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We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. Together this vitamin quartet helps keep your eyes, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system in good repair. Here are some of the other essential roles these vitamins play:. Because fat-soluble vitamins are stored in your body for long periods, toxic levels can build up.
This is most likely to happen if you take supplements. The body needs, and stores, fairly large amounts of the major minerals.
Major minerals travel through the body in various ways. Potassium, for example, is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, where it circulates freely and is excreted by the kidneys, much like a water-soluble vitamin. Calcium is more like a fat-soluble vitamin because it requires a carrier for absorption and transport.
One of the key tasks of major minerals is to maintain the proper balance of water in the body. Sodium, chloride, and potassium take the lead in doing this. Three other major minerals—calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium—are important for healthy bones. Sulfur helps stabilize protein structures, including some of those that make up hair, skin, and nails. Having too much of one major mineral can result in a deficiency of another. These sorts of imbalances are usually caused by overloads from supplements, not food sources.
Here are two examples:. A thimble could easily contain the distillation of all the trace minerals normally found in your body. Yet their contributions are just as essential as those of major minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which each account for more than a pound of your body weight.
The other trace minerals perform equally vital jobs, such as helping to block damage to body cells and forming parts of key enzymes or enhancing their activity. Trace minerals interact with one another, sometimes in ways that can trigger imbalances.
Too much of one can cause or contribute to a deficiency of another. Here are some examples:. Antioxidant is a catchall term for any compound that can counteract unstable molecules such as free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of cells. Your body cells naturally produce plenty of antioxidants to put on patrol.
The foods you eat—and, perhaps, some of the supplements you take—are another source of antioxidant compounds. Carotenoids such as lycopene in tomatoes and lutein in kale and flavonoids such as anthocyanins in blueberries, quercetin in apples and onions, and catechins in green tea are antioxidants. The vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium also have antioxidant properties. Free radicals are a natural byproduct of energy metabolism and are also generated by ultraviolet rays, tobacco smoke, and air pollution.
They lack a full complement of electrons, which makes them unstable, so they steal electrons from other molecules, damaging those molecules in the process. Free radicals have a well-deserved reputation for causing cellular damage. But they can be helpful, too. When immune system cells muster to fight intruders, the oxygen they use spins off an army of free radicals that destroys viruses, bacteria, and damaged body cells in an oxidative burst.
Older adults ages 70 and older need IU each day. Most people get some level of vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. However, using sunscreen will decrease your exposure to vitamin D. It is also difficult to get enough vitamin D through diet alone because there are not a lot of food choices rich in vitamin D. In fact, some primary food sources of vitamin D come from foods that have added vitamin D called fortified foods.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is a nutrient that helps fight damage to the cells in the body. Adults need 15 milligrams of vitamin E per day. Quick Tip: A small handful of almonds provides half of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E. Not getting the vitamins and minerals can have serious consequences for your health. A general lack of nutrients can lead to malnutrition. This is sometimes easier to recognize and to treat. A lack of even one specific vitamin or mineral is harder to diagnose but can be just as dangerous.
Some vitamin deficiencies can even be life-threatening. Having too much of some vitamins in your system can also be dangerous. For this reason, it is very important to talk your doctor before you start taking any supplements.
This is especially important if you are pregnant or have health conditions. The symptoms of vitamin deficiency vary. Some deficiencies have no symptoms at all. In general, if you have any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor:. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, health.
Last Updated: August 3, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. What you eat is closely connected to the amount of sugar in your blood.
The right food choices will…. Some people believe that multivitamins can improve health, compensate for poor eating habits, and even reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases. Multivitamins are supplements that contain many different vitamins and minerals, sometimes alongside other ingredients 3. Most multivitamins should be taken once or twice per day. Make sure to read the label and follow the recommended dosage instructions.
Multivitamins are available in pharmacies, large discount stores, and supermarkets, as well as online. Multivitamins are supplements that contain different vitamins and minerals. Thirteen vitamins and about 15 minerals are essential to your health 4. Many produce enzymes and hormones, boost your immunity, and keep your nerves and organs functioning properly 4. Your body also needs these nutrients for reproduction, maintenance, growth, and the regulation of bodily processes.
Multivitamins may offer many of these vitamins and minerals — but in varying amounts. They may also contain other ingredients like herbs, amino acids , and fatty acids. Additionally, some supplements may contain ingredients that can interact with medications, so speak with your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement 5 , 6.
Furthermore, the nutrients in multivitamins may be derived from real foods or made synthetically, making it essential to purchase your vitamins from a reputable manufacturer. In addition to vitamins and minerals, multivitamins may contain herbs, amino acids, and fatty acids — though the amount and number of nutrients can vary.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide 7. Some studies suggest that multivitamins are correlated to a reduced risk of heart attacks and death, while others show no effects 8 , 9 , 10 , However, a more recent study revealed that among women — but not men — taking a multivitamin for more than 3 years was linked to a lower risk of dying from heart disease While some studies indicate that people who take multivitamins have a lower risk of heart disease, others have found no connection.
Overall, the evidence is mixed. Some studies suggest no effect on cancer risk, while others link multivitamin use to increased cancer risk 9 , 11 , 14 , One review examined five randomized controlled trials including 47, people.
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