For Better Health and Nutrition: New Reasons to Take a Mulitvitamin
Talking a multivitamin seems like a no-brainer.
With a single supplement, you get most of the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
Right? Not exactly.
It's true that less than half of Americans age 51 and older get enough essential nutrients, such as folate (folic acid), vitamin E and magnesium, from food alone.
Certain people, such as older adults and strict vegetarians, are even less likely to get all the nutrients they need from food.
So what role does a daily multi-vitamin play in maintaining overall health? One of the leading country's experts on nutrition Dr.
Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, MPH Harvard Medical School advises on the benefits of Why You should take a Multivitamin.
Not smoking, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight are among the most effective ways to stay healthy.
When it comes to getting the essential nutrients our bodies need, a balanced diet is the best approach.
Unlike multivitamins, many foods are rich sources of fiber and disease-fighting phyto-nutrients and provide the protein that helps keep our muscles strong as we age.
The trick is getting enough of the healthful foods you need-a balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and unsaturated fats.
A multivitamin can help many people fill in the nutritional "gaps.
" You need to be choosy, however, when you shop for a multivitamin.
The dietary supplement industry is largely unregulated, and som manufacturers make strong claims that are based on weak--or sometimes nonexistent-evidence.
That 's why it's best to skip megadose vitamins, which contain nutrient doses that are often significantly higher than the Daily Values (DV's) or those promising specific health benefits, such as lower cholesterol or stronger immunity.
My advice: Choose a standard multivitamin that provides up to the DV for most nutrients, and slightly higher amounts for a few others, paying attention to the following..
..
..
** Vitamin D.
DV: 400 international units (IU).
We get only trace amounts of vitamin D from foods such as salmon and egg yolks.
Fortified milk has 100 IU per cup.
The rest is produced when our skin is exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Unfortunately, the majority of Americans don't get enough sun to manufacture adequate levels of vitamin D.
What to look for: A daily multivitamin providing 1,000 IU of vitamin D-3 is sufficient.
Nutrients to Look for in a Multivitamin: Vitamin D 1000 IU Vitamin E 200 IU Vitamin B-12 10 mcg Vitamin A 2000 IU How to Take Your Multivitamin Whether your multivitamin is in pill, liquid or powder form, always take it with food.
Vitamins A, D and E need some dietary fat to be absorbed.
With a single supplement, you get most of the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
Right? Not exactly.
It's true that less than half of Americans age 51 and older get enough essential nutrients, such as folate (folic acid), vitamin E and magnesium, from food alone.
Certain people, such as older adults and strict vegetarians, are even less likely to get all the nutrients they need from food.
So what role does a daily multi-vitamin play in maintaining overall health? One of the leading country's experts on nutrition Dr.
Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, MPH Harvard Medical School advises on the benefits of Why You should take a Multivitamin.
Not smoking, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight are among the most effective ways to stay healthy.
When it comes to getting the essential nutrients our bodies need, a balanced diet is the best approach.
Unlike multivitamins, many foods are rich sources of fiber and disease-fighting phyto-nutrients and provide the protein that helps keep our muscles strong as we age.
The trick is getting enough of the healthful foods you need-a balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and unsaturated fats.
A multivitamin can help many people fill in the nutritional "gaps.
" You need to be choosy, however, when you shop for a multivitamin.
The dietary supplement industry is largely unregulated, and som manufacturers make strong claims that are based on weak--or sometimes nonexistent-evidence.
That 's why it's best to skip megadose vitamins, which contain nutrient doses that are often significantly higher than the Daily Values (DV's) or those promising specific health benefits, such as lower cholesterol or stronger immunity.
My advice: Choose a standard multivitamin that provides up to the DV for most nutrients, and slightly higher amounts for a few others, paying attention to the following..
..
..
** Vitamin D.
DV: 400 international units (IU).
We get only trace amounts of vitamin D from foods such as salmon and egg yolks.
Fortified milk has 100 IU per cup.
The rest is produced when our skin is exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Unfortunately, the majority of Americans don't get enough sun to manufacture adequate levels of vitamin D.
What to look for: A daily multivitamin providing 1,000 IU of vitamin D-3 is sufficient.
Nutrients to Look for in a Multivitamin: Vitamin D 1000 IU Vitamin E 200 IU Vitamin B-12 10 mcg Vitamin A 2000 IU How to Take Your Multivitamin Whether your multivitamin is in pill, liquid or powder form, always take it with food.
Vitamins A, D and E need some dietary fat to be absorbed.
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