A multivitamin is a pill with many vitamins and minerals. Depending on the brand, the percent of vitamins and minerals in it will vary.
The additional vitamins and minerals that multivitamins provide will be useful for those with different nutritional needs, a dietary imbalance or those wanting to improve overall health. Pregnant women and elderly adults also have different nutritional needs than other adults and a multivitamin would be a good addition to their health needs. Even those on diets (such as Atkins) may benefit by taking a daily multivitamin.
Multivitamin use can have varying short and long term health benefits. Some more immediate benefits include increased energy, stress reduction, and enhanced immune function. Recent research indicates that multivitamin supplements play important roles in preventing chronic diseases like cancer and osteoporosis. Cardiovascular health, improved eye and brain function have also been linked to multivitamin use.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Do you need a vitamin D supplement?
Are you at risk for Vitamin D deficiency?
People who are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency may need to take vitamin D supplements. The people most at risk are:
Infants who are breastfed. Breast milk doesn't contain enough vitamin D to meet a baby's needs and most babies have limited exposure to the sun to get their source there.
People who don't often get outside are probably not making sufficient vitamin D. Sunscreen may also affect how much vitamin D you are absorbing. The sun is a great source of vitamin D if you can get outside enough.
Vegetarians and vegans or those who don't eat fish, eggs, or milk may have a harder time getting vitamin D. So few foods have vitamin D so limiting your intake of these types of food will limit vitamin D absorbtion.
People who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. Milk is fortified with enough vitamin D to be a good source of it.
People over age 50 need extra vitamin D because, for one thing, our skin becomes less able to make vitamin D as we age.
Individuals who have liver disease or whose bodies don't absorb fat properly.
One study found that those who took vitamin D supplements for six years significantly reduced their risk of death from any cause.
People who are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency may need to take vitamin D supplements. The people most at risk are:
Infants who are breastfed. Breast milk doesn't contain enough vitamin D to meet a baby's needs and most babies have limited exposure to the sun to get their source there.
People who don't often get outside are probably not making sufficient vitamin D. Sunscreen may also affect how much vitamin D you are absorbing. The sun is a great source of vitamin D if you can get outside enough.
Vegetarians and vegans or those who don't eat fish, eggs, or milk may have a harder time getting vitamin D. So few foods have vitamin D so limiting your intake of these types of food will limit vitamin D absorbtion.
People who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. Milk is fortified with enough vitamin D to be a good source of it.
People over age 50 need extra vitamin D because, for one thing, our skin becomes less able to make vitamin D as we age.
Individuals who have liver disease or whose bodies don't absorb fat properly.
One study found that those who took vitamin D supplements for six years significantly reduced their risk of death from any cause.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Vitamin C Supplement
Vitamin C is the most widely taken vitamin supplement. With all the benefits that vitamin C gives it is easy to see why. Vitamin C is very important for all it can do to prevent disease and benefit health. The 70 mg. or so that you get from six-ounce serving of juice may not be enough to provide those benefiits. Recommended daily allowances (60 mg.) were originally set to levels known to help prevent diseases attributed to vitamin deficiencies. At these levels you may not receive any of it’s other health-giving qualities.
Benefits of vitamin C
Vitamin C helps prevent certain cancers, particularly of the stomach.
Vitamin C's antioxidant properties may help inhibit the formation of atherocslerosis and may also prevent the formation of cataracts.
At the onset of a cold vitamin C supplements may reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. It may not be a cure, but it can help prevent complications such as pneumonia and infections.
Vitamin C was beneficial to individuals whose immune system was weakened due to stress.
And while studies studies are not completely clear, there does seem to be a correlation between the concentration of vitamin C in the blood and the risk for strokes. A higher concentration is associated with a lower risk for strokes.
Benefits of vitamin C
Vitamin C helps prevent certain cancers, particularly of the stomach.
Vitamin C's antioxidant properties may help inhibit the formation of atherocslerosis and may also prevent the formation of cataracts.
At the onset of a cold vitamin C supplements may reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms. It may not be a cure, but it can help prevent complications such as pneumonia and infections.
Vitamin C was beneficial to individuals whose immune system was weakened due to stress.
And while studies studies are not completely clear, there does seem to be a correlation between the concentration of vitamin C in the blood and the risk for strokes. A higher concentration is associated with a lower risk for strokes.
What are vitamins and how do they work?
What is a vitamin?
A vitamin is a small molecule that your body needs to carry out a certain reaction. Your body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, so the vitamin molecules must come in through food that you eat. The human body is known to need at least 13 different vitamins. These vitamins are divided into fat soluble and water soluble.
List of vitamins
Water Soluble
B1 - Thiamine
B2 - Riboflavin
B3 - Niacin
B5 - Pantothenic acid
B6 - Pyridoxine
B7 - Biotin
B9 - Folic acid
B12 - Cyanocobalamin
Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid
Fat Soluble
Vitamin A - Retinol
Vitamin D - Calciferol
Vitamin E - Tocopherol
Vitamin K - Menaquinone
How are they used?
A vitamin is a small molecule that your body needs to carry out a certain reaction. Your body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, so the vitamin molecules must come in through food that you eat. The human body is known to need at least 13 different vitamins. These vitamins are divided into fat soluble and water soluble.
List of vitamins
Water Soluble
B1 - Thiamine
B2 - Riboflavin
B3 - Niacin
B5 - Pantothenic acid
B6 - Pyridoxine
B7 - Biotin
B9 - Folic acid
B12 - Cyanocobalamin
Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid
Fat Soluble
Vitamin A - Retinol
Vitamin D - Calciferol
Vitamin E - Tocopherol
Vitamin K - Menaquinone
How are they used?
A lot of people think vitamins can replace food, but they can't. They should be taken with a meal so that they can be properly assimilated. Vitamins regulate metabolism, help convert fat and carbohydrates into energy, along with many other functions of the body. For example, one use of Vitamin C is in the formation of collagen. Without vitamin C, collagen cannot be produced and the first signs of this are very weak blood vessels and loose teeth. The body is able to store some vitamins while other vitamins need to be constantly re-supplied.
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