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| | A to Zinc
guide to vitamins and minerals
By Lisa Petty, BA, RHN, RNCP When we were kids, the day usually started with Mom making sure we all downed a vitamin along with breakfast; you may share a very similar memory. While we may have continued the tradition with our families, do we really understand the importance of this daily ritual? |
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Vitamins
Vitamins are micronutrients, meaning we need them in lesser quantities than the macronutrients – carbohydrates, fat and protein. Vitamins play many roles, acting as antioxidants and co-enzymes necessary for thousands of biological reactions, including cell growth and maintenance. The long list of vitamins we require include: Vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and biotin, pyridoxine, cobalamin, choline and folic acid.
While our bodies produce some Vitamin D in the skin, Vitamin K and biotin in the intestines, we have to get most of our vitamins from our diet. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that they must be consumed with dietary fat to be absorbed into the body; and we’re able to store these nutrients in fatty tissue until we need them. On the other hand, the water-soluble C and the B Vitamins aren’t stored, so what isn’t used leaves with your urine. You can see why it’s especially important to get your C’s and B’s daily.
Minerals Minerals are important for optimum health and are stored primarily in the bones and muscles. Our bodies require greater amounts of the bulk minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus, which may be more familiar. However, we also require lesser amounts of trace minerals, like iron, selenium, silicon and zinc. Fortunately, ample nutrients are available in a diet that focuses primarily on fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
| The need Most of us don’t eat as well as we should. But even people who eat the recommended 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily benefit from supplements because our food simply is not as nutritious as it used to be. Changes in farming methods; the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides have all contributed to a decrease in the nutrients available in our foods. Soil conditions also have an influence: in the southeastern United States soils are typically deficient in selenium, a mineral that is linked to reducing the risk of cancer. Cooking and preparation techniques affect nutrient levels as well.
Bodies are different, and not equally able to digest, absorb or use certain nutrients: with B12 the elderly and people with digestive disorders have problems absorbing it and often require B12 injections to prevent anemia. If you’ve had your gall bladder removed or been on a low-fat diet, you may be running low on fat-soluble vitamins and should definitely supplement. Lifestyle factors play a key role in our individual needs for nutrients. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the need for Vitamin A, and nicotine blocks absorption of Vitamin C. Even healthy habits like exercise promote the need for iron and the B vitamins. Of course, pregnancy creates a new set of nutrient requirements that are easily fulfilled for most women with a quality prenatal vitamin.
Getting enough? Nutrient deficiencies show themselves in a myriad of ways, and many of these signals are visible in the mirror.
| | | Daily
Recommendation* | Nutrient Action | Deficiency Symptoms | Vitamin A | 2500-5000 IU | An antioxidant helps with wound healing,
especially of the mucous membranes; helps to keep skin smooth and moist | Night Blindness is the
most obvious symptom | Vitamin B | 50 mg | Improves skin texture; necessary in the formation of anti-inflammatory chemicals; healing | Skin or nervous system
disorders; anemia | Folic Acid | 400 mcg | This B vitamin repairs DNA; prevents neural tube birth defects | Elevated homocysteine
leading to arteriosclerosis | Vitamin C –
bioflavonoids | 600-1000 mg | Powerful antioxidant; necessary for the formation of collagen; offers sun-protection | Bleeding gums; bruising; eventually scurvy | Vitamin D | 600-800 IU | Necessary for absorbing calcium; builds healthy cells; slows cell division, reduces risk of carcinogenic mutations | Bone pain; bone deformations psoriasis | Vitamin E | 400-800 IU | Protects cell membranes from free radicals; forms anti-inflammatory chemicals; offers sun-protection; wound healing | Anemia; muscle weakness | Vitamin K | 90 mcg | Necessary for blood clotting | Deficiency is uncommon; can include blood clotting problems; bruising | Beta Carotene | 10,000 IU | Precursor to Vitamin A | Night blindness | Calcium | 1000 mg | Strong bones, teeth and nails | Muscle spasms and cramps; brittle nails; soft or thin bones | Iron | 6 mg | Transports oxygen in the blood | Anemia; hair loss | Magnesium | 500 mg | Energy metabolism; protein synthesis | Muscle cramps; seizures | Selenium | 100 mcg | Antioxidant that strengthens the immune system; promotes anti-inflammatory chemicals | Free radical aging; cataracts; increased risk of cancer | Zinc | 15-25 mg | Wound healing; controlling skin inflammation; healthy reproductive system | Loss of sense of taste;
white spots on nails |
| *A nutrient guideline for adults, based on research in Living Beauty: Feel Great, Look Fabulous & Live Well. |
Choosing your supplement
Since our bodies are designed to absorb nutrients from food, choose whole foods vitamins derived from food. Be sure your vitamins and minerals contain an adequate supply of the required nutrients. When choosing your vitamins, focus on the Dietary Value (DV), which is the percentage amount of a nutrient required by someone who consumes 2000 calories daily.
Nutrition experts suggest taking certain vitamins and minerals separately for optimum absorption. For example: calcium and iron compete for absorption, and shouldn’t be taken at the same time. Alternatively, B vitamins should be taken together in a ’complex’. An excess of one B will cause or hide deficiencies in another, and potentially lead to serious consequences. To avoid a cupboard full of supplements, choose a quality multi, follow directions and take with meals.
Remember a supplement is just that – it supplements your healthy diet. Fill your plate with a rainbow of uncooked vegetables as often as possible, and enjoy several servings of fruit every day to reap the rewards of lasting health. H&L Lisa Petty is a registered nutritionist and author of Living Beauty: Feel Great, Look Fabulous & Live Well (Fitzhenry & Whiteside 2005.) Please visit www.livingbeauty.ca
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