How Much Vitamin D Do I Need
From about late March/early April to the end of September, the majority of people should be able to make all the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin.
Children from the age of 1 year and adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram . The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol followed by the letter g .
Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units . 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.
A Closer Look At Major Minerals
The body needs, and stores, fairly large amounts of the major minerals. These minerals are no more important to your health than the trace minerals theyre just present in your body in greater amounts.
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.
Major minerals
- Sulfur
Essential Vitamins Your Body Needs: Folate Folic Acid
Vitamin B9 is an essential vitamin, and is especially important for pregnant women.
Why you need Vitamin B9: To make DNA, RNA, red blood cells, and synthesize certain amino acids. Vitamin B9 is also important for pregnant women, as it helps prevent birth defects.
Where to get Vitamin B9: Liver, yeast, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, orange juice, fortified flour, avocados legumes.
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When To See A Doctor
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:
- You are losing your hair.
- You feel weak.
- You are often tired, even when you get plenty of sleep.
- You have cracks in the corners of your mouth.
- You have acne-like bumps on your cheeks, upper arms, thighs, and buttocks.
- Your vision is getting worse, especially at night.
- You have dry eyes.
- You are having panic attacks.
- You have tingling or numbness in your hands and feet.
- Your gums bleed.
Folate And Folic Acid
Folate is a B vitamin found in many foods. The manmade form of folate is called folic acid.
Folate is also known as folacin and vitamin B9.
Folate helps:
- the body form healthy red blood cells
- reduce the risk of birth defects called neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in unborn babies
A lack of folate could lead to folate deficiency anaemia.
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What Is Vitamin B12 & Why Do You Need It
Plus food sources to help you meet your needs .
Like most nutrients, vitamin B12 is something that many of us eat every day but don’t fully understand. Whether or not your B12 consumption is front-of-mind, our bodies need it for a variety of reasons. While most people get enough each day by eating fish, meat and dairy products, those who are vegan or vegetarian might worry about whether they are getting enough vitamin B12, and how to choose a supplement that is safe. To help you better understand this important nutrient, we dove into the research on what vitamin B12 is, why we need it and how you can make sure you are meeting your needs.
Always Talk With A Professional
While the nutritionists we spoke to agree that supplements can be helpful, it’s important to always talk with your healthcare provider before jumping in with a vitamin regimen. Most vitamin supplements contain 100 percent of the recommended daily amount, so if you’re already consuming a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables throughout the day, you would be taking in way more than the National Institutes of Health recommends.
Unfortunately when it comes to vitamins, you really can have too much of a good thing.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a meta-analysis of studies looking at more than 400,000 people found that a daily vitamin supplement was associated with an increased cancer risk. A separate study of women found that a daily supplement was linked to an increased risk for skin cancer.
Taking vitamin A supplements with beta-carotene has been proven to increase the risk of lung cancer in study participants. In one study, the increased risk was a whopping 28 percent, which caused the researchers to actually end the study early.
Calcium supplements have not been proven to improve bone density. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants taking a daily calcium supplement were more likely to suffer a hip fracture.
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What Are Good Skin Vitamins
Aapki Twacha se Aapki Umar Ka Pata hi Nahi Chalta, is one statement that every woman wants to hear.
But what can we do to get the glowing skin every woman dreams of? Well, the answer is simple: you need to invest in some good skin vitamins that can help you get Cleopatra-like young and glowing skin.
Your skin is the first defense system of your body. When you visit a dermatologist, the first thing that they will recommend you will be to stay away from the sun as much as possible. Overexposure to the sun could lead to skin burn, early aging, and some forms of cancer. So, what to do if you need to stay out in the sun for an extended time? Well, first, put on the best SPF-based sunscreen and second, buy some good skin vitamins.
As much as our body needs vitamin D from the sun, it also needs Vitamin C, E, and K to keep our skin healthy and young. Consuming skin vitamins means seeing a decrease in:
- Dull spots
- Early signs of aging
What are good skin vitamins?
