tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11194235217031486332024-03-12T16:01:29.234-07:00Vitaminviva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-49750925603223065232021-01-08T09:15:00.001-08:002021-01-08T09:15:08.737-08:00Vitamin A & Your Immune System<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoridt6vEhLNvdMatovPKq-7TacC87fA9ifzOaHvXi13TX0LLNwmlsV38S5lBKHfKvb6ELzifxh1vNvJ0CEASI5_yicT-ZH1KkLyoBCUFc31SpU_MycT5Nhq5UstV5siXtd-y_z-gOuFc/s970/Vitamin+A+-+imuno+sistem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="970" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoridt6vEhLNvdMatovPKq-7TacC87fA9ifzOaHvXi13TX0LLNwmlsV38S5lBKHfKvb6ELzifxh1vNvJ0CEASI5_yicT-ZH1KkLyoBCUFc31SpU_MycT5Nhq5UstV5siXtd-y_z-gOuFc/w400-h254/Vitamin+A+-+imuno+sistem.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic and severely affected our everyday life. At this time, there is yet any clinically proven drugs or treatments to prevent or cure COVID-19.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the novel coronavirus, about 80% of the infected had mild to moderate symptoms (mild symptoms up to mild pneumonia), about 15% developed severe disease (shortness of breath, low blood oxygen, or >50% lung involvement), and 5% became critically ill (respiratory failure, shock, or multi organ dysfunction).</div><div><br /></div><div>Patients with severe COVID-19 illness and adverse outcome are mostly older, have diabetes, heart disease, prior stroke, hypertension, chronic respiratory disease, and/or chronic lung disease. In many cases, these patients' immune system, in an attempt to fight the virus, becomes dysfunctional and go into overdrive, resulting in a deadly effect known as a "cytokine storm".</div><div><br /></div><div>Cytokines are an important part of your immune response. Your body release them as a response to an infection to trigger inflammation for your protection. A cytokine storm happens when the body releases excessive or uncontrolled levels of cytokines, causing hyper inflammation, which may lead to serious complications and even death.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why does the immune system go haywire? How come it occurs more in patients who are immunocompromised or with preexisting conditions? How can we have a stronger, better functioning immune system?</div><div><br /></div><div>By now, most of us are well aware of the important role nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics play in regulating the immune system and keeping us healthy. Not enough has been said about vitamin A though.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the past several decades, scientists have been studying the impact of dietary vitamin A on human health. It is well established that vitamin A is an essential nutrient and is responsible for many vital functions in the body:</div><div><ul><li>It protects the eyes from night blindness and age-related decline.</li><li>It reduces the risk of certain cancers.</li><li>It supports a healthy immune system.</li><li>It reduces the risk of skin problems like eczema and acne.</li><li>It supports bone health.</li><li>It promotes healthy growth and reproduction.</li></ul></div><div>In the following, we will look at how vitamin A can help reduce the incidence and severity of infectious diseases, how the immune system works against infectious agents like viruses, and the role vitamin A plays in regulating a healthy immune response. Lastly, we will discuss how you can get enough vitamin A to complement your immune protocol.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Understanding Vitamin A</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Vitamin A is a group of compounds found in both animal and plant foods. It comes in two forms: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids.</div><div><p></p><ul><li>Preformed vitamin A is known as the active form of the vitamin, which the body can readily use. It is fat-soluble and found in animal foods, like liver and eggs, and includes retinoid compounds like retinol, retinal, and retinoid acid.</li></ul><ul><li>Provitamin A carotenoids include carotenes (like alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) and xanthophyll (like astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin). These are the inactive form or precursors of the vitamin found in plants such as sweet potatoes and carrots. These compounds are water-soluble and have to be converted to the active form before the body can use it. For example, beta-carotene is converted to retinol in the small intestine. However, the ability to convert provitamin A into the active form is impaired in many people. More on this later.</li></ul><p></p></div><div><i><b>Vitamin A Reduces Incidence And Severity Of Infectious Diseases</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Research studies over the past several decades have well established the beneficial effect of vitamin A on infectious diseases.</div><div><p></p><ul><li>It was dated back to the ancient Egyptians that vitamin deficiency and disease were first correlated. They applied liver (which is rich in vitamin A) extracts to the eyes of people affected by nutritional night blindness.</li></ul><ul><li>In 1892, it was suggested that diet could have an impact on susceptibility to infectious diseases based on the observation that children suffering from measles or whooping cough also developed blindness produced by vitamin A deficiency.</li></ul><ul><li>Later studies indicated that supplements with carrots (which are rich in beta-carotene) could reduce the number and severity of respiratory infections.</li></ul><ul><li>More recent studies have shown that deficiency of vitamin A is associated with heightened incidence of infectious diseases, including respiratory diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and others.</li></ul><ul><li>Studies showed that high dose vitamin A supplementation in children with measles increased the number of circulating T cells (a type of immune cells), and also that vitamin A supplementation could reduce the incidence of respiratory infections in children.</li></ul><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">How The Immune System Works</span></b></i><p></p></div><div>Our immune system can be broken down into the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Innate immune system</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>This is the dominant defense system in the body and it relies on the use of physical barriers like the skin and mucous membranes, coupled with first responder defenders called leukocytes (white blood cells). Leukocytes include phagocytes (which engulf foreign invaders) and natural killer cells.</div><div><br /></div><div>The innate immune system response is why you get a stuffy nose and sneeze when you have a cold, or why a scrapped knee gets red, hot, and inflamed, or filled with pus. For people who contract COVID-19 and have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, their innate immune system is effective and working well against the coronavirus.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Adaptive immune system</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>When the innate immune system is not strong enough to combat the foreign invaders, it sends out signals called antigens to call on the second line of defense - the adaptive immune system. This system uses special types of leukocytes called lymphocytes, namely the B-cells and T-cells.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is typically when the inflammatory response gets kicked into a higher gear and you develop a fever and body aches. The adaptive immune response not only identifies and fights off viruses, it also remembers them so it can quickly and effectively combat and neutralize them in the future, thus creating immunity. This is also how vaccines work.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">COVID-19 And Cytokine Storms</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>The coronavirus tends to target the respiratory system by attaching and infiltrating the lung cells where it can more effectively hide from the immune system and reproduce. The infected cell will then produce more of the coronavirus and the process repeats itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the immune system detects this, it kicks off its response. The T-cells are then activated and they release cytokines. A cytokine is a hormone of the immune system. The body produces cytokines to help fight bacteria, viruses, and other invading organisms. Cytokines can be pro-inflammatory when they attract white blood cells to the site of an infection. Cytokines can also be anti-inflammatory when they try to ramp down an immune response once the threat has been neutralized.</div><div><br /></div><div>The release of cytokines triggers additional T-cells to be made, which then release even more cytokines. One type of T-cells called cytotoxic T-cells roam the body and kill infected cells. When the immune system is working well, the cytotoxic T-cells only target infected cells to be killed and move along.</div><div><br /></div><div>A cytokine storm happens when the immune system goes haywire. This is when the body's immune response gets so amped up that it stops differentiating between infected and healthy cells. In other words, the lung cells are now attacked by both the coronavirus as well as the immune system.</div><div><br /></div><div>With COVID-19, the cytokine storm focuses on the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and damage to the walls and lining cells of the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Normally, the wall of the alveolus is super thin, so oxygen can easily get from the air space in between into the red blood cells. In this case, both the wall and lining cells as well as the capillaries are destroyed. The debris that accumulates from all that damage lines the wall of the alveolus. The damage to the capillaries also causes them to leak plasma proteins that add to the wall's thickness. Eventually the wall becomes so thick that it is hard to transfer oxygen, hence, the feeling of shortness of breath.</div><div><br /></div><div>Many people who get ADRS need help breathing from a ventilator. As fluid collects in the lungs, they carry less oxygen to the blood. That means your blood may not supply your organs with enough oxygen to survive, resulting in the lungs, liver, and kidneys to shut down and stop working.</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, doctors found that once the coronavirus gets to the lungs, it may travel to the bloodstream and infect the endothelium, lining of the blood vessels, causing endotheliitis. It is, therefore, no surprise that people who have conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease that put a lot of stress on the endothelium are also the ones who get the sickest when they catch the coronavirus.</div><div><br /></div><div>COVID-19 does not merely cause lung problems. Many severe patients also develop widespread blood clots as a result of the hyper-inflamed state of cytokine storm, leading to strokes, heart attacks, and organ failure. What's more, doctors have noted an alarming trend as they treat more and more COVID-19 stroke patients who are in their 30s and 40s without risk factors. These people are at least 15 years younger than usual stroke patients without the virus.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Vitamin A Regulates Immune Responses</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>The effect of vitamin A on immune function is wide-reaching:</div><div><p></p><ul><li>It promotes and regulates both the innate and adaptive immune systems and the development of healthy immune responses.</li></ul><ul><li>It plays an important role in the regulation of different white blood cells (neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, natural killer cells, and lymphocytes) and influence the generation of cytokines by the immune cells.</li></ul><ul><li>Deficiency of vitamin A favors the production of more pro-inflammatory cytokines.</li></ul><ul><li>Research on vitamin A deficiency in children found that it damages the mucosal barrier, which is the natural defense of the respiratory tract, allowing bacteria and viruses to proliferate.</li></ul><p></p></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Are You At Risk For Vitamin A Deficiency?