Taking Vitamins During Atkins Low Carb Diet

Vitamins are indispensable for life. Since it is rather difficult to produce itself, human body needs supplements. Taking vitamins on Atkins low carb diet is higly suggested by the author.

We Need Vitamins

vitamins

Vitamins are organic compounds, indispensable for cellular processes and for life itself.

Since many vitamins cannot be obtained directly from foods by the human body, some deficiencies may occur. Lack of certain vitamins is responsible for certain diseases. Modern urban lifestyle especially deprives human beings of essential vitamins and minerals. That is why now there are a lot of lifestyle-related diseases: diabetes, obesity, heart diseases.

The proper need of vitamins depends on inheritance, age, way of living, daily nutrition, stress. It is next to impossible to know when someone should start taking vitamins and antioxidants.

To make matters worse, manufacturers began to use additives, substances which are synthetically devised, on a large scale. These toxic chemical additives are seriously damaging the immune system and are laying the groundwork for a plenty of severe diseases: brain tumors, colon cancer, endocrine system disorders, persistant obesity.

In order to compensate the lack of essential vitamins, Atkins low carb diet suggests taking vitanutrients.

The Atkins Way

atkins vitamins 14 days starter kit

To help dieters, Dr. Atkins diet includes advice regarding the daily intake of vitamins.

The first formula released by Dr. Atkins was Basic 1, a basic multiple vitamin to attain all needs.

Basic 1 was improved by refining the dossages; thus, Basic 3 was launched.

The dietary supplement recommended on Induction menu includes the following:

  1. Chromium, whose role is essential in normalizing the fluctuating insulin level. Best absorbtion is achieved in chromium polynicotinate. A minimum of 300 mcg daily is enough for most dieters. Some may require an extra portion. Basic 3 contains 300 mcg.
  2. Vitamin B5 (pantethine) is also extremely helpful during the Induction phase, for its cholesterol control ability. Experts also recommend it for the capacity of producing a friendly bacteria in the intestine. It is naturally produced by the body, but there are cases when metabolic resistance prevents its formation.
  3. Selenium is added for its antioxidant features. It is also thought to prevent diabetes.
  4. Vanadium seems to be crucial for diabetics, as it has the ability to support cells in absorbing blood sugar (thus, the level of insulin is decreased to normal levels).
  5. Biotin also helps diabetics by regulating the blood sugar level.

If Basic 3 formula is not at hand, anyone dieting with Atkins should establish their own individual supplement needs, together with their physician. Certain needs appear during the Induction phase:

  • EFA are critical because they:
    1. protect arteries from forming plaque
    2. thin the blood
    3. help the blood to carry nutrients through the veins to the cells and brain more efficiently. Usually, essential fatty acids are missing because a lot of people avoid fats (mistakenly thought to be the cause of gaining weight)
  • multivitamin and mineral supplements as pills, for instance. The daily supplement should include:
    1. gamma linolenic acid (from borage oil or primrose)
    2. omega 3 fatty-acids from fish oil and flaxseed oil
    3. B complex factors
    4. vitamin C, E
  • fiber to prevent constipation (from wheat bran or flaxmeal)
  • additional, one or two tablets of L-glutamine, but only for those having sugar cravings