Comprehensive Vitamin and Mineral Guide

Comprehensive Vitamin and Mineral Guide.

Vitamin/Mineral Supplement	Why You Need Them	Sources	Dosage	Form
Vitamin A and Beta Carotene	Protects your eyesight as you age and to help your skin heal. Beta carotene neutralizes damaging free radicals	Animal foods like liver, eggs, milk. The body makes beta carotene from Vitamin A.	5000 IU of A in a multi-vitamin 25% beta carotene	Retinal and beta carotene
B6	Essential for protein digestion and utilization, brain function and hormone production. May reduce heart risk. Helps balance sex hormones (PMS and menopause) Natural anti-depressant and diuretic	Watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, bananas, squash, broccoli, onion, seeds and nuts	2mg in a multi-vitamin 50 - 100 mg in a B-complex	Pyridoxine hydrochloride
B12	Needed for making use of protein. Helps the blood carry oxygen, hence essential for energy. Essential for nerves May influence your mood.	Oysters, sardines, tuna, lamb, shrimp, cottage cheese, turkey and chicken.	6 mcg in a multi-vitamin	Cyanocobalamin
C	Protects cells against the free radical damage that can lead to cancer and heart disease Strengthens the immune system Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin, and joints firm and strong	Fruits, vegetables including bell peppers, strawberries and citrus fruits	200 mg or up to 1000 to 2000 mg per day in divided doses	Ascorbic acid
D	Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium.	Cod liver oil, herring, mackerel, salmon, eggs, cottage cheese	400 IU	Ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol
E	Antioxidant, protecting cells from damage, including against cancer. Helps body use oxygen, preventing blood clots, thrombosis, and atherosclerosis. Good for skin	Unrefined corn oils, sunflower seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds, wheat germ, tuna, sardines, salmon, sweet potatoes	400 IU	d-alpha tocopherol
Calcium	Promotes a healthy heart Clots blood Promotes healthy nerves Contracts muscles Improves skin, bone and teeth health Relieves aching muscles and bones Maintains the correct acid-alkaline balance Reduces menstrual cramps and tremors	Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, almonds, brewer's yeast, parsley, corn tortillas, prunes, artichokes, cooked dried beans, cabbage	800 - 1,200 mg	Calcium carbonate
Folic Acid	Critical during pregnancy for development of brain and nerves Always essential for brain and nerve function Needed for utilizing protein and red blood cell formation	Wheat germ, spinach, peanuts, sprouts, asparagus, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, broccoli, cashew nuts, avocados, walnuts	400 - 1,000 mcg	Folic acid
Chromium	Forms part of glucose tolerance factor (GTF) to balance blood sugar Helps to normalize hunger and Reduce cravings Improves life span Helps protect DNA and RNA Essential for heart function	Brewer's yeast, wholemeal bread, rye bread, oysters, potatoes, green peppers, eggs, chicken, apples, butter, parsnips, cornmeal, lamb, Swiss cheese	50 - 200 mcg	Chromium polynicotinate w/GTF
Cooper	Helps transport oxygen through your body Maintains hair color Used to make hormone	Oysters, brazil nuts	1 -2 mg	Any form.
Iron	As a component of hemoglobin, iron transports oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from cells. Component of enzymes Vital for energy production	Pumpkin seeds, parsley, almonds, raisins, pork, cooked dried beans, sesame seeds	15 - 25 mg	Amino acid chelated
Magnesium	Strengthens bones and teeth Promotes healthy muscles by helping them to relax so important for PMS Important for heart muscles and the nervous system. Essential for energy production	Wheat germ, almonds, cashew nuts, brewers yeast, buckwheat flour, brazil nuts, pecan nuts, cooked beans, green peas, potato skin, crab	375- 500 mg.	Magnesium chelate and citric
Potassium	Enables nutrients to move into and waste products to move out of cells Promotes healthy nerves and muscles Maintains fluid balance in the body Relaxes muscles Helps secretion of insulin for blood sugar control to produce constant energy Stimulates stomach movements to encourage proper elimination	Watercress, endive, cabbage, celery, parsley, zucchini, radishes, cauliflower, mushrooms, molasses	2000 mg	Potassium gluconate/chloride
Selenium	Antioxidant properties help to protect against free radicals and carcinogens Reduces inflammation Stimulates the Immune system to fight infections Promotes a healthy heart Helps vitamin E's action	Tuna, oyster, molasses, mushrooms, herring, cottage cheese, cabbage, beef liver, zucchini, cod, chicken	200 mcg	Selenomethionine
Zinc	Strengthens the immune system Supports reproduction Essential for healing Controls hormones which are messengers from organs such as testes and ovaries Aids the ability to cope with stress effectively Promotes healthy nervous system and brain	Oysters, ginger root, Lamb, pecan nuts, dry split peas, haddock, green peas, shrimp, turnips, brazil nuts, egg yolk	15 mg
CoenzymeQ10	Powerful antioxidant that neutralizes damaging free radicals Central role in energy metabolism Improves heart function Helps to normalize blood pressure Increases exercise tolerance	Sardines, mackerel, pork, spinach, soy oil, peanuts, sesame seeds	50 - 200 mg	Oil-based capsules and sublingual forms
Omega 3 Fatty Acids	Reduces heart disease Essential for proper brain function Controls blood cholesterol and fat levels in the blood Maintains water balance Reduces inflammation	Cold water fish (sardines, salmon)	Cold water fish (sardines, salmon) 1,000 of fish oil or 2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil

Nutritional Tips

Time released tablets can be too hard to digest. They may not break down until they're so far in your intestine that your body can't use the nutrients they contain

When to Take Supplements

Take vitamins and minerals fifteen minutes before or after a meal, or during it.
Take most of your supplements with your first meal of the day.
Don't take B vitamins late at night if you have difficulty sleeping.
Take extra minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, in the evening - they help you to sleep.
If you are taking two or mire B complex or vitamin C tablets, take one at each meal.
Do not take individual B vitamins unless you are also taking a general B complex, perhaps in a multivitamin.
Do not take individual minerals unless you are also taking a general multi-mineral.
If you are anemic (iron-deficient) take extra iron with vitamin C.
Always take at least ten times as much zinc as copper only with ten times as much zinc, e.g. 0.5 mg copper to 5 mg zinc.
Always take your supplements. Irregular supplementation doesn't work.

Quick Tip

Time-Releases Supplements - Many time-released tablets are too hard too digest, says physician Michael Janson, M.D. In fact, they may not break down until they're so far in your intestine that your body can't use the nutrients they contain.

Source: Natural Health magazine, August 2000