</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Vitamin A deficiency may lower your immune function, thereby raising your risk of complications from infectious diseases.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Testing</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>A blood test can determine if you are severely vitamin A deficient. Vitamin A is stored in the liver. Normally, the body will always try to maintain a healthy blood vitamin A concentration (a process called homeostatic regulation). However, when the body's reserves of vitamin A are significantly compromised, vitamin A concentration in the blood can drop below normal range.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Signs of mild deficiency</b></i></span></div><div><ul><li>dry eyes</li><li>poor night vision</li><li>hormonal imbalances</li><li>irregular periods</li><li>vaginal dryness</li><li>infertility</li><li>low energy and fatigue</li><li>mood disorders</li><li>frequent throat and chest infections</li><li>bumpy skin</li><li>eczema and acne</li><li>thyroid dysfunction</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Strict vegans who avoid all animal-based foods and alcoholics are more prone to vitamin A deficiency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since vitamin A is stored in the liver, and alcoholics may have existing liver damage, they may be more susceptible to deficiency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Vegans who rely entirely on plant sources of the precursor to vitamin A need to have the carotenoids converted to retinol, the active form of Vitamin A. However, in a majority of people, the carotene-to-retinol conversion is severely compromised, and in some it may even be as low as 10%.</div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Factors that inhibit the conversion include:</span></b></i></div><div><ul><li>genetic variants in the BCO1 gene that impact the conversion of beta carotene</li><li>diabetes</li><li>alcohol use</li><li>certain medications</li><li>toxic exposures</li><li>medical conditions that interfere with the digestion of fat (including Crohn's disease, Celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic enzyme deficiency, and gallbladder and liver disease)</li><li>a low-fat diet - as healthy fats are needed for the efficient conversion of carotenoids to retinol</li></ul></div><div><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sources Of Dietary Vitamin A</span></b></i></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>From animals (preformed vitamin A):</b></i></div><div><ul><li>Pastured animal liver (liver is an organ that processes toxins, toxins are not stored in the liver but in fats in the body)</li><li>Pastured poultry giblets</li><li>Cod liver oil</li><li>Grass fed ghee and butter</li><li>Grass fed cream and cheese</li><li>Pastured egg yolks</li><li>Sockeye salmon</li></ul></div><div><i><b>From plants (provitamin A carotenoids):</b></i></div><div><ul><li>Sweet potato</li><li>Carrots</li><li>Pumpkin</li><li>Winter squash</li><li>Dark green, leafy vegetables</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Cantaloupe</li><li>Red bell peppers</li><li>Mangos</li><li>Apricots</li></ul><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Vitamin A Supplementation</span></b></i></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ideally, it is best to eat vitamin A-rich animal foods regularly. There is no risk of excessive intake through food. The risk lies in taking mega dose supplements.</b> Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include changes to vision, bone pain, and skin changes. Chronic toxicity can lead to osteoporosis and liver damage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do note that blood vitamin A levels (as indicated in a blood test) may not indicate changes in supplementation because for healthy people blood vitamin A concentrations are always under homeostatic regulation and will stay within normal range. At present, there are no non-invasive ways (requires liver biopsies) to accurately measure the amount of vitamin A stored in the body.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>For people who would like to take vitamin A supplements, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adult male is 3,000 I.U. (or 900 mcg) and adult female is 2,300 I.U. (or 700 mcg).</b></i></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>The Upper Tolerable Intake Level (UL) is 10,000 I.U. (or 3,000 mcg) daily.</b></i></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div><i><b>Always take it with food containing fats for optimal absorption.</b></i></div><div><br /></div><div>Remember that vitamin A is available in two different forms: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids. The maximum daily dose of 10,000 I.U. per day relates to only preformed vitamin A.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some supplements contain vitamin A in both preformed and provitamin A carotenoids forms. For these supplements, the amount of preformed vitamin A should be used to determine if the amount of vitamin A is safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>In some cases, a vitamin A supplement with vitamin A in amounts greater than 10,000 I.U. may still be safe if a portion of the vitamin A is in the provitamin A carotenoids. For example, a supplement containing 23,000 I.U. of vitamin A, of which 60% is provitamin A carotenoids, will still be safe. This is because only 40% of the vitamin A content, or 9,200 I.U., is preformed vitamin A.</div><div><br /></div><div>Preformed vitamin A may come in two forms - from retinyl palmitate (in tablets) and/or from cod or other fish liver oil (in soft gels). Check the ingredients if you have allergies towards fish or soy.</div><div><ul><li>If you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding, keep the daily limit to 5,000 I.U.</li><li>If you have a disorder that affects fat absorption, you may not be able to absorb vitamin A properly.</li><li>Do not take vitamin A if you have a type of high cholesterol called Type V Hyperlipoproteinemia.</li><li>Do not take vitamin A if you have liver disease.