by Louanne Cox

Created on: August 23, 2007

Vitamins are organic components found in food which are vital for maintaining good health, this means that all vitamins are essential for both men and women. A deficiency in vitamins can be found in diseases such as scurvy (a deficiency of vitamin C) where the symptoms include bleeding of the gums and pain in the lower limbs which can result in inability to walk if left untreated. A deficiency in Vitamin D can lead to rickets which is a softening of bone leading to increased risk of fractures and deformities. With horrible diseases caused by poor nutrition it is little wonder that people take a multi vitamin as an insurance policy against poor nutritional choices.

Nutritional requirements change for a number of factors including age and lifestyle, so this article is only intended as a guideline for men in general. Men tend, as a rule, to require higher levels of nutrition as they are, generally, a larger build & have higher levels of lean muscle mass. Their red blood cells also circulate at a higher rate than women's generally do, which can lead to higher nutritional needs. It has been found that a man's body cannot tolerate low levels of plasma glucose as well as a women's body can. There are also genetic factors which seem to effect men over women for example baldness rarely affects women. Then there are the physiological factors such as prostrate health. Men are also more likely to contract certain types of cancer, and are more susceptible to heart disease and diabetes.

There are two types of vitamins fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the body. Water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and so need to be taken every day. All of the B vitamins are water soluble and so is vitamin C. The other vitamins are fat soluble.

Although every vitamin has its own job to do, a lot of them work better in synergy with others. The vitamin B complex all work much better when taken together instead of singlely. The majority of the Vitamin B complex play a vital role in maintaining a healthy nervous system and helping our bodies cope with stress. Men are four times as likely to commit suicide as women, so coping with stress is extremely important.

Most of the B vitamins also play a vital part in energy production and the conversion of carbohydrates into energy. The energy cycle also helps in stabilizing the blood sugar levels, when this cycle is compromised men's bodies have a hard time tolerating it and become very irritable and lethargic.

Vitamins

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