Vitamins: Friend or Foe?
I don’t know about you, but I grew up in a vitamin-happy household. My mom used to lovingly arrange a tiny army of pills next to our orange juice glasses on school mornings: the chalky white circles were vitamin C; the weird little bubbles contained vitamins E, A and D; and the uncomfortably large, speckled tablets were multivitamins. And to give my mom credit, I’ve always had very good health. But is it just a coincidence? Tara Parker-Pope at the New York Times health blog sums up several recent medical studies that suggest vitamin supplements offer no benefits in terms of warding off conditions like heart disease or cancer. Worse, she notes, some studies suggest that supplements could actually harm people’s health in certain cases! For example, a recent Johns Hopkins study concludes that vitamin E supplements actually increased people’s risk…
The 12 Best Supplements for Women
Research is mixed on whether the average woman with ample access to nutritious foods actually benefits from taking supplements – particularly since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t monitor them for safety or effectiveness, and some alleged health elixirs can cause more harm than good. “There’s not a lot of evidence that taking any vitamin when you don’t have a deficiency does anything particularly helpful,” says registered dietitian Alissa Rumsey, founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness. And yet? It’s tempting to pop pills to address specific health concerns or as a backup in case your diet falls short. Although you should always talk to your doctor before taking new vitamins, since some can cause adverse reactions, interact with other medications, or interfere with existing health conditions, this guide will help you suss out the best supplement for…
I don’t eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, should I take a supplement instead?
Supplements can’t replace foods in a healthy diet – the best way for your body to get nutrients is from food. Foods deliver nutrition to the body over the course of the day giving your body time to absorb the nutrients, whereas a supplement delivers vitamins or minerals in a single, large dose. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be useful for people who can’t meet their nutrient targets through food alone. Eating a healthy, balanced diet means not only getting important vitamins and minerals, but also fibre, protein and antioxidants. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating can help you to choose a selection of foods in the right amounts for your age. By following these guidelines and including a variety of different foods in your diet you will be able to meet the RDI for vitamins and minerals. A good place to start is to aim…
How much vitamin C is enough?
Can vitamin C prevent the common cold? Not really. A major meta-analysis by health database theCochrane Library considered all studies looking at the impact of taking supplements on the common cold. The results showed that if you take regular vitamin C supplements you’ll probably get the same number of colds – but they won’t last quite as long. However, a small number of studies have shown that people exposed to short periods of extreme physical stress (including marathon runners and skiers) who took vitamin C, halved their risk of getting a cold. Timing is key. The Cochrane Report showed was that taking high doses of vitamin C after you show cold symptoms will have no consistent effect on the duration or severity of common cold symptoms. To complicate the picture, many of the original trials used in this research were poorly designed, according to…
Vitamins and minerals that boost metabolism
A faster metabolism burns calories more quickly than a slower one, making it less likely that a person will put on weight. A person’s metabolism naturally slows down as they age. Some vitamins and minerals may help keep the metabolism working effectively. While supplements can help, whole foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals. The five best vitamins and minerals for maintaining and boosting body functions, including metabolism, and supporting good weight control, are as follows: 1. B vitamins A variety of B vitamins are important for metabolism. The B vitamins play many essential roles in energy metabolism in the body. The B vitamins include: B-12 biotin folate B-6 pantothenic acid or B-5 niacin or B-3 riboflavin or B-2 thiamine or B-1 Deficiency in one of the B vitamins can affect other B vitamins, which can disrupt a person’s metabolism….
Am I getting enough vitamin D?
Are your ‘sunshine vitamin’ levels low? Discover why you need vitamin D, how to get more and what to do if you’re concerned about your levels… Why do we need vitamin D? Vitamin D is made in our skin via direct exposure to sunlight. Our liver and kidneys then convert it into a form we can use. Vitamin D is extremely important for strong bones and teeth, as it helps us absorb the calcium we eat and it also controls the amount of calcium in our blood. It’s really important that our vitamin D levels aren’t low or our body won’t absorb the calcium we eat. There aren’t any visual signs of vitamin D deficiency. If our levels are very low and we are severely deficient, we are at risk of developing weaker bones which is a condition known as osteomalacia. Severe deficiency in children…