[사진 출처 = 게티이미지뱅크]Recently, an unexpected factor that threatens the health of our people is nutritional deficiency. According to data from the National Statistical Office in 2021, the number of malnourished patients is about 330,000, an increase of about 123% compared to 2017 (about 149,000 people). In particular, it is noteworthy that 6 out of the top 10 deficient nutrients are vitamins.
What is the cause? This is because the Korean diet is high in calories but lacks nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Vitamins acting on the human body, even in small amounts, are essential nutrients for regulating metabolism and bodily functions. A lack of vitamins can lead to the occurrence of life-threatening cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, including osteoporosis. Therefore, it must be supplemented every day, especially water-soluble vitamins B and C, in high content.
There are several types of vitamins. Among them, B vitamins are also called ‘vital vitamins’. It is essential in the process of converting ingested nutrients into energy. In particular, vitamin B6 plays an important role as a nutrient needed to maintain normal levels of ‘homocysteine’ in the blood.
Homocysteine is also called second cholesterol. It is considered a major cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Homocysteine is also a toxic substance produced in the process of being synthesized from methionine, an essential amino acid, to cysteine in the process of digesting protein. It is said to have a detrimental effect on blood vessel health.
In fact, according to the results of a study by Dr. McCauley at Harvard University, the risk of peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease increased by 7.8 times, 2.3 times, and 1.8 times, respectively, when the body concentration of homocysteine increased by 5 mol/L.
In particular, cardiovascular disease is one of the diseases that must be prevented because it is fatal to life and has a high risk of various complications, so it is selected as one of the three leading causes of death in Korea.
In addition, homocysteine constricts blood vessels in the brain, causing dementia. In fact, according to the results of a joint study by the National Institute of Health and the Ansan Geriatric Research Institute at Korea University Medical School, elderly people with high blood homocysteine levels (15-30 micromoles per liter) had a higher risk of dementia than those with normal values (15 micromoles per liter or less). It is said that the risk of ‘mild cognitive impairment’, known as the previous stage, increased by about 1.4 times.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and sarcopenia. It is also highly correlated with heart failure. Vitamin D is a nutrient necessary for the absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus, and for the formation and maintenance of bones. As a result, bones become weak and prone to osteoporosis. It is also called sarcopenia by promoting muscle strength and speed of muscle contraction.
According to the experimental results published in the Journal of the Korean Orthopedic Society, Vol. 32, No. 4, after administering 750 mg of calcium and 1.0 μg of active vitamin D to 45 elderly (55-84 years old) osteoporosis patients, the bone density of the spine was performed at 6-month intervals. As a result of measurement, a significant increase in bone density was confirmed.
Vitamin D is also known to be associated with heart failure. According to researchers at the University of Bonn, people with heart failure have up to 50% lower levels of vitamin D in their blood than healthy people. However, according to the figures published in the American Journal of Endocrinology in 2011, Koreans have the lowest level of vitamin D deficiency in the world. This is because the use of sunscreen is high compared to the fact that there are few foods containing vitamin D in the Korean diet and the amount of outdoor activity is small.
As such, vitamins are essential nutrients necessary for regulating physiological functions of the body. Deficiency in the body adversely affects the functioning of major body organs. However, it cannot be produced in the body, so it must be ingested from outside. There is a way to ingest it through food, but there is a limit to replenishing what the body needs. For example, apples contain vitamin C and B vitamins, but in very small amounts. Therefore, to meet the recommended daily intake of 100 mg of vitamin C (for adults), you need to eat at least 4 to 8 kg (about 25 to 50) of apples a day.
Therefore, it is effective to consume vitamin products released as health functional foods to supplement the various vitamin groups and nutrients necessary for the body in an appropriate amount. This is because it is formulated with sufficient content for each vitamin component and can be consumed more conveniently. In particular, it is known that the effectiveness of vitamin B group increases when B1, B2, and B6 are consumed in a balanced way, and it is known that it is even better when taken together with vitamin B12.
In addition, since vitamins B and C, which are water-soluble vitamins, do not accumulate and are excreted in the urine, it is effective to consume them in high content so that the body can use them as much as possible. In fact, when a multivitamin containing vitamins B and C was taken in high doses, △ reduced fatigue and stress index △ increased vitality index △ increased cognitive function was confirmed. This is the result of taking a multivitamin containing high-content vitamins B and C for 33 days in 215 healthy adults.
It is best to consume only as much fat-soluble vitamins as you need. Therefore, vitamins D, A, E, K, zinc, and selenium, etc., should be selected by selecting a product that contains 100% of the daily nutritional value. In particular, it is good to check whether vitamin D is contained, because according to the statistics of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 90% of Koreans are deficient in vitamin D.
In addition, when choosing a vitamin product, it is good to select a product after considering whether it uses safe and good raw materials, whether it is designed according to the characteristics of each raw material, and whether the balance of essential nutrients is considered. There are various formulations for each product, but the ‘powder type’ has the advantage of fast absorption without adding chemical excipients and fast dissolution. In particular, the powder form that can be consumed with water allows you to take vitamins and recharge moisture at the same time.
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