</li><li>Iron deficiency may affect the body's ability to breakdown and use vitamin A.</li><li>People with severe protein malnutrition may end up with too much vitamin A in the body.</li><li>People with zinc deficiency may need to take both vitamin A and zinc to improve the condition.</li><li>Use caution if you are taking medications for skin conditions (Retinoids) as they may interact with vitamin A.</li><li>If you are taking antibiotics, do not take a high dosage of vitamin A.</li><li>Medications that harm the liver (hepatotoxic drugs) interacts with vitamin A.</li><li>Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with vitamin A.</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Disclaimer</b></div><div>Although nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics have been shown to strengthen the immune system, at present, there is no research or study on their efficacy towards preventing and curing COVID-19.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carol Chuang is a Certified Nutrition Specialist. She has a Masters degree in Nutrition and is a Certified Gluten Practitioner. She specializes in Metabolic Typing and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition.</div><div><br /></div><div>Article Source: <a href="https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carol_Chuang/545843">https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carol_Chuang/545843</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Article Source: <a href="http://EzineArticles.com/10285165">http://EzineArticles.com/10285165</a></div></div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-45759546876204768322020-10-27T08:24:00.001-07:002020-10-27T08:24:41.988-07:00Vitamins: Why Do We Take Supplements?<a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687375754582500610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zS76Z5M4UDQ2f-b1aEcUUBYaO5__41Hrm_M0EbFbq8-ZHR4mI1xOhDd8Y1Rj4y28PNBqbWEMMlvjgqcvBWqYmtaa3NCRkEt9uRQhJszEnW65PYJEqQXR7oLizDBIzgLDV1gGKQOW4ao/s200/1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamins supplements are so common amonge us. We can easily buy them at supermarkets or our local drugs store. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>But what are vitamins? and why should we take them? </i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nobel Laureate Fritz Lipmann once commented, <i>"Doctors like to prescribe vitamins and millions of people take them, but it requires a good deal of biochemical sophistication to understand why they are needed and how the organism uses them."</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamins are essential micronutrients that the body cannot supply in sufficient quantities. They therefore must be obtained from the environment (diet or supplements). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">For simplification, vitamins are classified in two groups, according to whether they are water-soluble or fat-soluble. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins; these are considered for the most part relatively non-toxic. The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, K, tend to accumulate in tissues and can be quite toxic at high doses.
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">What are Enzymes?</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enzymes are the work horses of the body in that they function to facilitate biochemical reactions necessary for activities such as muscle contraction, wound healing, digestion of food, metabolism of carbohydrate, fat and protein, and virtually all the numerous chemical reactions necessary for growth and vitality. The body manufactures approximately 4,000 different enzymes, and 22% of them require a helper molecule, a coenzyme, to carry out their activity. The relatively tiny B vitamin fits snugly into a specific site on the enzyme, much like a ball in a catcher's mitt. This interaction between enzyme and vitamin must be a near perfect fit for the enzyme to be active. Once this reaction is complete, the enzyme, now known as a holoenzyme, can perform work for the cell.
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Why should we supplement with vitamins?</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many people, especially as we age, require more nutrients than the diet supplies. Unfortunately, few of us eat the recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables/day. Scientific evidence continues to accumulate to strengthen the view that vitamin deficiencies are more common than previously thought. It has been estimated that at least 50 human genetic diseases are caused by specific errors in the DNA blueprint, and that these diseases can be corrected or attenuated by taking vitamins several-fold in excess of the recommended daily intake. Other disorders that may be related to genetic factors and vitamin deficiencies include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine, rage, depression, bipolar, and other more minor disorders.
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">How can megadosing with a particular vitamin make up for some genetic errors?</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamin must fit tightly in the pocket of the enzyme for full activity. If an enzyme is produced from a gene containing a genetic error (especially in the formation of the vitamin pocket), the error will most likely affect the ability of the enzyme to bind with the vitamin. This will result in reduced enzyme activity, because the vitamin will not be properly fitted to the enzyme. However, enzymologists working in the laboratory have demonstrated a method to force the vitamin into a pocket of an enzyme with low binding affinity. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The technique involves raising the concentration of the vitamin, thereby increasing the chance of a productive interaction between the vitamin and its binding site (pocket) on the enzyme. This is precisely what is believed to occur in some of the 50 or so known genetic diseases that are corrected or improved by ingestion of megadoses of vitamins. The high doses essentially force the imperfect pocket to pop into the vitamin-binding conformation, thereby creating the active holoenzyme.
