Have you ever thought about taking weight loss pills? Or have you already tried them, and things didn’t work out? Well, guess what: Taking pills to lose weight isn’t so bad after all – just as long as they’re vitamins!
Thinking about losing weight can seem overwhelming, especially when you are constantly bombarded by advertisements for weight loss pills. They promise you things that sound too good to be true – lose weight in a week! No side effects! No need to exercise! No need to control eating (?!) Without medical proof, would you really believe any of that?
Vitamins have always been seen as a way to help ensure an illness-free life due to the health benefits that each kind offers. What you don’t know is that these vitamins can be a great route to losing weight too, whether you take them as supplements or eat healthy natural food. And yes, the ever famous Vitamin C is not just for your colds and cough – let’s check out the top 7 vitamins that can help you out.
1. First is Vitamin B2. This vitamin is great for those who love to exercise as it is a great source that promotes faster metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. So the more Vitamin B2 intake, the faster the metabolism, the more energy you will have; and the more you can exercise!
Foods like lean meat, milk, soybeans, and spinach are rich in Vitamin B2. A glass of milk and a fair intake of meat and vegetables like spinach is a good way to get enough Vitamin B2 for it to aid in weight loss.
2. A 1997 research conducted by Dr. Lit-Hung Leung showed that Vitamin B5 has an effect in weight management. The reason for this is that if you have adequate Vitamin B5 in your diet, the feeling of hunger and fatigue is proven to occur less than for those without it. Take Vitamin B5 and you will reduce your food cravings – sounds good deal, huh?
Mushrooms, calf liver, eggs, corn, and broccoli are rich in Vitamin B5. Eating servings of corn and eggs each day can help in getting enough Vitamin B5 in your diet.
3. Vitamin B6 is an important player in fat metabolism, particularly unsaturated fats. It helps in the regulation of body metabolism which then proves that a more adequate intake of Vitamin B6 would support the regular production of particular neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and tryptophan – helping you feel less hungry and helps you resist sweet foods. This should help you say NO to those yummy red velvet cakes now, I hope!
Nuts, fish, baked potatoes, poultry, and beef are a great source of Vitamin B6. Having these in your daily diet would certainly help you fight that craving for sweets!
4. When it comes to supporting our memory’s health, Vitamin B12 has always been there to help out, but do you know that aside from memory boosting, this vitamin also plays an important role in the metabolism for almost EVERY cell in the body? Vitamin B12 may not directly burn fat; however, it is a great aid to reducing fatigue and body aches which means you will have more energy for longer physical workouts; hence greater weight loss.
Pork, turkey, corned beef, eggs, and liver are packed with Vitamin B12, so a fair amount of these foods in your daily diet is essential for giving your metabolism a boost.
5. Now, everyone’s favorite – Vitamin C! Also called Ascorbic Acid, this vitamin is popular due to its ability to destroy free radicals, excess components of metabolism that damage cells of the body. A study that was done at Arizona State University correlated Vitamin C and the body’s ability to burn fat. This study showed that subjects with regular Vitamin C intake burn 30% more fat when exercising! Pretty good, huh? Vitamin C is already present in our bodies to fight free radicals, however, amounts are not adequate enough for full fat burning potential. Fruits like oranges, strawberries, peaches, and papaya are rich in Vitamin C.
Other natural sources like potatoes, tomatoes, and red bell peppers are highly rich in Vitamin C. Moreover, having these fruits and vegetables in your daily diet can help you meet the recommended intake of Vitamin C in the body.
6. Next is Vitamin D. In addition to its role in keeping our bones healthy and strong and helping to prevent fatigue, Vitamin D also helps in the process of reducing the chance of fatty acid production, thus the conversion of calories to fat. This simply means that when a proper diet is paired with Vitamin D intake, your chance of becoming obese is greatly reduced
Milk, eggs, orange juice, and salmon are an excellent source of Vitamin D. In addition to these natural sources, fair amount of exposure to sunlight also helps in the further production of Vitamin D within our bodies.
7. The last, but definitely not least important, is Vitamin E. Vitamin E isn’t directly responsible for burning fat; however it’s known to be an antioxidant which helps in the prevention of oxidative stress. If oxidative stress isn’t prevented, your metabolism would be negatively affected. With a slow metabolism weight loss is merely three times harder than normal.
Tropical fruits like papaya and kiwi are rich in Vitamin E – perfect for dessert! Vegetable oils like olive oil are also a great source of Vitamin E.
With these Top 7 Vitamins in mind, you should always remember that without proper exercise and diet, they won’t be as helpful as they could be. Everything goes hand-in-hand and the more you discipline yourself, the faster results you’ll achieve – that’s for sure! Even though the daily intake of each Vitamin is safe, it is still important to note that obtaining vitamins from their original food sources is highly recommended and more likely to be effective. This is the reason why Doctors tell us to eat a healthy and balanced diet as opposed to simply prescribing vitamins.
