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updated: 1-27-2008
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The Best Multivitamins? Answers to Your Health Questions.By Marcus Laux:
ND Multivitamin Quick Menu
There are many vitamin and mineral supplements from which to choose. Finding the right multivitamin may take a little time and require some effort. You need to ask questions, read labels, and compare products. You also need to choose wisely and use multivitamins to complement good nutrition, not replace it. Once you find the right formula for your gender and age, you will have a stronger nutritional foundation. Selecting a daily multivitamin - What exactly are vitamins?A vitamin is an organic substance or chemical found in food that is absolutely necessary for life. We now know that even though vitamins each have their own specific jobs, they also work together as a team. A deficiency in even one vitamin can make us very sick.1 Vitamins are either fat or water-soluble. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and can be stored for awhile in our fat and in the liver. The water soluble vitamins, vitamin C and the B vitamins, can’t be stored, and must be taken more than once a day for optimum nutrition.2 [Top] What does RDA mean? The RDA,
or Recommended Dietary Allowance, is defined as “the average daily
dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement
of nearly all healthy individuals in a group.” This means that RDA
amounts of vitamins and minerals are the standard amounts that healthy
people need to consume each day to prevent dietary deficiencies.
A good example is vitamin C. The RDA for this hard working vitamin is
the level of vitamin C you need to prevent scurvy, not the amount you
need for superior health.3 [Top] My diet high is very high in whole grains and I eat at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Do I still need to take a multivitamin?This question gets easier to answer as more and more diet and multivitamin studies are completed. Recent studies have shown that, even in individuals who were eating a very healthy diet, taking a multivitamin improved their nutritional status.13,14 [Top] There are so many different multivitamin formulas on the shelves. What vitamins should be in the supplement I buy? It depends
on many things. Men and women have different nutritional needs and therefore,
need different multivitamin formulas. Your age also determines the amount
and type of vitamins and minerals you should take. In the case of multivitamins,
“one size” most definitely does not fit all! [Top] What minerals do we need to stay healthy?There are many minerals we need each day to keep us healthy. Minerals provide rigidity and strength to our teeth and bones that form our skeleton, help with nerve and muscle function, are vitally important in biochemical interactions and the normal clotting of blood, and for everyday tissue repair and growth.31 Make sure the multivitamin supplement you buy contains calcium, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, sodium, potassium, boron, and vanadium.32 Iron should only be in formulas designed for women who are still menstruating. Other adults can easily meet their iron needs from food, and excess can be unhealthy.33 [Top] Do women need certain minerals more than men?Yes, women need silica to help keep their bones healthy.34 Compared to men, women of any age also need more boron and calcium.35 However, women going through or past menopause need even more calcium to protect their bones.36 [Top] What can destroy or interfere with vitamins and minerals?Researchers believe that while food may, in fact, contain all the good things we need, many factors can destroy or interfere with many vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are easily wiped out by light, air, heat, and water. Cooking many foods actually destroys their vitamins. Eating other foods raw is less nutritious than cooking them.37 Drinking alcohol will deprive you of several vitamins.38 Oral contraceptives interfere with B12 and folic acid in women who take them.39 When you eat a meal at a restaurant, don’t count on getting any vitamins from your food as the use of heating lamps destroys many nutrients.37 Many prescription medications can rob you of several vitamins and minerals.40 Smoking cigarettes and exposure to secondhand smoke destroys vitamin C.41 Fortunately, taking a quality multivitamin will provide you with dietary insurance against all these losses.13,14 And, the good news gets even better. Studies have also shown that the longer you use supplemental multivitamins, the more substantial the benefits are to your health.42,43 [Top] Is it possible for me to get all the vitamins, minerals, and herbs I need in one pill taken once a day?No, you can’t. For vitamins, minerals, and herbs to be effective they need to be in amounts that could not possibly fit into a single tablet or capsule in a size small enough to be swallowed. Many vitamins are only active in the body for a short period of time and need to be replenished every 6 to 8 hours. You need a formula designed to be taken at intervals during the day (3 times a day, just like meals). This will provide you with superior benefits. [Top] What else should be in multivitamin formulas? Both men
