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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Vitamin Solution summary
Romy Block and Arielle Levitan
Two Doctors Clear the Confusion about Vitamins and Your Health
16 mins
Brief summary
'The Vitamin Solution' by Romy Block and Arielle Levitan is a user-friendly guide to vitamins, helping readers decode confusing health advice and make informed choices. It offers clear explanations of the body's vitamin needs and suggestions for finding safe, high-quality supplements.
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The Vitamin Solution
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Key idea 1 of 7
Although the value of vitamins is often questioned, there are good reasons to supplement your diet with them.
Have you ever been at a family gathering and had to avoid an eccentric family member who is always trying to convince everyone to use vitamin supplements? Such zealous relatives are just one of the many reasons people tend to be skeptical about vitamins.
Even the medical community isn’t sure how effective vitamins are.
Much of this uncertainty is due to scientific studies’ inability to provide definitive results.
For example, in 2000, biologist Patrizia Mecocci conducted a study on the effects of vitamins on the human lifespan. Afterward, however, there was no conclusive evidence that vitamins prolong life, and many studies since have also concluded that vitamins are largely ineffective.
On the other hand, there are other researchers who argue that the problem isn’t with the vitamins, but rather the science behind the studies.
They suggest that these studies often fail to show conclusive results due to participants not taking continued doses of the vitamins for long enough periods.
Another important contributing factor is that the effects of vitamin supplements are highly dependent on the individual. Therefore, studies where every participant spends years taking vitamin C are unlikely to show uniform results. That’s because, in all likelihood, not every participant needed vitamin C; some were probably in need of a different supplement.
Despite these disputes, one can say with confidence that most patients are likely to benefit from a form of vitamin supplementation that suits their lifestyle.
After all, no matter how healthy your diet, you are probably missing out on some key nutrients that can easily be supplemented.
For example, a largely vegetarian diet can lead to deficiencies in vitamin B12 and iron. And if your diet consists of a lot of meat, you might miss out on other essential nutrients such as vitamin A and vitamin C.
Achieving the perfect balance through diet alone is nearly impossible, and some nutrients are simply hard to come by. Vitamin D3, for instance, is important for bone health, but only exists in wild salmon.
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What is The Vitamin Solution about?
The Vitamin Solution (2015) offers a clear picture of the world of vitamins to help you determine whether you need them, why you might need them and what they can do to improve your everyday life. Cut through the clutter and confusion and find out which vitamins are essential for a healthy body and mind and how you can put yourself on the path to better living.
Best quote from The Vitamin Solution
Should I be taking vitamins? Yes, you should, but perhaps not the typical concoctions you find at your corner pharmacy.
—Romy Block and Arielle Levitan
Who should read The Vitamin Solution?
- Athletes looking to reach their body’s optimal performance
- People suffering from fatigue, depression or insomnia
- Medical practitioners interested in the benefits of commonly used vitamins
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