Everyone must ensure that they consume enough vitamins for the body. There are so many benefits of vitamins for the body, including helping to convert carbohydrates, fat, and protein into energy. Humans need vitamins for the body in order to able to maintain the health of cells, tissues and organs. The page lists the most important vitamins for the body, their benefits, and what foods are full of these important nutrients.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays an essential role in the body’s development of bones, which is important in preventing stress fractures. It also helps maintain good eyesight by providing needed nutrients to the retina, contributes to the function of the immune system.
Runners can find Vitamin A in dark green leafy vegetables, yellow-orange vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and peaches. Liver, milk, and butter all contain good quantities of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B-Complex
Vitamin B-Complex has a number of very important benefits for runners. Broken down in eight different types of vitamins (B1 B6, B12, etc), It assists the body with the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, which is the main energy source for the human body. Vitamin B-Complex also helps metabolize fats and protein and assists in helping the body grow. Perhaps most important, it promotes the growth of red blood cells, which prevents anemia.
Runners can get their supply of Vitamin B by eating whole grain cereals, green vegetables, poultry and fish.
Vitamin C
What does Vitamin C do for the body? It is one of the best immune system enhancers in the world. Vitamin C helps the body to prevent the common cold, and, as an antioxidant, it assists in cancer prevention and warding off heart disease. Vitamin C also helps the body in the formation of scar tissue.
Vitamin C is plentiful in oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, grapefruit, and cantaloupe.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is critical vitamin for the body’s bone development and strength. This is so important in preventing stress fractures and other bone issues in runners. Vitamin D enables the skeletal system to withstand the huge impact pressures of running. It also helps to maintain a normal and strong heartbeat, strengthens the immune system, and assists in blood clotting.
The best source of Vitamin D for the body is sunshine. Therefore, it might be a good to idea to consider taking a supplement in the winter. It can also be found in fortified milk, egg yolks, and tuna fish.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E lessens oxidative damage to the muscle tissues in the body after hard training. It also helps the immune system and prevents lung damage from many different kinds of pollutants. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, rice, and leafy vegetables.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K plays a key role in the body’s bone metabolism and blood clotting. Of all of the vitamins in this list, Vitamin K is probably the least important for runners, but it’s assistance with bone strengthening is important for preventing stress fractures. The best source for Vitamin K for the body can be found in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and fish.
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