Good skin vitamins are easily accessible as supplements and can also be found in skin care products. It is advisable to consume food items that are rich in these vitamins. Below we have discussed these four essential skin vitamins that can help you make your skin look young, radiant, and youthful:
A Closer Look At Water
Water-soluble vitamins are packed into the watery portions of the foods you eat. They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food is broken down during digestion or as a supplement dissolves.
Because much of your body consists of water, many of the water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your body. Your kidneys continuously regulate levels of water-soluble vitamins, shunting excesses out of the body in your urine.
Water-soluble vitamins
- Folic acid
- Niacin
Vitamin C
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How Much Folate Do I Need
Adults need 200 micrograms of folate a day. A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram . The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g .
There are no long-term stores in the body, so you need to eat folate-containing foods frequently.
Most people should be able to get the amount of folate they need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
What Vitamins Should You Take Daily
It is estimated that about half of American adults take some type of vitamin or mineral supplement.
People might take supplements if they know theyre missing a certain food group, says Patton. Others might take supplements for the antioxidant benefits or because they know they dont eat fruits and vegetables. Some people may have a true deficiency.
Everyones vitamin needs are different, so its a good idea to talk to your doctor or registered dietitian before starting to take supplements. They can help you decide which products to take, or if you need to take any at all. Your doctor and pharmacist can also tell you if a supplement would interact badly with any medications you are taking, which may cause health problems.
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What Happens If I Take Too Much Vitamin B6
When taking a supplement, it’s important not to take too much.
Taking 200mg or more a day of vitamin B6 can lead to a loss of feeling in the arms and legs known as peripheral neuropathy.
This will usually improve once you stop taking the supplements.
But in a few cases when people have taken large amounts of vitamin B6, particularly for more than a few months, the effect can be permanent.
The effect of taking vitamin B6 at doses between 10 and 200 mg is unclear. So there’s not enough evidence to say how long these doses could be taken for safely.
Where Should We Get Our Vitamins
Our experts agree that the best source of vitamins is our diet. Whole, fresh, unprocessed foods provide the vitamins our bodies crave. Board certified rehabilitation specialist Dr. Scott Schreiber focuses on obtaining vitamins from whole foods. “Whole foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals,” he tells us. “If it grows from the ground, the way nature intended it, vitamins and minerals occur in their most natural states and can be absorbed the easiest.”
It’s also important to remember that heat can alter the makeup of the vitamins in food. “Cooking methods alter the nutritional status of fresh foods, especially the water-soluble vitamins,” nutritionist Amanda Henham of Vaga Nutrition explains. “So mixing up raw and cooked foods throughout the day is ideal.”
Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of these vital nutrients. Vitamin A can be found in orange-colored vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots. Henham recommends eating healthy fats like avocado and nuts to obtain vitamin E and leafy greens for vitamin K.
For the water soluble vitamins, reach for brightly colored fruits and vegetables like oranges, bell peppers, and berries.
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Folic Acid Supplement In Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, trying for a baby or could get pregnant, it’s recommended that you take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant. Folic acid supplements need to be taken before you get pregnant, so start taking them before you stop using contraception or if there’s a chance you might get pregnant.
Folic acid can help to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Find out more about vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy.
Micronutrients With A Big Role In The Body
Vitamins and minerals are often called micronutrients because your body needs only tiny amounts of them. Yet failing to get even those small quantities virtually guarantees disease. Here are a few examples of diseases that can result from vitamin deficiencies:
- Scurvy. Old-time sailors learned that living for months without fresh fruits or vegetablesthe main sources of vitamin Ccauses the bleeding gums and listlessness of scurvy.
- Blindness. In some developing countries, people still become blind from vitamin A deficiency.
- Rickets. A deficiency in vitamin D can cause rickets, a condition marked by soft, weak bones that can lead to skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. Partly to combat rickets, the U.S. has fortified milk with vitamin D since the 1930s.
Just as a lack of key micronutrients can cause substantial harm to your body, getting sufficient quantities can provide a substantial benefit. Some examples of these benefits:
- Strong bones. A combination of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus protects your bones against fractures.
