There are vitamins and minerals in the body that are considered to be fat soluble in the sense that that they rely on fats for transportation. This means that for those strictly no fat eaters, they are likely to suffer a deficiency of these substances. As much as you may need to cut down on your fat intake because you want to loose weight, doing away with them will give you more problems to deal with than just the belly you want to flatten. You have to take some fat to ensure that these fat soluble vitamins and minerals are both absorbed and taken around the body.

Otherwise, brace yourself for the serious conditions your body will suffer because of the deficiency. I must confess that it is quite tempting to have tabs of vitamin and mineral supplements stacked in your medicine cabinet or kitchen. If you take an excess, you should also brace yourself for very serious side effects. Taking anything in excess is just another form of food poisoning which can affect some of your vital organs. Ensure that you consult with your dietitian or nutritionist concerning the daily requirements that your body has as pertains to each vitamin and mineral.

So let’s take a look at some of these fat soluble vitamins and minerals:

1. Vitamin A
It’s the most common fat soluble vitamin and is responsible for good eyesight as well as for the maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. Deficiency will lead to impaired vision, skin disorders, and respiratory disorders and in some cases even reproductive disorders. Toxic effects when it is taken in excess may be manifested through nausea, headaches, hair loss and muscle cramps among other effects.

2. Vitamin D
This is literally the sun vitamin as it is produced by the body when the sunlight reacts with the cholesterol in the body. It regulates phosphorus as well as the absorption of calcium which is very important to bodybuilders. An excess may lead to excess calcium in the blood while a deficiency will cause cramps, loss of calcium, insomnia and visual problems among other disorders.

Other fat soluble vitamins include vitamins E, F and K. now we will take a brief look at the fat soluble minerals:

1. Iron
It is mainly responsible for the transportation of oxygen around the body as it forms a major part of hemoglobin. It also helps in the production if energy. A deficiency may cause anemia, intestinal hemorrhaging, depression and low hemoglobin etc. toxic effects when taken in excess include liver and heart damage.

2. Zinc
It is a strong antioxidant that has been proven to promote a healthier immune system as well as to inhibit allergies. It does wonders to your hair and skin as this is where it gets stored. Of great importance to bodybuilders is its protein and collagen producing function. Deficiency will lead to lower immunity, higher susceptibility to allergies as well as hair loss, skin disorders and even night blindness. Toxic effects include a lower immunity and recovery is also hindered.

Other fat soluble minerals are magnesium, calcium, chromium, potassium and sodium.

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