Most adults do not get an adequate amount of vitamin C in their diets. Where this deficiency can be linked to scurvy and other such ailments it is important to increase your vitamin C intake especially during the winter months.
Vitamin C also supports the body's normal response to inflammation as well as supporting cardiovascular health, cellular health, prenatal health, eye and skin health and especially immune system health.
How much vitamin C should you get? Studies suggest that 300-500 milligrams of vitamin C daily is the right amount. However, the RDA suggests only 60 milligrams. So unless you eat plenty of fruits and veggies to get all of your daily servings of vitamins you should consider talking to your doctor about increasing your vitamin C intake.
Cheers to better health.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Vitamin Essentials for Women
It is important to get enough vitamins in your daily diet or supplements no matter what your age or gender. However, women seem to require just a bit more of certain vitamins to help keep them healthy in their busy lives.
Vitamin D is essential for optimal absorption of calcium. As we all know calcium helps protect and strengthen bones which will aid in the fight against osteoporosis. Calcium also helps support the natural sleep pattern and assists in normal blood clotting and nerve function. Also, don't forget your teeth are bones and need calcium, too!
B-complex includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and others. These offer benefits in helping to withstand stress and helps convert food to energy and boosts metabolism. Which in turn promotes skin and muscle tone!
Iron is also incredibly important as more and more women are becoming anemic. Anemia can cause prolonged menstrual periods, childbirth and uterine fibroids. Not to mention feeling tired and weak lack of iron can cause your heart to have to work harder.
Life is demanding enough, give yourself every opportunity to make your body work easier.
Vitamin D is essential for optimal absorption of calcium. As we all know calcium helps protect and strengthen bones which will aid in the fight against osteoporosis. Calcium also helps support the natural sleep pattern and assists in normal blood clotting and nerve function. Also, don't forget your teeth are bones and need calcium, too!
B-complex includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and others. These offer benefits in helping to withstand stress and helps convert food to energy and boosts metabolism. Which in turn promotes skin and muscle tone!
Iron is also incredibly important as more and more women are becoming anemic. Anemia can cause prolonged menstrual periods, childbirth and uterine fibroids. Not to mention feeling tired and weak lack of iron can cause your heart to have to work harder.
Life is demanding enough, give yourself every opportunity to make your body work easier.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Omega-3 and Fish Oil and Your Eyes
Adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet, especially in the form of fish, can help prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration vision loss by more than 30%.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. This is an eye disease that attacks the central part of the retina called the macula, which controls fine, detailed vision.
Previous research has shown that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish may slow the progression of macular degeneration in those in the advanced stages of the disease.
You should try to consume about 3 ounces of Atlantic salmon or 5 ounces of rainbow trout per week.
Since omega-3 fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body, it is essential that people get them through their diet or additional supplementation.
If you are opposed to fish or are a vegetarian you can obtain omega-3 fatty acids through nuts, which also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and may also reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These diseases are linked to AMD.
There are more studies are underway to investigate the role of the diet and AMD. AREDS2, a five-year randomized trial involving 4,000 people will test the effectiveness of supplementing with certain antioxidants and/or omega-3 fatty acids on the progression to advanced AMD. Stay tuned for updates on the AREDS2 study.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. This is an eye disease that attacks the central part of the retina called the macula, which controls fine, detailed vision.
Previous research has shown that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish may slow the progression of macular degeneration in those in the advanced stages of the disease.
You should try to consume about 3 ounces of Atlantic salmon or 5 ounces of rainbow trout per week.
Since omega-3 fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body, it is essential that people get them through their diet or additional supplementation.
If you are opposed to fish or are a vegetarian you can obtain omega-3 fatty acids through nuts, which also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and may also reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These diseases are linked to AMD.
There are more studies are underway to investigate the role of the diet and AMD. AREDS2, a five-year randomized trial involving 4,000 people will test the effectiveness of supplementing with certain antioxidants and/or omega-3 fatty acids on the progression to advanced AMD. Stay tuned for updates on the AREDS2 study.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids in addition to being an essential amino acid. Tryptophan is used in structural or enzyme proteins and is occasionally found in naturally produced peptides. Turkey has all the makings of a natural sedative because of tryptophan. Since tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body can't manufacture it, so the body has to get tryptophan and other essential amino acids from food. Tryptophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin which, in turn, helps the body produce serotonin. Serotonin is a calming agent that acts in your brain to play a key role in sleep. So if you eat lot of turkey, your body would produce more serotonin and you would feel calm and want a nap.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Foods and Vitamins
As the year is approaching a time when our diets go by the wayside, when exercise becomes a faint memory and when no one has time to remember to take a vitamin it becomes imperative that we try and keep essential nutrients in our diets.
Try to remember these simple foods to keep. The units mentioned are the minimum you should try and achieve daily.
Vitamin A - 2,310 IU = 1 large carrot or 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes or 1 can of chunky vegetable soup.
Vitamin B6 - 1.3 mg = 3/4 cup fortified cereal or 1/2 chicken breast or 1 baked potato or 1 banana
Vitamin B12 - 2.4 mcg = 3 oz of salmon or beef or 1 crab cake
Vitamin C - 75 mg = 3/4 cup orange juice or 1 cup strawberries or 1/2 cup broccoli or 1 medium tomato
Vitamin D - 200 IU = 6 oz canned tuna or 4 cups of fortified milk
Calcium - 1,000 mg - 1 cup milk + 8 oz yogurt + 1.5 oz of cheddar
Iron - 18mg = 3/4 cup iron-fortified cereal or 2 1/2 cups edamame
Folic Acid/Folate - 3/4 cup fortified cereal or 2 cups broccoli and spinach + 1 cup white rice
* Be sure to let your physician know if you are taking supplements as some may negatively impact Rx medicatons*
Try to remember these simple foods to keep. The units mentioned are the minimum you should try and achieve daily.
Vitamin A - 2,310 IU = 1 large carrot or 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes or 1 can of chunky vegetable soup.
Vitamin B6 - 1.3 mg = 3/4 cup fortified cereal or 1/2 chicken breast or 1 baked potato or 1 banana
Vitamin B12 - 2.4 mcg = 3 oz of salmon or beef or 1 crab cake
Vitamin C - 75 mg = 3/4 cup orange juice or 1 cup strawberries or 1/2 cup broccoli or 1 medium tomato
Vitamin D - 200 IU = 6 oz canned tuna or 4 cups of fortified milk
Calcium - 1,000 mg - 1 cup milk + 8 oz yogurt + 1.5 oz of cheddar
Iron - 18mg = 3/4 cup iron-fortified cereal or 2 1/2 cups edamame
Folic Acid/Folate - 3/4 cup fortified cereal or 2 cups broccoli and spinach + 1 cup white rice
* Be sure to let your physician know if you are taking supplements as some may negatively impact Rx medicatons*
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