and women can benefit from a combination of lutein/ zeaxanthin, grape
seed, bilberry, black tea, and cherry fruit. Grape seed is a potent antioxidant that helps strengthen our capillaries, veins, and arteries; helps our heart stay healthy; helps decrease bruising, reduce varicose veins, and leg swelling. Grape seed also helps our immune systems and helps reduce allergic responses.48,49 Bilberry is another antioxidant that helps prevent hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and macular degeneration.50 Studies show that people who drink black tea have less cancer and lower chances of stroke.51,52 And, cherry fruit is another powerful antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of death from heart attack. Flavonoids found in cherries are also natural anti-inflammatory compounds. Flavonoids also strengthen collagen, tendons, and cartilage. Extracts of cherries are used frequently in Europe for treatment of varicose veins.53 [Top] Are there other ingredients that should be in multivitamin formulas for men?If you are purchasing a multivitamin for a man, make sure lycopene is in the formul Lycopene is the pigment that makes tomatoes red. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene is present. Numerous studies suggest that lycopene levels in the blood may be associated with reduced incidence of prostate cancer as well as heart disease and agerelated macular degeneratioin.54,55 [Top] What should be in multivitamin formulas for women? All women
can benefit from cranberry, nature’s antibiotic. Women have used
this excellent antioxidant for many years to help reduce urinary tract
infections.56,57 Women of all ages are concerned about supporting bone
health. Phosphorus is an important bone building nutrient.58,59 Women
who are still menstruating should look for chaste tree berry extract in
their multivitamin formulas. This herb can reduce the symptoms of premenstrual
syndrome [Top] What else should I look for in a multivitamin supplement?Make sure
the manufacturer is [Top] ConclusionWhile it’s difficult to keep up with the latest nutrition developments, finding a multiple that can help you achieve optimum health may be easier than you think. The right blend for you depends on your gender, age, and additional health concerns. Knowing the vitamins, minerals, and herbs that you need will help you when choosing a multivitamin. Life is too short to spend it saddled with chronic illness and or poor energy. High quality multivitamins will protect you with powerful dietary insurance for superior health. [Top] Vitamin A:Helps prevent certain types of cancer; helps reduce harmful cholesterol levels and the risk of heart attacks. Prevents night blindness; helps improve our vision; aids our immune system; helps keeps our skin, teeth, bones, hair, and gums healthy and strong; helps reduce age spots.15,16 Vitamin C:Strengthens the immune system; helps prevent chronic illness, cataracts, assists in lowering cholesterol, helps make collagen; repairs damaged cells, bones and teeth. Helps heal wounds, burns, and bleeding gums. Helps healing after surgery, prevents colds and flu, protects us against cancer, and helps our bodies absorb iron.17 Vitamin D:Without vitamin D, the minerals phosphorus and calcium cannot build strong bones and teeth. With vitamins C and A, vitamin D helps prevent colds; helps absorb calcium and vitamin 18 Vitamin E:Vitamin E helps keep our skin young looking, helps oxygen get around our bodies; prevents and helps dissolve blood clots; helps burns heal faster; helps lower blood pressure; helps nerves convey messages faster; stops leg cramps and helps boost our energy levels.19 Vitamin K:Vitamin K is essential to the activation of osteocalcin, a protein that helps prevent bone loss.20 Additionally, without vitamin K, our bodies couldn’t make prothrombin, a blood-clotting chemical, and our blood simply would not clot.21 The B Vitamins:The B vitamins are an important complex of vitamins. Like a group of good friends, the B vitamins do their best when they are all together. Thiamin:Also called vitamin B1, thiamin helps keep our nerves and muscles, including the heart, working well. It can help prevent seasickness; tooth pain that happens after dental work; helps treat herpes zoster (shingles); and helps the digestion of carbohydrates. Thiamin prevents