Monday, September 1, 2008

Nutritional Health Supplements 101: Deciding If You Need Any In Your Diet.

By: Bekie Cohner-5496

Until recently most nutritionists would have said that it is unnecessary to take supplements as you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need from a healthy diet. But now many experts are eating their words. New studies show that we can benefit from extra helpings of certain nutrients. You do not need a fistful of pills in fact mega dosing can be dangerous. And you still must eat right that means maintaining a healthy diet featuring vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, dairy and enough fiber.

Given out faulty food habits one multi vitamin and one multi mineral tablet a day with the regular dietary requirements may be beneficial. A daily pill can plug a few nutrient gaps, and it may help u live longer. But always be cautious of overdose. Now the question is that how should one choose from the multitudes of multi vitamin and multi mineral tablets available in the market. The answer to this question is that one should always skip products marketed for stress, heath health or other special conditions as they are more expensive and the extra ingredients are of questionable benefit. One should always go for a brand that packs no more than hundred percent of Recommendation Daily Allowance from the national council for medical research as some may contain a dangerous amount of certain nutrients.


The ladies on post menopausal should choose a tablet with little or no iron. As overload of this mineral can lead to heart problems. She should opt for a tablet with calcium supplement of one gram per day. This will prevent osteoporosis. One should not get attracted to a brand because of its high price as the regular brands can provide the same benefits as fancy label pills. But one should always be careful of the overdose as it can be toxic for the body.

The vitamin D plays a key role in growing strong bones and keeping them healthy by facilitating the absorption of calcium. Of late vitamin D is also gaining attention for helping to head off other medical problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, colon, breast and ovarian cancers. Experts believe that there is nothing else you can take that has this ability to prevent cancer. There is no such specified dietary recommendation for vitamin D as it was believed that we get enough of it from sun exposure. However experts now advise that adults should consume about one thousand international units of vitamin D either from food or from pills. Supplements generally contain four hundred international units per tablet. Over dosage is toxin for both adults and children. Toxicity can lead to constipation, back ace and high cholesterol. Increase in calcium levels may lead to hypertension and heart problems.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Bekie Cohner is a health and wellness professional with 16 years experience helping people make the right decisions for everything from Exercise Equipment to nutritional supplements .

No comments: