Vitamin Value

As I celebrated my birthday I realized that no matter how healthy our lifestyle, we really do need some aid or boost to keep that machine humming. New research shows that multivitamins are not just supplements for vital nutrients like vitamin D-3 that are tough to get from food alone, but they could actually help our heart, as well as, our waistline (and prevent it from becoming a wasteline).

Too good to be true? I was reading a column by Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz where they used statistics from a recent study of overweight women. Those who took a standard multivitamin for six months lost an average of eight pounds. Those who took fake pills lost no weight. That is because multivitamins help the body to slim down by filling tiny nutritional gaps that slow the metabolism. The metabolism of the women taking vitamins increased by six per cent, so their bodies burned more calories.

The nutrient boost may also help the body respond better to insulin and leptin, hormones that affect appetite and weight. In another study it showed that dieters who took a multivitamin felt fuller between meals and had 60 percent fewer hunger pangs.

Multivitamins may protect the heart as well. Research shows that taking a multivitamin daily for at least five years makes you 41 percent less likely to have a heart attack (unless you already have a heart condition). Vitamin C, niacin and pantothenic acid (vitamins B-2 and B-5) prevent the formation of plaque, and some minerals like magnesium keep arteries flexible and fight inflammation.

More on choice of multivitamins in my next blog. I am hoping to get back into blog mode during the holidays and plan to keep it ongoing. Would love to get your feedback.