beriberi.22 Riboflavin:Also known as vitamin B2 and vitamin G, riboflavin is easily harmed by light. Deficiency in riboflavin is the most common vitamin deficiency in Americ Riboflavin helps our vision; supports reproduction; helps eliminate sore mouths, lips, and tongues; and helps metabolize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.23 Niacin:Niacin helps lower total cholesterol, raises HDL (the good) cholesterol, improves circulation, helps make our skin healthy looking, helps to eliminate bad breath, helps to reduce migraine headaches and dizziness, and reduces our cravings for sweets.24 Vitamin B6:Also referred to as pyridoxine HCl, this B vitamin can only work in our bodies for eight hours. Then we must get more. Deficiencies of vitamin B6 are noted in many diseases. Vitamin B6 helps us make antibodies, helps stop nausea, reduces morning sickness, relieves mouth dryness caused by certain medications, helps reduce leg cramps, numbness in the hands, helps us use protein and fats, and helps make niacin. With folic acid, B6 can reduce harmful levels of homocysteine, an amino acid implicated in heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.25 Vitamin B12:Possibly the most complex of all the vitamins, B12 is sometimes called “nature’s most beautiful cofactor” because of its striking deep red color. With folic acid, B12 helps make DNA, the molecule that carries our genetic code. Vitamin B12 helps our nerve cells spark and communicate, helps burn fat, and keeps us energized. Deficiencies of B12 can result in a serious type of anemia and potentially harmful nerve damage.26 Folic Acid:Also called folate, this B vitamin has made huge headlines recently for its powerful ability to prevent spina bifida, a serious birth defect.27 A recent study determined that folic acid reduces the risk of breast cancer in women who drink alcohol.28 Folic acid can also help milk production in nursing mothers; reduce pain; make our skin look healthier; kill the germs that cause food poisoning; help cells grow and divide; and help make DN27 Biotin:Our intestines can make biotin, but only if we have an adequate amount of beneficial flor Biotin is a natural beauty product. It helps delay gray hair and baldness. Biotin also helps heal eczema and inflammation of the skin. It can also help aching muscles.29 Pantothenic Acid: This B vitamin helps us make antibodies to fight infection. Pantothenic acid converts sugar and fat into energy and reduces fatigue. Our adrenal glands depend on pantothenic acid to function well.30 Pantothenic Acid:This B vitamin helps us make antibodies to fight infection. Pantothenic acid converts sugar and fat into energy and reduces fatigue. Our adrenal glands depend on pantothenic acid to function well.30 References1. Grodner
M, Anderson SL, DeYoung S. Role in wellness. In: Foundations and Clinical
Applications of Nutrition: A Nursing Approach. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2000:
172-173 |
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Multivitamins During Pregnancy and After Birth Delay Progression of HIV In WomenBy the NICHD, biomedical research arm of the National Institute of Health The study appears in the July 1, 2004 New England Journal of Medicine. Multivitamin supplements containing high doses of the vitamin B complex, as well as vitamins C and E, given to HIV-infected women during pregnancy and for more than 5 years after they gave birth reduced the symptoms of AIDS, according to a study of Tanzanian women supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the John E. Fogarty International Center (FIC) for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences, both of the National Institutes of Health. The supplements also bolstered counts of disease-fighting immune cells, and modestly lowered HIV levels in the blood. "This study provides evidence that multivitamin supplements may allow women in developing countries who are infected with the AIDS virus to go for longer than they otherwise would before needing anti-AIDS drugs," said NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D. "By keeping women healthier longer, multivitamin therapy can help to assure that anti-HIV drugs can be directed to those who need them most," said FIC Acting Director Sharon Hrynkow, Ph.D. The first author of the study was Wafaie Fawzi, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Other authors of the study also were from the Harvard School of Public Health as well as from the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The authors conducted the study from 1995 to 2003, a time when the antiretroviral drugs were not available to most women in Tanzania, including those who took part in the study. The researchers enrolled 1,078 HIV-infected pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Women