VITAMINS AND WEIGHT LOSS: ANY CONNECTION?

By Gartrell White Total Fitness Control

There still is no magic pill for fat loss. Hard work, consistency and discipline is still the name of the game and cannot be bottled or packaged. However, taking a multivitamin might be the secret to taking you over the hump and revealing a slimmer you. In a new study of more than 85 obese women, those who took a multivitamin, while continuing to eat their normal diets, lost an average of about three and a half pounds over six months. Those who took a placebo lost nothing. The findings, reported in February 2010 in the International journal of Obesity, add to a growing field of research that links vitamins and minerals to weight loss. The reason? Vitamin and mineral deficiencies tend to lead to certain food cravings, namely sugar and carbohydrates. When a person is nutrient deficient, he or she tends to crave and eat more carbohydrates in a sub-conscious attempt to “fill in the gap” in their nutrition. Unfortunately, the consequence of such over-consumption will inevitably lead to weight gain. Conversely, if an individual ingests a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement, the gaps in nutrition will significantly diminish and he or she has a better chance of eating just what the body requires and in moderation. In an ideal world, healthy macro and micro nutrient consumption would exclusively come from whole foods. However, in todays fast-paced, pre-packed society, supplementing with a good multi-vitamin/multi-mineral formula will not only lead to improved overall health, but will potentially shed some inches off of your waist.