A Vast Array of Vitamins and Supplements on Sale at Health

Food Shops

Today for the health conscious shopper, there is a veritable cornucopia  of vitamin and mineral supplements that are for sale at health food shops. Also online venues that specialize in these products make it just all the more easier to stay stocked up. So then what are some of these vital nutrients and how does your body use them?

How important is Calcium?

For decades we were led to believe that the best way to keep our calcium intake up was to gulp as much milk as possible. Come to find out that it was the powerful dairy lobby that was behind that scheme. So now as it turns out, calcium taken in supplement form is one of the easiest, effective and most economical ways to get your daily recommended dose.

Most people consider calcium to be primarily a factor in maintaining bone density, which it is. What they don't stop to consider though, is the roles that it plays in so many other bodily functions. For instance, did you know that calcium is crucial for proper muscle contractions, secretion of hormones, blood vessel expansion and even nerve impulses?

What about Vitamin C and Anti-Aging?

If you ever see L-ascorbic acid listed on the ingredients label of any product, it's just a more formal name for vitamin C. It costs only pennies a tablet, so there really is just no logical excuse for being deficient in it in this day and age. One thing to keep in mind though, is that your body can't store this vitamin, so it is easy to develop a deficiency.

Vitamin C is a multi-tasker that works on numerous levels throughout your body. However; in more recent times it is its effectiveness for maintaining healthy skin that has kept it in the news. It's a common component of anti aging and anti wrinkle products because it is so crucial for healthy function of the skins micro-connective tissues and it is also a powerful antioxidant.

Better Understanding Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another vital nutrient that's creating a big buzz in the anti-aging arena. Just like vitamin C, vitamin E is crucial to a large number of systemic functions, including maintaining the health and vitality of the bodies largest organ, the skin. Also just like C, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that functions to neutralize wrinkle causing free radicals in the skin.

While much is known about vitamin E, so much more remains yet to be discovered. For instance studies are still ongoing to determine this vitamins role in delaying many common age related chronic diseases. Also its well known role in bolstering the bodies immune system and regulation of gene expression is another area of continuing study.