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Can Taking Vitamins Really Help Me Lose Weight?

By: Janet Clapham More and more reports are telling us that obesity is one of the biggest problems our society faces today. Obesity negatively affects our health in so many ways. It aids in keeping blood pressure high, has a negative affect on diabetes, and puts a severe strain on our health.

People like you and me have for years searched the drugstore shelves for that magic pill that will help us lose weight, reduce our appetite and provide a much needed energy boost. Products such as Carb blockers and Hoodia receive massive advertising exposure with the promise of a quick fix for our weight problems.

A vital part in shedding those extra pounds is played by our own body's metabolism and taking vitamins may well provide the solution for those of us who are not to keen on taking those over the counter remedies. Some side effects of these branded products can be sleeplessness, an increased heart rate and iritability. In many cases, your body will become used to the drugs with the pills losing their effectiveness as you body adapts to them.

Taking the right vitamins can have a significant impact on weight loss and control. Getting the proper nutrients is so essential to our health and our body will always work better when we are healthy. It is not easy to pick out what are perfect vitamins for losing weight, however there are a few that do play an important role in controlling appetite, the metabolism of sugars and fats and the burning of calories.

The most important vitamins you can take for weight control are the B vitamins and vitamin C. They each have a role for our body and are important in weight control and over-all health.

The riboflavin vitamin B2 plays an important part in the function of the thyroid and body metabolism. Vitamin B2 can be found in milk products, leafy green vegatables, liver and kidneys, hard cheese, eggs and almonds.

Niacin, which is the B3 vitamin, is also important for thyroid function. It is also important for controlling the glucose toleration. Every time blood sugar rises we need vitamin B3. Foods that are sources for this vitamin are tuna, turkey, chicken, meat, eggs, some fish, dried fruit and brown rice. Oats and wheat flakes are also good sources of niacin.

Vitamin B5 is another of the B vitamins that helps the body control the use of fat. It also helps the adrenal gland and has positive benefits in raising energy levels. Good sources of vitamin B5 are barley, oats, green vegetables, eggs, molasses, beans, wheat flakes, wheat bran and wheat germ.

Important for the control of the thyroid function and metabolism is vitamin B6 which includes Chloline and Inisitol. Choline is also needed by the body for the metabolism of fat. You can find vitamin B6 in dried fruits, eggs, fish, beef and poultry while Choline is contained in peanuts, wheat germ, egg yolks and beef organs. Citrus fruits, whole grains, eggs and nuts all contain Inositol.

Vitamin C provides many health benefits including converting glucose to energy. You can find this important vitamin in lemons, oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants, and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage.

So there you have it, 5 vitamins, B2, B3, B5, B6 and vitamin C, all found in readily available and inexpensive foods. A balanced diet containing all of these 5 will really help in controlling weight, not to mention the significant extra benefits of forming part of a healthy diet.

Eating a healthy balanced diet is always going to be the best way of getting these important weight controlling vitamins into your body. Our busy lifesyles these days means that this is not always possible and this is where a good quality vitamin supplement can help, although under no circumstances should you just rely on supplements to provide you with your nutritional needs.