THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUPPLEMENTS
WHY IS A MULTIVITAMIN IMPORTANT?
You eat few fruits, vegetables and whole grains (like most of us)
You’re on a low calorie diet.
Age – older individuals needs higher dosages of some nutrients.
Some medical conditions that affect how your body absorbs nutrients.
A good daily multivitamin can assist to make it easier to fill the gap to support your overall health.
WHEN CHOOSING A MULTIVITAMIN, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING
Get the basic water soluble and fat soluble vitamins and minerals. Most multivitamin preparations usually include the following: vitamin C, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid (B9), B12 (cyanocobalamin), B5 (panthothenic acid), biotin, A, E, D, zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.
Look for extras. Some multivitamins are available in a variety of formulations that are aimed at helping people with specific nutritional needs or conditions. Some multivitamins can contain additional select active ingredients like antioxidants, herbal extracts, or formulations that are specialized to specific conditions, like vitamins for people with diabetes.
Formulations specifically for men and women. Choosing a multivitamin designed for your gender has a lot of benefits as men and women have different nutritional needs
DIETARY GUIDELINES AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEN AND WOMEN:
Maintain a healthy weight and follow a healthy diet:
Increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat each day. Fruit and vegetables are full of nutrients and you need to eat at least 5 portions a day. You can increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat daily by adding an additional serving of a fruit or vegetable to each meal or by eating fruit and vegetables for snacks.
Eat more fat from plant sources than from animal sources. You can for example rather cook with olive oil than with butter, you can also sprinkle nuts or seeds on your salad rather than cheese.
Choose a low-fat diet. To reduce the amount of fat you eat daily, limit fatty foods or choose low-fat varieties. Foods that contain fats include meats, nuts, oils and dairy products, such as milk and cheese. Reducing the amount of fat you eat daily has other proven benefits, such as helping you control your weight and helping your heart.
Aim to drink 8 glasses of water per day.
Manage stress. Take steps to reduce stress or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways as stress can also have a negative effect on your immune system. Ways that one can deal with stress are:
- Spend time with our family
- Exercise
- Get a hobby that can help you to take your mind off the things that cause stress
- Get moving. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Exercise can help you control your weight and lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and even certain types of cancer. Choose the activities that you enjoy like brisk walking or ballroom dancing.
- Don’t Smoke. If you are a smoker or use other tobacco products, asks your healthcare practitioner to help you quit and where possible avoid exposure to second hand smoke.
- Limit your alcohol intake. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
University of Washington Medical Centre. UW National Centre of Excellence in women’s Health. Patient Education: Leading a Healthy Lifestyle. Accessed January 2015. http://depts.washington.edu/uwcoe/healthtopics/healthylife.html The Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS). Food and guidelines for healthy eating. Accessed January 2015. http://www.nutritionweek.co.za University of Maryland Medical Centre. Medical Reference Guide. Patient Education: Vitamins. Accessec January 2015. http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/vitamins University of Maryland Medical Centre. Medical reference Guide. Patient Education: Weight control and diet. Accessed January 2015. http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/weight-control-and-diet University of Maryland Medical Centre. Medical reference Guide. Patient Education: Stress management. Accessed January 2015. Ward, E. 2014 Addressing nutritional gaps with multivitamin and mineral supplements. Nutrition Journal. 13:72 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4109789/