Vitamins and Weight Loss

These days, with the huge emphasis on health, fitness, and particularly weight loss, many "entrepreneurs" try to link damn near anything as an effective product for those hoping to lose some pounds. They will try to sell you pills, potions, wraps, bracelets, and everything else but voodoo dolls made by Marie Laveau, as the next best weight loss product.

Many will try to tout vitamins as one of these weight loss products that will practically guarantee your success at losing weight. The question is whether are not vitamins should be considered viable products for weight control or not. If they are, what part do they play?

Based on years of studying health, fitness, diet and weight loss, I feel that vitamins do have an important role to play in a weight loss program, however, I do not consider vitamins a weight loss product.

There have been many studies which have shown that one vitamin or another had a positive impact on a weight loss program. There have even been studies in which one vitamin seemed to influence a person's weight. However, I cannot find any study which shows a vitamin to be a very significant and direct factor in weight loss.

In other words, if you want to lose weight, don't bother popping vitamins.

That having been said, I do recommend that anyone who wants to lose weight include a daily multivitamin in their nutritional regimen. Here's why.

First of all, most of us don't get all the nutrients we need anyway. As a result, various bodily functions, including cell maintenance, metabolism, digestion, and many others, do not work at an optimal level. At least, by taking a daily multivitamin, you can bring your nutritional level up to a higher level, and this can result in a slightly increased metabolism, more energy, better health, and an improved sense of well-being.

There is also the psychological high of knowing that you have taken an important step, no matter how small, towards a higher level of health and fitness.

Some vitamins, such as Vitamin C and the B-Complex, Vitamin B-12 in particular, can help kick start your metabolism and help you have more energy. This can translate into more activity, which can result in better health and some weight loss.

For the long run, however, you need to do more than simply pop a daily multivitamin.

A good exercise program will include regular exercise and good nutrition, beyond vitamins and minerals. You will need protein to build tissue, and fats (yes, fats) and carbohydrates for energy.

While I would not recommend placing your faith on the ability of vitamins to "cause" you to lose weight, I would definitely agree that vitamin supplements can also be "weight loss supplements" in the sense that they add synergistically to your other weight loss plans and tactics.

Donovan Baldwin is a 65-year-old amateur bodybuilder, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Atlanta, Gerogia area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an educational field office. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has a wide variety of weight loss products at http://nodiet4me.com/health_products/weight_loss.
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