were assigned to one of four groups and received either a placebo, vitamin A, vitamin A in combination with a multivitamin preparation or a multivitamin preparation alone. The women took the vitamins during pregnancy and continued taking them for as long as they participated in the study — more than 5 years, in many cases. The multivitamin preparation contained high doses of vitamins C, E, and folic acid, as well as the vitamins in the B complex group (B1, B2, B6, B12, and niacin). All of the women received folic acid and an iron supplement during pregnancy, whether they were in the placebo group or the vitamin groups. All the women received periodic checkups for at least 4 years after giving birth, and about half of the women received checkups for more than 5 years after giving birth. The researchers charted the women's progress to determine whether the supplements had an effect on the progression of HIV disease to severe symptoms, to AIDS, or death; or on the levels of certain immune cells (CD4+ and CD8+ cells); and on levels of HIV in the blood. In all, 18 of 271 (7 percent) of the women who took multivitamins progressed to AIDS during the course of the study, compared with 31 among 267 (12 percent) of the women in the placebo group, a 50 percent reduction in the risk of progression to AIDS. Of the 271, 52 (19 percent) of the women who took multivitamins died, compared with 66 of 267 women (25 percent) in the placebo group. Although the number of deaths were lower in women receiving multivitamins, this was not a statistically significant difference. The effect of multivitamins was strongest in the first 2 years of follow-up. Fewer HIV Symptoms With The Use of MultivitaminsThe women taking multivitamins also had fewer symptoms of later stage HIV infection, such as mouth infections, mouth ulcers, or diarrheal diseases, than did women in the other group. Similarly, the women in the multivitamin group also had significantly higher CD4+ cell counts than did women in the other groups: overall, the average CD4+ cell count was 48 cells higher in women who received multivitamins compared to those who received placebo. The HIV virus level in the blood was also modestly but significantly lower in women who received multivitamins. The women who took vitamin A alone did not show any pronounced differences from the women in the placebo group, and adding vitamin A to the multivitamin preparation did not appear to offer any significant added benefit compared with multivitamins alone. The benefits noted in the Tanzania trial are modest compared to the effects of combination antiretroviral therapy, the authors wrote. In the United States, physicians routinely prescribe multivitamins to pregnant women. Moreover, in developed countries like the United States, pregnant women infected with HIV are routinely given a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy to prevent the spread of the virus to their infants. However, in developing countries, vitamin supplementation during pregnancy is not routine and is not provided following pregnancy, explained Lynne Mofenson, M.D., Chief of NICHD's Pediatric, Adolescent and Maternal AIDS branch, which provided funding for the study. Low Cost Multivitamins: Alternative To Antiretoviral Therapy"These results suggest that use of multivitamins by HIV-infected women during and after pregnancy can slow the course of HIV disease, and could provide a low-cost treatment to prolong the time before they need antiretroviral therapy," Dr. Mofenson said. She added that multivitamin therapy could result in significant cost savings for developing countries. The researchers wrote that the retail costs of a year's supply of the multivitamins used in this trial is about $15, and that wholesale prices are substantially lower. "Our findings should encourage the use of multivitamin supplements as supportive care to those infected with HIV in developing countries," Dr. Fawzi said. Dr. Mofenson noted that more studies are needed to define the minimum dose of multivitamins needed to produce a health benefit and to determine whether the multivitamins might provide similar benefits if given to persons already receiving antiretroviral therapy. The NICHD
is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the biomedical research
arm of the federal government. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. The NICHD sponsors research on development,
before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive
biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. NICHD publications,
as well as information about the Institute, are available from the NICHD
Web site, http://www.nichd.nih.gov,
or from the NICHD Information Resource Center, 1-800-370-2943; e-mail
NICHDInformation
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