Other genetic errors can also interfere with the transport of the vitamin into the cell. For example, a protein known as intrinsic factor is produced by the stomach and functions as a vehicle to carry vitamin B-12 from the intestine into the plasma. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">A defect in this factor will also produce a B-12 deficiency, which can be corrected by B-12 injections or high doses of sublingual B-12, both of which by-pass the intrinsic factor block. Since many vitamins have carrier proteins, this type of error is potentially more common than presently realized. Furthermore, stomach acidity is important in vitamin absorption and it is known that some individuals (more common in the elderly) have low vitamin absorption due to abnormal stomach acidity, which again may be corrected by high-dose vitamin therapy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Vitamins may also serve a role in protecting enzymes from free radical attack. Enzymes are longer-lived when they are in the company of substances they normally work with or bind to, such as the vitamins. The enzyme-bound vitamin affords a shield from free radical attack, as well as promoting a more compact, stable enzyme structure. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">How much should one take?</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">One should avoid taking vitamins in excess of the safe upper limit (UL), unless prescribed by a qualified physician. This safe UL can be several hundred times the recommended daily required intake, yet clearly within the range of the vitamins and minerals present in one multiple vitamin plus a super-B complex/day. A complete list of vitamin-mineral UL can be obtained from the US government National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
The U.S. Government's dietary guideline of 5 to 7 fruits and vegetables per day is widely cited, but often not well understood. Will 5 fruits and no vegetables meet the guideline? What about all veggies and no fruit? Could it be that they mean 5 to 7 fruits AND 5 to 7 vegetables?
Detailed examination of the guidelines reveals that the recommendation is to consume at least 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables per day. The rationale is that different fruits and vegetables provide different nutrients. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">By Ito Nakamura</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/128296</span></span>
</div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-58012835753671506282020-10-27T08:21:00.001-07:002020-10-27T08:21:31.393-07:00A Daily Multivitamin Is Still Good Nutrition Insurance<a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729844756682897634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8eE7uz0IgXO1X-N0edv9SEFpyfyr_rS-5hl36Lgjr6tw5SVtClyzfnOISUEn5vPN8betgQ3BfFGf0lnTrOweSqcBYU1GUqL74MJhgo8XLpDRfmWevQ-W0UEJKsTZ9UxRylMw-BuYNeA/s200/Multivitamin1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
<div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Some scientists believe there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against taking a daily multivitamin, because there isn't yet enough data from randomized controlled trials. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">That's a reasonable but short-sighted point of view since it may never be possible to conduct randomized trials that are long enough to test the effects of multiple vitamins on risks of cancers, Alzheimer's disease, and other degenerative conditions. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Looking at all the evidence—from epidemiological studies on diet and health, to biochemical studies on the minute mechanisms of disease—the potential health benefits of taking a standard daily multivitamin appear to outweigh the potential risks for most people. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The good news is, you don't need an expensive "designer" supplement or a name-brand kind to reap health benefits. A standard store-brand multivitamin-multimineral supplement is fine. Look for one that contains RDA-level amounts and that also has the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) seal of approval on the label. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The amount of vitamin D in most such supplements is usually 400 IU, so you might want to look for one that contains 800–1,000 IU of vitamin D or get additional amounts from a separate vitamin D supplement as well. In fact, the desirable intake of vitamin D is shifting swiftly; many people may need 2,000 IU per day (or more) to get their blood levels of vitamin D into an adequate range; particularly if they have darker skin, spend winters at higher latitudes (such as the northern U.S.), or spend little time in the sun. For premenopausal women, a multivitamin that includes the RDA for iron is a good idea.
Knowledge about the optimal intakes of vitamins and minerals is not set in stone. So it will be important to continue researching the relationships between vitamins, minerals, and chronic disease, over decades. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">This may mean more confusing news headlines along the way, as the science develops. Read these tips on how to be a savvy reader of news articles about vitamin supplements and nutrition.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div>
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<div align="justify"></div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-43027655466995330522020-10-27T08:20:00.001-07:002020-10-27T08:20:19.361-07:00Vitamin B Complex<div class="separator"><a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5757687757303702594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36IdD31Ncna2Ae3rYGLe88k8WF-Jk_X7cBdMASkST2eWYTRu9s-CvCR18FLQgsD7Z_1m7mAenklvAmRvkrd6ULeOrSo0fA_seMsQfVQdA7y-yrjb_8rXHGW6nMb_ehOeAZCfqR_k2qjc/s200/VITAMIN+B+COMPLEX+2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 103px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamin B Complex is the name given to a large group of vitamins that function as co-enzymes also known as "<b><i>the B vitamins</i></b>". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> They are water soluble and include the following vitamins: thiamine (vitamin B-1), riboflavin (vitamin B-2 and vitamin G), niacin (vitamin B-3 and vitamin P or vitamin PP), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine and pyridoxamine (vitamin B-6), biotin (vitamin B-7 and vitamin H), folic acid (vitamin B-9 and vitamin M) cyanocobalamin (vitamin B-12).
Among several other substances also considered as part of the Vitamin B Complex which are not human vitamins we can find adenine (vitamin B-4), vitamin I (vitamin B-7), ergadenylic acid (vitamin B-8), pteroylmonoglutamic acid mixed with other B vitamins vitamin (B-10 and vitamin R), vitamin S (vitamin B-11), pyrimidinecarboxylic acid or orotic acid (vitamin B-13), vitamin B-14 (compose by a mixture of B-10 and B-11), pangamic acid (vitamin B-15), vitamin B-16, Amygdalin (vitamin B-17), vitamin B-22, vitamin B-C (another name given to vitamin B-9), inositol (vitamin B-H), L-carnitine (vitamin B-T), vitamin B-W (another name for vitamin B-7), para-aminobenzoic acid (vitamin B-X and PABA) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Originally it was thought that vitamin B was a single vitamin but later it was separated into a group of 8 individual vitamins, and the addition with those several B vitamins mentioned above. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thiamin was isolated and characterized in the early 1920's and was one of the first organic compounds recognized as a vitamin, receiving the name of vitamin B-1. Another source states it was isolated by Polish chemist, Casimir Funk in 1912, who derived its name from a combination of the words vital and amine, referencing the vital function of thiamine.
In fact, although each vitamin has its specific function, all in conjunction are helpful to combat most symptoms and causes of depression, stress, coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disease. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Vitamin B Complex</i></b> can co-exist in the same foods and work together to bolster metabolism enhancing immune and nervous system function, as well as maintaining healthy skin, muscle tone, and promoting cell growth and division, including that of red blood cells necessary to prevent anemia. All B vitamins are water soluble and easily dispersed throughout the body. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most vitamins of the Vitamin B Complex must be replenished every day with any excess excreted in the urine. Because there is very little B vitamins stored in the body, depletion can occur as quickly within 14 days. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is also a long list of medications and conditions linked to depletion of the body's B vitamins, including alcoholism, oral estrogens and birth control pills, diuretics, barbiturates, aminoglycosides, anti-epileptic and asthma-related drugs, tuberculosis drugs and anti-fibrotic drugs.
The increased consumption of refined foods in most countries around the world has decreased the amounts of vitamins present in the individual's daily diet, although small amounts of B vitamins are regularly added to some food products, such as cereals, milk shakes, etc. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Among the foods rich in Vitamin B Complex are leafy green vegetables and whole-grain cereals, rice, milk, eggs, liver, meats, fish, fruits, nuts, brewer's yeast, and many other, including Aloe Vera extracts, claiming to have those not so common such as vitamin B-22.
Deficiencies of B vitamins were described in Chinese texts dating as early as 2600 BC related to thiamine (vitamin B-1) deficiency known since then as "beriberi", a disease divided into three subtypes: dry beriberi, wet beriberi and cerebral beriberi. The dry form refers to neuromuscular complications including peripheral neuropathy and weakness, the wet is linked to heart failure and cardiovascular complications such as heart failure, while the cerebral form refers to brain central nervous system complications such as abnormal eye movements, gait abnormalities and mental dysfunction (Wernicke's encephalopathy) or Korsakoff's psychosis characterized by apathy,
Vitamin B Complex is needed for release of energy and essential for normal growth and development. It also is needed to maintain healthy skin, eyes and hair, as well as stomach acidity, normal appetite and the health of the digestive tract. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-63315747607805169672012-04-10T11:28:00.004-07:002020-10-27T08:25:21.741-07:00Why Take a Multivitamin?<a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729841574459912834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZsTstwnxt7IoE1KGdQD7Wzi6GdfPwxP46hWnozKjP0eg_6cqkDErMbpZVMvq82vIeIGwTjy2OKSXGZ0BWPvk0tmDSVTWyHU-_gkOAGN8z4V14i21GXNzLNZ8GtgGk4llf7SnqnXg12s/s200/Multivitamin.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 133px;" /></a>
<div align="justify">For those who eat a healthy diet, a multivitamin may have little or no benefit. A diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good protein packages, and healthy fats should provide most of the nutrients needed for good health. </div>
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<div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">But not everyone manages to eat a healthful diet. When it comes to micronutrients, many Americans get less than the adequate amounts, according to criteria set by the Institute of Medicine. </div>
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<div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">For example, more than 90 percent of Americans get less than the Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin D and vitamin E from food sources alone. Many older people have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from food; the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, in fact, recommends that people over the age of 50 eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 or take vitamin B12 supplements. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Getting enough of another B vitamin, folate, is especially important for women who may become pregnant, since adequate folate can help lower the risk of having a baby with spina bifida or anencephaly. For the folate to be effective, it must be taken in the first few weeks of conception, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Yet in the U.S., half of all pregnancies are unplanned. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women of childbearing age (ages 15 to 45) consume 400 micrograms per day of folic acid. And a standard multivitamin that contains the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folic acid offers a convenient way to do that.
For these reasons, we believe a daily multivitamin-multimineral pill offers safe, simple micronutrient insurance, and the findings from the latest study don’t change our recommendation. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div>
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<div align="justify"></div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-3007204172587696052011-12-02T21:43:00.000-08:002020-10-27T08:26:21.586-07:00Vitamin Benefits - What You Need To Know<a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681774018864512546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_3hU2nzpzpa8el2hT-9-xNW5QlGNkStkwOdBa_aIDG2ACg7Gr8VouY7HSHorn4Ne5HNnxaZkebgpnFHIVzGca8PsT-g0Usdz5-xGpc8RtNVu1OTjQB2YAH4bdvShB7UKF_CygeN-zDY/s200/1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Parents always tell their children to take their vitamins. Every day, consumers are bombarded with vitamin advertisements, and it is common knowledge that vitamins are beneficial to the human body. Unfortunately, many people do not know exactly how vitamins are beneficial. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Knowing how vitamins can be helpful, and other important information about vitamins can help anyone decide the right vitamins to take, and shows their true benefits.
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Two Types of Vitamins</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is very important to understand that there are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in your body as well as in your liver. The vitamins remain in the body fat until they are needed. When the vitamins are called upon, special carriers take them to the source. The period of time that fat-soluble vitamins stay in the body can be up to 6 months. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins.
The second type of vitamin is water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are quite different than fat-soluble vitamins because they are not stored in the body. Water-soluble vitamins are moved through the bloodstream, and whatever is unused by the body comes out when you urinate. For this reason, these vitamins ought to be replaced most often because they don't remain in the body for a long period of time. Some water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C, and a large group of B vitamins: B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pryidoxine), B12 (cobalamine), niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">How Vitamins Help</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most people understand that vitamins are helpful, but they do not know exactly what each vitamin does. Vita</div><div style="text-align: justify;">min A is very important for eyesight and also helps you see colors more clearly and distinctly. Finally, vitamin A helps proper growth and healthy skin. B vitamins are very important in metabolic activity. B vitamins help create energy and set it free when it is needed by the body (during heavy physical activity, for example). B vitamins are also involved in the creation of red blood cells. Vitamin C keeps body tissues, such as muscles and gums, healthy. Vitamin C can help resist infection and helps heal wounds. Vitamin D is a very important vitamin for your bones. Vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium it needs to have stronger bones. Vitamin E maintains a lot of the body's tissues. Some of the tissues vitamin E maintains are found in the eyes, skin, and liver. Vitamin E also joins with the B vitamins in the formation of red blood cells. Finally, vitamin K helps with blood clotting. Vitamin K and C work together to heal wounds. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Where to Get Vitamins</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> For most children, eating healthy can provide them with all the vitamins needed. However, some adults may be advised to take vitamins in order to get their daily-recommended amounts. The best way to get vitamins is to have a balanced diet. It is always a good idea to look at the nutrition facts on label</div><div style="text-align: justify;">s. Some foods contain a variety of vitamins. Orange Juice is rich in vitamin C, but did you know that eggs contain vitamins A, B, D, and E? Vitamin supplements can always help, but there is simply no substitute for eating foods with vitamins naturally found in them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Conclusion</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamins are quintessential for a healthy body. Vitamins can help heal wounds, create new blood, maintain tissue, and improve basic body processes. It is important to have an in-depth understanding of vitamins in order to truly appreciate their benefits. Kids and Adults alike should always be vitamin conscious. Eating healthy, and taking vitamin supplements if needed is the only way to make sure that you get your daily recommended amount of vitamins. Having the recommended amount of vitamins will lead to a healthier, happier, and longer life.
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<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">By Ruth Stattmiller</span>
<span style="font-style: italic;">Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/54610</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>
</div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1119423521703148633.post-15366214635549023632011-11-28T08:19:00.000-08:002020-10-27T08:59:43.836-07:00Vitamins - the Basics<a href="http://vitaminabcd.blogspot.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680084148799748194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteHB7oStlCjeOkCiYejYbDW-YtnoSje6SbyKQfiL6XNCUIJhGRDvW9uRb9Ek0803gvrs2kERLQ6EFs4fPhRL4u5dwyWyK0DWb7mfkKvUpK2fEptPYn9n3Phouta3SX4oqX7-ipRKDpJw/s200/1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 144px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Vitamins are micro-nutrients. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">They were discovered by Eijkman (1897) in Indonesia, Java, while studying a disease called beriberi common among natives whose main diet was rice. He noticed that fowl fed on polished rice, developed beri beri, but not when fed on crudely milled rice.
In 1911 Funk obtained an alcoholic extract of the outer husk of rice which cured beri beri. This was thought to be a vital amine introducing the name vitamine. The "e" was later dropped to read "vitamin".
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vitamins Functions And Sources:</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">As micro nutrients, vitamins are required in small quantities. Generally your body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins from scratch. So you need to get them from the food you eat or from supplement pills. Though, vitamins can be synthesized by some bacteria, yeast, mould, algae and some plant species. Some vitamins like vitamin B5 have been found to be synthesized by bacteria in the human large intestines. However it is not clear if the vitamins are available for absorption and use by the body.
Vitamins are required by the body for a variety of biological processes. These include growth e.g Vitamin B6; mental alertness e.g Choline, Niacin; resistance to infection e.g. Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They also act as catalysts in the body chemistry as well as precursors to vital body factors. This enables the body to use carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Vitamins in themselves do not have calories and therefore do not give energy to the body. Natural vitamins are found in living things that is plants and animals and are organic food substances. There are many artificially synthesized vitamins.
Vitamins exist in varying quantities in an array of food sources from yeasts, wheat bran, cooked egg that provides Biotin, citrus fruits and milk that provide Vitamin C, green leafy vegetables and legumes that supply Folic acid .
<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vitamin Classification:</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are mainly two types of vitamins classified based on their solubility. These are water soluble and fat soluble vitamins.
1) Water soluble vitamins include : Vitamin C also called citric acid, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B9 (folic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), Cholin, Biotin.
Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body in any appreciable amounts. The surplus is washed out mainly through urine. They requires consistent replenishing using the diet we consume. This makes them safe because they do not collect in the body toxic levels, making large doses of vitamin supplementary safe. But caution should still be practiced because mega doses have side effects and even can be fatal.
For example, there is a low risk of vitamin toxicity from nicotinic acid with mega doses. Nicotinic acid a derivative of vitamin niacin, one may experience flushing, itching, nausea and vomiting, liver cell damage. So supplement with daily value doses. Do not use megadoses unless under ongoing expert advice.
2) Fat soluble vitamins includes: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Being fat soluble these vitamins are stored in the fat in our bodies. They can easily accumulate to toxic levels so if you choose to supplement be cautious. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vitamin Deficiency:</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The lack of these food factors i.e vitamins results to deficiency diseases. Vitamin defiency diseases are a manifestation of malfunctioning bio-chemical processes due to lack of the vital vitamins. Since the same vitamin may be used in a number of processes, deficiency in some vitamins can be quite serious and even fatal. For example over two hundred enzymes require the niacin vitamin coenzyme. So a lack of niacin makes this two hundred enzymes malfunction.
Vitamin deficiencies have been associated with long term latent deficiency diseases. These diseases occur after a long time of deficiency of some nutritional factors like vitamins. Long term latent deficiency diseases can be as severe as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In our society today, these diseases are becoming the highest health concern.
The situation is grave because they are not only preventable but also cheaply preventable. A proper nutrition is all it takes to get all required nutrients including sufficient quantities of vitamins. General health benefits of vitamins include protection from a variety of diseases and conditions.
In case of a nutritional gap between what your body and what your diet provides, supplementing is necessary.
Whole foods are and will always be the best source of vitamins. This is because whole foods provide a combination of nutrients to the body including minerals and phytonutrients.
But many people do not receive all nutrients they need from their food choices. Either because they cannot or will not eat enough, or they cannot or will not eat right foods. This may be because of medical or physical conditions, your lifestyles, i.e. job, time, availability or even due to poverty. In such cases, supplementation is necessary.
Vitamin Supplementing:
Today's lifestyles make it more necessary to supplement our diets. There are groups of people to whom supplementing may really not be a choice.
<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1) You are sixty five years and older:- At this age some vitamins are not easily absorbed by your body system. Multivitamins may improve your immunity and lower risk of some infections. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">2) You are a post menopausal woman:- Supplement with calcium and vitamin D to help against osteoporosis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">3) You do not eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">4) You are on a low calorie diet. E.g. You are trying to lose weight </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> 5) You smoke -The tobacco interferes and diminishes vitamin uptake of vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and even niacin.
Ps: This will not make up for the health risk of smoking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">6) You drink excessively that is more than a bottle a day. Long term excessive drinking will reduce absorption of vitamins. Vitamins affected are thiamin (Vitamin B), Folic acid, Vitamin A & D, as well as Vitamin B12. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">7) You are pregnant or trying to be pregnant.
<span style="font-style: italic;">There is a wide choice of vitamin supplements in the markets to choose from. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">When choosing vitamins, consider the following:-</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">a) Bioavailability of the vitamin: Choose vitamins supplements whose source of ingredients is from the human food chain. Many vitamins are extracted from "natural sources", like algae, which we do not normally eat. This may not be easily available to your body. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">b) Wide spectrum of vitamins: Prefer to use multivitamins that give a number of positively interacting vitamins. Remember we require all nutrients in varying quantities. It is better to have a multivitamin providing daily values instead of megadoses of a single or few vitamins. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> c) Expiry date of the vitamin: Vitamins do expire. Buy to use only for the month. When you need more you can always purchase again. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">d) Store Vitamins safely: Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight and children
e) Health concern: If you have a health condition e.g diabetes or having medication, please first consult your physician.
Also note, if you are in a weight loss program you need to consider your vitamin intake and find out if you your meal plans have any deficiencies. If there are, supplement. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Kimathi</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>
</div>viva indexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14079327524125626149noreply@blogger.com