Vitamins and
minerals are substances your body needs in small amounts for normal growth,
function and health. Together, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients.
Your body cant make most micronutrients, so you must get them from the foods
you eat or, in some cases, from supplements.
You need
vitamins for normal body functions, mental alertness and resistance to
infection. They enable your body to process proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Certain vitamins also help you produce blood cells, hormones, genetic material
and chemicals in your nervous system. Unlike carbohydrates, proteins and fats,
vitamins and minerals don't provide fuel (calories). However, they help your
body release and use calories from food.
There are 14
vitamins, which fall into two categories:
 | Fat-soluble:
Vitamins A, D, E and K. They're stored in your body's fat. Some fat-soluble
vitamins, such as vitamins A and D, can accumulate in your body and reach
toxic levels. |
| Water-soluble:
Vitamin C, choline, biotin and the seven B vitamins: thiamin (B-1),
riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B-3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B-6),
folic acid/folate (B-9) and cobalamin (B-12). They're stored to a lesser
extent than fat-soluble vitamins. |
Your body also
needs minerals. Major minerals those needed in larger amounts include
calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. Calcium,
phosphorus and magnesium are important in the development and health of your
bones and teeth. Sodium, potassium and chloride, known as electrolytes, are
important in regulating the water and chemical balance in your body. In
addition, your body needs smaller amounts of chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine,
iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc. These are all necessary for
normal growth and health.
The
right balance
Having the right
balance of vitamins and minerals in your body is essential. Prolonged vitamin or
mineral deficiencies can cause specific diseases or conditions, such as night
blindness (vitamin A deficiency), pernicious anemia (vitamin B-12 deficiency)
and anemia (iron deficiency). On the other hand, too much of some vitamins and
minerals can cause toxic reactions and even promote cancer.
You can get your
entire daily requirement of vitamin C by just popping a pill. You can get the
same amount by eating a large orange. So which is better? In most cases, the
orange a whole food.
Benefits
of whole foods
Whole foods
fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats and dairy products have three main
benefits you can't find in a pill:
| Whole
foods are complex.
They contain a variety of the nutrients your body needs not just one
giving you more "bang" for your nutrition "buck." An
orange, for example, provides vitamin C but also beta carotene, calcium and
other nutrients. A vitamin C supplement lacks these other nutrients.
Similarly, a glass of milk provides you with protein, vitamin D, riboflavin,
calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. If you take only calcium supplements and
skip calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products, you may miss all the other
nutrients you need for healthy bones. |
| Whole
foods provide dietary fiber.
Fiber is important for digestion and to help prevent certain diseases.
Soluble fiber found in certain beans and grains and in some fruits and
vegetables and insoluble fiber found in whole grains and in some
vegetables and fruits may help prevent heart disease, diabetes and
constipation. |
| Whole
foods contain other substances that may be important for good health.
Fruits and vegetables, for example, contain naturally occurring food
substances called phytochemicals, which may help protect you against cancer,
heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes. If you depend on supplements
rather than eating a variety of whole foods, you miss the potential benefits
of phytochemicals. |
Concentrate on
getting your nutrients from a variety of foods, though, not supplements. Whole foods provide
an ideal mix of nutrients, fiber and other food substances. It's likely that all
of these work in combination to keep you healthy.
Fortified
and enriched
You'll sometimes
see the words fortified or enriched on food and beverage
packaging. These terms indicate that nutrients have been added. If a food or
beverage is fortified, it means that one or more nutrients have been
added that weren't originally there. Enriched means that the nutrients
lost during processing have been added back.
Choosing
and using supplements
If you eat more than 1600 calories and a variety of food, you may be wasting your money and making some very expensive urine. Though, taking one multivitamin per day that has 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamins and minerals will not hurt you. If you are consuming less than 1600 calories per day, you are not getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. In that case, I would suggest you take a multivitamin that has 100% of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals.
However, if you do decide to take a
vitamin or mineral supplement, here are some factors to consider:
| Avoid
supplements that provide "megadoses." In general, choose a multivitamin-mineral supplement that provides
about 100% DV of all the vitamins and minerals instead of one that supplies,
for example, 500% DV of one vitamin and only 20% DV of another. The
exception to this is calcium. You may notice that calcium-containing
supplements don't provide 100% DV. If they did, the tablets would be too
large to swallow. Most cases of nutrient toxicity stem from high-dose
supplements. |
| Look
for USP on the label.
This ensures that the supplement meets the standards for strength, purity,
disintegration and dissolution established by the testing organization, U.S.
Pharmacopeia (USP). |
| Look
for expiration dates.