- Prevents birth defects. Taking folic acid supplements early in pregnancy helps prevent brain and spinal birth defects in offspring.
- Healthy teeth. The mineral fluoride not only helps bone formation but also keeps dental cavities from starting or worsening.
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Dietary Sources Of Vitamin K
We get vitamin K from food and the bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Newborn babies are given a booster to increase their vitamin K levels because they are born without bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. We get much of our vitamin K from our diet.
Food sources include:
- leafy green vegetables spinach and kale
- fruits
- some vegetable oils .
The 16 Essential Minerals
In addition to the 13 essential vitamins your body needs, there are 16 essential minerals, all of which you might recognize from the periodic table. Unlike vitamins, minerals are inorganic, meaning they do not contain a carbon atom.
Macrominerals are the minerals that your body needs in relatively large amounts trace minerals are those that your body needs in small amounts. The essential macrominerals are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. The trace minerals your body requires are iron, zinc, iodine, chromium, copper, fluoride, molybdenum, manganese, and selenium.
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Essential Vitamins Your Body Needs: Pyridoxine
Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin for good health. It promotes protein metabolism, metabolism of carbohydrates and the release of energy. It also plays a role in proper nerve function and the synthesis of red blood cells.
Where to get Vitamin B6: Meat, fish, poultry, grains, cereals, bananas, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, soybeans.
Make sure you avoid these surprisingly unhealthy foods at all costs.
Essential Vitamins Your Body Needs: Vitamin C
Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, is an essential vitamin and important for your body.
Why you need Vitamin C: Strengthens blood vessel walls promotes wound healing and iron absorption helps prevent atherosclerosis supports immunity serves as a key antioxidant.
Where to get Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, juices, melons, berries, peppers, broccoli, potatoes.
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Do Dogs Need Vitamin Supplements
Your dog gets his vitamins from dog food. Commercial dog food diets labeled complete and balanced are specially formulated to contain all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your dog needs.
Foods catered toward different life stages, like puppy food, adult dog food, and senior dog food, contain different levels of certain vitamins, depending on the requirements of that life stage. This is especially important for large breed puppy foods, as these breeds can develop diseases, such as hip dysplasia, if their food contains vitamins and minerals, like calcium, that make them grow too quickly.
Dogs fed an appropriate commercial diet should not require vitamin supplements unless recommended otherwise by a veterinarian. Dogs fed a homemade diet, on the other hand, may require supplements to ensure that they are getting enough vitamins with their meals. However, these vitamins should be given to match the diet, according to veterinary nutritionist Susan Wynn, DVM. Simply feeding these dogs a vitamin with dinner is not enough.
What Does The Department Of Health And Social Care Advise
You should be able to get the amount of niacin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take niacin supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful.
Taking 17mg or less of nicotinic acid supplements a day, or 500mg or less of nicotinamide supplements a day, is unlikely to cause any harm.
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People At Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Some people will not make enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have very little or no sunshine exposure.
The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that adults and children over 4 take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if they:
- are not often outdoors for example, if they’re frail or housebound
- are in an institution like a care home
- usually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors
If you have dark skin for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background you may also not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.
You should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.
Most Older Adults Take Some Kind Of Over
Over-the-counter dietary supplements are big business more than 90,000 products generate about $30 billion every year in the United States. Older adults make up a big part of these sales, too. A survey of almost 3,500 adults ages 60 and older published Oct. 1, 2017, in The Journal of Nutrition found that 70% use a daily supplement , 54% take one or two supplements, and 29% take four or more.
But are these pills good medicine, or a waste of money?
“Supplements are never a substitute for a balanced, healthful diet,” says Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “And they can be a distraction from healthy lifestyle practices that confer much greater benefits.”
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Support A Healthy Metabolism
B-complex vitamins, like thiamin, riboflavin, folate, biotin, and vitamins B6 and B12 collaborate with other enzymes in your body to metabolize energy from protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Staying physically active and eating a healthy diet also help to maintain a healthy metabolismfactors that are important for healthy aging and your overall health.3
Why Free Radicals May Be Harmful
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. Vitamin C can then disarm the free radicals.
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