Preppin' 101 - Part 3 - Health - Vitamins

What you don't know about vitamins may destroy your health! People can hurt their health and experience dangerous complications and side effects with synthetic vitamin supplements. People who experience vitamin toxicity are probably more common than you might think. There are two main types of vitamins and you should know the difference between them. Your health depends on it!

Two Main Types of Vitamins

1.) Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are known as fat soluble vitamins. This means that these vitamins are stored in your fat tissues. When consumed in excess, fat-soluble vitamins can cause a number of symptoms related to vitamin toxicity since they are easily stored in your body. Consuming excess amounts of fat soluble vitamins in excess of your dietary needs can be harmful to your health.

2.) Water Soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins like the B vitamin group and vitamin C are not stored in your fat tissues. Your body is capable of excreting excess amounts of water soluble vitamins from your body and this is done mainly through your urinary system. When consumed in large quantities, water-soluble vitamins can still be toxic to your system and cause significant damage to your body if they are consumed in excess amounts.

There is a simple way to avoid vitamin toxicity. Avoid synthetic nutritional supplements and concentrate your efforts on eating fresh foods or foods that have been minimally processed. Whole foods that are found in nature contain only trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. This is why vitamins are called micronutrients. They exist in small amounts in natural foods and are generally needed by your body in small amounts.

The trace amounts of vitamins that are found in natural food sources are combined with large quantities of macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber. Obtaining your vitamins from whole foods made up of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber will fill you up. This will signal you to stop eating before you consume dangerous levels of vitamins.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker