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Vitamins & supplements

Vitamins are organic substances that are indispensable for the proper growth and operation of the body. Unlike fat, protein, and carbohydrates, vitamins supply no calories. Nevertheless, they are vital (in small quantities) for normal chemical reactions (metabolism) within the body. Vitamins must be gleaned from food because the body cannot manufacture them. The exclusion is vitamin D, which can be generated by the skin when it is exposed to the sun. If the ingestion of vitamins is scarce due to limited diets, poor nutrition, or insufficient intestinal absorption of the vitamins, illnesses can occur.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is required for the intestines to ingest dietary calcium. It can come from food but can also be developed by the skin upon exposure to sunlight. In the northern U.S., there is meager sunlight during the winter for sufficient vitamin D production by the skin. Hence, vitamin D deficiency is common among the elderly.

Vitamin D-rich foods:

• herring
• fortified milk
• salmon
• fish liver oils

An average multivitamin has 400 IU of vitamin D. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends this vitamin D intake:

• 200 IU daily for men and women 19-50 years old
• 400 IU daily for men and women 51-70 years old
• 600 IU daily for men and women 71 years and older

Folate and Folic Acid

Folate and folic acid are B vitamins critical in the synthesis of DNA in cells.

Folate-rich foods:

• green leafy vegetables such as spinach and asparagus
• fruits such as oranges and its juice
• garbanzo and lima beans
• lentils
• eggs
• meats
• cereals
• pasta
• bread

Because sufficient folate levels in the body is a decisive factor in early pregnancy (frequently before women are conscious that they are pregnant) to thwart neural tube birth defects, women in childbearing years are urged to take a supplement that has 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, before they become pregnant.

Vitamin E

Alpha-tocopherol is the most significant E vitamin in humans. Alpha-tocopherol insulates the LDL cholesterol in the blood and body cell membranes from oxidation by free radicals. It also slows down blood clotting.

Vitamin E -rich foods:

• green leafy vegetables
• corn, olive, canola, safflower, and sunflower oil
• nuts
• carrots
• whole grains
• wheat germ
• margarines made from plant oils

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