Introduction

Being overweight or obese is the cause of various conditions in the body. That is why many people are looking to lose weight as fast as they could to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, losing weight is not an easy task. So many things are involved both in and out of the body to help with losing weight. While many people opt for exercising, others struggle to keep up with strenuous activities that help increase the process of losing weight. Oftentimes, people wish to find an easier way to weight loss but in vain.

Fortunately, some processes in your body help with weight loss. An example of these processes is metabolism. It is the breakdown of food and nutrients in the body to provide energy for various functions. Metabolism is generally affected by what we ingest, more so vitamins and minerals. So, if the process is fast, it burns more calories than when it is slow ensuring that one doesn’t put on unnecessary weight. Like other functions in the body, some macronutrients encourage metabolism.

Here, we discuss the major vitamins and minerals that promote weight loss.

Vitamins for Weight Loss

B Vitamins

An active metabolism is important in one’s body but slows down as one grows older. This category contains an extensive range of vitamins that are useful in the body, especially when it comes to the functioning of metabolism. B vitamins include cobalamin B-12, folate B9, biotin B7, pyridoxine B6, pantothenic acid B5, niacin B3, riboflavin B2, and thiamine B1.

Collectively, these vitamins are important to ensure a fully functioning metabolic reaction in the body. Mainly, B vitamins aid in metabolizing fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and uses up the energy from food to minimize the storage of fats.

·       Thiamine (B-1)

Thiamine B-1 is responsible for aiding the cells in the body to turn carbohydrates into energy instead of fats. If there is any deficiency in the vitamin in the body, this means that metabolism will slow down and hence, gaining weight instead. Foods from which you get thiamine include poultry, pork, peas, dried beans, nuts, soybeans, lentils, legumes, whole grain cereals (including pasta and cereal), rice, bread, and yeast.

Certain dietary meals and habits can inhibit thiamine from doing its work in the body, thus leading to deficiency. Therefore, avoid consuming too much coffee and tea, chewing on raw tea leaves and betel nuts, and ingesting raw seafood so often.

·       Vitamin B-2

Also referred to as riboflavin, is a vitamin that is found in either natural foods or synthetic form. Its main purpose, like all the other B vitamins, is to help in regenerating red blood cells as well as promote cell functions in providing energy for the body. The functions involve breaking down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

To get enough riboflavin in your body, you have to keep up with a healthy diet plan and mainly in dairy products such as milk and cottage cheese. You can also increase the vitamin in the body while taking egg yolks, red meat, salmon, dark meat, almonds, tuna, grains, and soybeans. Mostly, vitamin B2 is usually a cereal and bread supplement and is also a food coloring in sweets and candy. Riboflavin is essential for losing weight and its deficiency in the body can lead to other maladies.

·       Niacin B-3

Niacin, commonly known as vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient that is useful in every part of your body. It is majorly an element of two coenzymes that actively take part in cellular metabolism (NAD and NADP). The nutrient works to lower cholesterol levels, ultimately reducing the risk of heart conditions.

Niacin is gotten through the food we eat and from tryptophan amino acid. The main sources of vitamin B3 include fish, poultry, meat, legumes, and nuts.

·       Pantothenic Acid

Pantothenic acid is widely known as vitamin B5 and is a vital nutrient in the body. It is responsible for generating blood cells and aid in the conversion of food to energy. The vitamin is crucial for losing weight because it improves metabolism to ensure minimal fat storage in the body.

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet guarantees sufficient vitamin B5 in the body. Other foods that you can incorporate into your diet to increase the intake of this vitamin include; broccoli, cabbage, whole-grain cereals, white and sweet potatoes, mushrooms, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, poultry, meats, and dairy products.

·       Pyridoxine

Widely known as vitamin B5, pyridoxine is a soluble vitamin crucial in the body for various functions. It aids in the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in the body to ensure an active metabolic process. With an active metabolic function, you are sure to lose weight in a matter of days.

Vitamin B6 is found in the foods we ingest and supplements. The foods rich in vitamin B6 include chickpeas, potatoes, bananas, tuna, salmon, and turkey.

·       Biotin

Biotin, also referred to as vitamin B7, like all B vitamins, helps in converting food into energy instead of storing it as fat. This process ensures you don’t put on weight as much of the food is turned into energy to help the body function as it should. It is a crucial nutrient in the body because it helps many other functions in the body, especially in pregnancy (for fetal development).

You can find biotin naturally from egg yolk, all nuts, meat organs, nut butter, cauliflower, legumes, whole grains, cereals, mushrooms, and bananas.

·       Folate

Also called vitamin B9 is a natural form of B vitamins that is essential in the body for various functions. For starters, it helps the conversion of foods in the body to energy more efficiently. Vitamin B9 is mainly found in whole foods and other foods like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lettuce, and avocados. While folate helps increase the process of losing weight, it is also essential for fetal development. In this case, taking folate as a supplement ensures its adequacy in the body.

·       Vitamin B12

Cobalamin also refers to vitamin B12 and is an essential nutrient needed in the body for it to function properly. Vitamin B12 performs various roles in the body, for instance, it is useful during the formation of red blood cells and synthesizing DNA in the body. The vitamin is also useful in supporting the proper functioning of the nerve cells and provide energy for the body.

While providing energy, it reduces the chances of food being stored as fats in the body, to aid in fast weight loss. It is not naturally found in the body but animal products and supplements. The sources include fish, poultry, eggs, meat, and dairy foods. Additionally, you can get B12 vitamins from fortified cereals and fortified dietary yeasts.

Vitamin D

If you are looking to lose weight while maintaining a healthy immune system, vitamin D is your perfect solution. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the body as it helps boost overall health. It is formed naturally in the body upon exposure to sunlight. However, a large group of people seems to lack this vitamin due to the reduced sun days. With little to no sun outside, many people opt to stay indoors for warmth. This causes a deficiency of the vitamin in the body and, thus, weight gain.

Obtaining enough vitamin D from food is virtually impossible. That is why supplements are highly recommended to ensure adequate supply in the body. Besides promoting weight loss, vitamin D also prevents depression which ensures an effective diet for the body. Some of the foods that promote vitamin D include; salmon sardines, cod liver oil, tuna, and egg yolk, fortified cereals, milk, and yogurt.

Low levels of vitamin D in the body have been associated to cause various maladies, obesity being at the top of the list. For this reason, you should prevent the deficiency of this vitamin, by all means, to ensure stable weight for your body. Several studies conducted on the vitamin proved that those who took vitamin D supplements lost weight steadily compared to those who went without. However, it is always important to contact your doctor whenever you feel the deficiency of this vitamin causes weight gain.

Conclusion

When it comes to losing weight, a lot is involved to achieve great results. While regular exercises are ideal, complementing it with a balanced diet ensures perfect and fast results. Consuming foods that are rich in the above-mentioned vitamins helps a great deal in losing weight.

With a healthy diet, metabolism is sure to function as it should. However, as one grows old, metabolism slows down for some reason. This means that, if you consume a healthy and balanced diet, you will still be adding on weight. Supplementing with the right vitamins that augment metabolism, you are sure to lose unnecessary weight in no time.

B vitamins and vitamin D are linked directly to losing weight. Lack of these vitamins in the body slows down metabolism and causes various health concerns. Supplements are a sure way to know that you are consuming the vitamins.