›› About Vitamins
Learning about
vitamins can be confusing, especially when you are trying to figure out
just what type of supplements you should be taking. We’ve all
been told at one time or another, that if we ate a nutritionally
balanced meal three times a day we wouldn’t need dietary
supplements or need to know about vitamins, but of course, this just
isn’t realistic in our society. A huge number of us are
stressed out on a routine basis, and don’t always have time
to eat at all let alone a nutritionally balanced meal (and three of
them?!). Vitamins should never be substituted for good nutritional
intake. Your body needs fuel to accomplish all the tasks you have to
attend to in a day. A good diet is one with plenty of calcium, protein,
fats, carbohydrates, and fiber supplemented by vitamins as needed for
specific health concerns.
Many food items are enriched with vitamins and minerals, like breads,
pastas, and cereals. Information about vitamins listed on packaging
includes the percentage of the daily recommended allowance of each,
which will give you a pretty good idea how much you are getting of a
certain vitamin or mineral. Calcium is an important mineral for women,
and most sources about vitamins state that women should consume at
least 1200-1500 mg of calcium daily. Most calcium supplements only
contain 30-50% of the recommended daily amounts and must be
supplemented by diet intake of other sources, such as cheese, yogurt,
milk, and ice cream. About vitamin D, this is an important vitamin and
is essential to bone health, and is included in some calcium
supplements as well. Vitamin D can be absorbed through the skin via
sunlight as well, but for people living in northern states, or for the
elderly, this is not always an option, therefore a vitamin supplement
is the answer.
Part of taking care of yourself is learning about vitamins and minerals
that our bodies require for optimal health. Many sources are available
to you to learn more about vitamins and how certain vitamin
deficiencies as well as excess intake can be detrimental to your
health. It’s important to take an active role in your health,
and be knowledgeable about vitamins in your cabinet and which are right
for you. In addition to searching on the web, you can find an abundance
of information about vitamins in various health publications, or you
can even consult a nutritionist or naturopathic physician for advice
about vitamins and supplements, and how you can implement them into
your diet. Here’s to your good health!
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
