A Health, Fitness, and Nutrition Directory - Multi-Vitamin Supplements

What Are Vitamin Supplements?

Vitamins are nutrients that are required in very small amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body.Vitamins act as both catalysts, substrates, and nutrient carriers in chemical reactions.The importance of vitamins to the human body has been documented by leading medical experts thousands of times throughout the years. In clinical trials, scientists have seen that enzymatic reactions and neurological processing are affected negatively by a lack of vital nutrients.

Do We Need Vitamin Supplements?

YES! At the Earth Summit Statistics meeting in 1992, experts revealed information conclusively showing that farmlands in North America were 85% micronutrient depleted. A few years later, based on a combination of this information and clinical studies, leading medical researchers recommended that every American use a daily vitamin supplement to address the health dilemma of nutritionally poor diets.Some of the top vitamin supplements today include Swansons Vitamin Supplements, Shaklee Vitamin Supplements, and NOW Vitamin Supplements.

What to Look For In a Vitamin Supplement

• Ingredients for the vitamin supplements should be organic.
• Vitamins should be tested for toxic substances and contamination.
• No artificial ingredients should be used in manufacturing the vitamins.
• Look for hypoallergenic products if you have sensitivity problems. Avoid wheat, yeast and corn.
• Look for an expiration date and make sure the product is fresh. If there is no expiration date on the label, buy something else.

Most vitamin supplements contain at least the RDA for folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Vitamin supplements that contain more than 100% of the daily value for these micronutrients are not necessary for most people.

• Vitamin A: No more than 2,500 IU of vitamin A or 5,000 IU, of which at least 50% comes from beta-carotene.
• Vitamin C: At least 100mg plus additional fruits and vegetables.
• Vitamin D: 200-400 IU for those over 65.
• Vitamin E: 30 IU is a generally accepted amount.
• Vitamin K: 70 mcg, green leafy vegetables should make up the rest.
• Biotin: 30 mcg
• Calcium: As much as possible, consuming additional calcium throughout the day to reach 1000-1200 mg.
• Iron: 18 mg for pre-menopausal women, otherwise Iron is unnecessary as a supplement.
• Magnesium: 100 mg eating green vegetables and whole grains should get you up to 310-420 mg.
• Selenium: 55-70 mcg