Supplements can lose potency over time, especially in hot and humid
climates. If a supplement doesn't have an expiration date, don't buy it. |
| Store
all vitamin and mineral supplements out of the sight and reach of children.
Be especially careful with any supplements containing iron. Iron overdose is
a leading cause of poisoning deaths among children. |
| Play
it safe. Before
taking anything other than a standard multivitamin-mineral supplement of
100% DV or less, check with your doctor, pharmacist or a registered
dietitian. This is especially important if you have a health problem or are
taking medication. High doses of niacin, for example, can result in liver
problems. In addition, supplements may interfere with your medications.
Vitamins E and K, for example, aren't recommended if you're taking
blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) because they can complicate the
proper control of blood thinning. If you're already taking an individual
vitamin or mineral supplement and haven't told your doctor, discuss it at
your next checkup. |
Vitamin supplements should not be take by people with kidney or liver problems without consenting with doctor first.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
|
Nutrients |
units/day |
Infants |
Children |
Children |
Women |
Men |
Women |
Men |
Pregnant |
|
12-Jul |
1-3
yr |
4-10
yr |
10-50
yr |
10-50
yr |
50+
yr |
50+
yr |
|||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Vitamin
A |
RE |
375 |
400 |
700 |
800 |
1000 |
800 |
1000 |
800 |
|
Vitamin
D |
IU |
200 |
200 |
200 |
200 |
200 |
100 |
100 |
200 |
|
Vitamin
E |
mg |
4 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
|
Vitamin
K |
ug |
10 |
15 |
30 |
65 |
80 |
65 |
80 |
65 |
|
Vitamin
C |
mg |
35 |
40 |
45 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
70 |
|
Folate |
ug |
80 |
50 |
200 |
400 |
400 |
180 |
200 |
400 |
|
Thiamin |
mg |
0.3 |
0.7 |
1 |
1.1 |
1.5 |
1 |
1.2 |
1.5 |
|
Riboflavin |
mg |
0.4 |
0.8 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
|
Niacin |
mg |
4 |
9 |
13 |
15 |
19 |
13 |
15 |
17 |
|
Vitamin
B6 |
mg |
0.3 |
1 |
1.4 |
1.6 |
2 |
1.6 |
2 |
2.2 |
|
Vitamin
B12 |
ug |
0.5 |
0.7 |
1.4 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
Biotin |
ug |
6 |
20 |
30 |
30-100 |
30-100 |
30-100 |
30-100 |
30-100 |
|
Pantothenic |
mg |
1.8 |
3 |
5 |
4.0-7.0 |
4.0-7.0 |
4.0-7.0 |
4.0-7.0 |
4.0-7.0 |
|
Acid |
|||||||||
|
Choline |
mg |
150 |
NA |
250 |
425 |
550 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
|
|||||||||
|
Calcium |
mg |
270 |
800 |
800 |
1000 |
1000 |
1200 |
1200 |
1200 |
|
Phosphorus |
mg |
275 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
800 |
1200 |
|
Iodine |
ug |
50 |
70 |
120 |
150 |
150 |
150 |
150 |
175 |
|
Iron |
mg |
10 |
10 |
10 |
15 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
30 |
|
Magnesium |
mg |
75 |
80 |
170 |
320 |
420 |
280 |
350 |
320 |
|
Copper |
mg |
.6-.7 |
.7-1.0 |
1.0-2.0 |
1.5-3.0 |
1.5-3.0 |
1.5-3.0 |
1.5-3.0 |
1.5-3.0 |
|
Zinc |
mg |
5 |
10 |
10 |
12 |
15 |
12 |
15 |
15 |
|
Selenium |
ug |
15 |
20 |
30 |
55 |
70 |
55 |
70 |
65 |
|
|
|||||||||
|
Chromium |
ug |
Oct-60 |
20-80 |
50-200 |
50-200 |
50-200 |
50-200 |
50-200 |
50-200 |
|
Molybdenum |
ug |
15-40 |
25-50 |
50-150 |
75-250 |
75-250 |
75-250 |
75-250 |
75-250 |
|
Manganese |
mg |
.3-1.0 |
1.0-1.5 |
2.0-3.0 |
2.0-5.0 |
2.0-5.0 |
2.0-5.0 |
2.0-5.0 |
2.0-5.0 |
|
Fluoride |
mg |
0.5 |
.5-1.5 |
1.5-2.5 |
1.5-4.0 |
1.5-4.0 |
1.5-4.0 |
1.5-4.0 |
1.5-4.0 |
|
Sodium |
mg |
120-200 |
NA |
400 |
500 |
500 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Chloride |
mg |
180-300 |
NA |
600 |
750 |
750 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Potassium |
mg |
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