, and then find a multi-vitamin that suits your nutritional deficiencies.

You will also want to find a fiber supplement to prevent constipation and maintain good colon health.

If you are unsure exactly which nutrients you are lacking in your low carb diet, you should check your diet plan for suggestions or consult a physician.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

| Article Keywords: Nutrient Basics

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Nutrient Basics... Vitamin Supplements Vitamins A Vitamin is an organic molecule required by a living organism in minute amounts for proper health. An organism deprived of all sources of a particular vitamin will eventually suffer from disease symptoms specific to that vitamin. Vitamins can be classified as either water soluble, which means they dissolve easily in water, or fat soluble, which means they are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of lipids. In general, an organism must obtain vitamins or their metabolic precursors from outside the body, most often from the organism's diet. Examples of vitamins that the human body can derive from precursors include vitamin A, which can be produced from beta carotene; niacin from the amino acid tryptophan; and vitamin D through exposure of skin to ultraviolet light. The word vitamin was coined by the Polish biochemist Casimir Funk in 1912. Vita in Latin is life and the -amin suffix is short for amine; at the time it was thought that all vitamins were amines. Though this is now known to be incorrect, the name has stuck. Human vitamins In humans, there are thirteen vitamins, divided into two groups, the four fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and the nine water soluble vitamins (eight B vitamins and vitamin C). Some of the vitamins are known by other names in older literature. Vitamin B2 is also referred to as Vitamin G. Vitamin B7, or biotin is also referred to as "Vitamin H." Vitamin B9, or folic acid and other folates such "Vitamin M -Pteryl-tri-glutamic acid" are refered to as Folicin. Vitamin B3 is also referred to as "Vitamin PP", a name derived from the obsolete term "pellagra-preventing factor". Many other essential dietary substances were originally called vitamins and are now classified...