Vitamin Supplements
Consumers today are faced with a myriad of information concerning vitamin supplements. Should they take them, should they not? Are they helpful or are they harmful? Are consumers simply wasting their money, flushing it down the toilet so to speak? One day the experts say one thing and the next day there are new studies by other experts. This all creates quite a dilemma for those who are trying to do the best for their bodies. However, through the years there has been a steady stream of overwhelming evidence proving that vitamin supplements are helpful and beneficial for physical health, and moreover, may affect behavior.
Many in the medical community have advised their patients for years that taking multivitamins only gives them expensive urine, since severe vitamin deficiencies such as scurvy and pellagra are all but unheard of in industrialized countries (Gorman 2001). However, evidence amasses that they were wrong. A growing number of studies indicate that even a small vitamin deficiency can be harmful to your health (Gorman 2001). The New England Journal of Medicine states that one of the B. vitamins, folate, has been proved to limit the neural-tube defects in embryos, and that folate combined with B12 and B6 decreases the re-blockage of coronary arteries after angioplasty (Gorman 2001). The "American Family Physician" reports that "dietary antioxidants and folic acid may play a role in the pathophysiology of coronary disease and stroke" (Pearce 2002).
Aside from the physical health benefits of vitamin supplements, recent studies show that nutrition plays a key role in behavior. Studies by Dr. Stephen J. Schoenthaler, California State University, Stanislaus professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Ian D. Bier, medical director of the Dietary Research Foundation in New Hampshire, show that low-dose vitamin supplements are "proving...
Vitamins The body does need a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to maintain its vital organs and promote system functionality. Most of these vitamins and minerals can be acquired through a healthy diet. Therefore, many Americans are taking vitamin supplements unnecessarily. The reasons why Americans may be taking vitamin supplements unnecessarily include misinformation, trend, and clever marketing making some vitamins "in vogue," (Nierenberg, 2014). Taking vitamin supplements may be necessary in
Leon Schurgrs and Cees Vermeer of the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands hinted at the superiority of MK7. This is the ability to activate specific vitamin K proteins to bring calcium to the bones rather than the arteries. The recommended daily dosage at this time is 105 mc. Patients taking anticoagulant medications, such as Coumadin, should first consult with their doctors before taking in Vitamin K supplements. They
It is also charged with ensuring that the body's blood cells and nerves are healthy. Over 30% of elderly people are at risk of developing deficiencies in vitamin B-12, due to the changes occurring in their digestive tract. Combined with the lack of other vitamins, lack of vitamin B-12 contributes to Alzheimer's disease. Early correction of this deficiency is important, and it will help the elderly people to continue
This work by the Harvard School of public health states that while small trails have indicated that the amount of vitamin C contained in a typical multivitamin and taken in the beginning of the development of a cold "might ease symptoms" however, for the "average person, there's no evidence that megadoses make a difference or that they prevent colds." (2009) It is related as well that studies examining Vitamin
Patients unfamiliar with any or all of them will learn much and have a valuable starting point for conducting their own research online or through their health care providers. Fourth, the author plays up the importance of deriving nutrition from whole foods and when possible or necessary offers dietary tips such as which vegetables contain the most beta carotene. In spite of its value for a general audience, however, the
On the other hand, too much of a good thing can sometimes be even more harmful than too little. In that regard, it is very important to understand the role of vitamin D, both because of its role in maintaining our health, as well as because of the potential for harm associated with excessive supplementation. Unlike other vitamins and minerals, vitamin D is not readily available through diet because its
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