Most of us hate eating fruits,vegetables and desserts rank higher on our list.If your idea of the four basic food groups is fried, buttered, sweet and salty, then this write-up is for you.After eating what you want you are happy but the thing which bothers you most is What about our so called Health?? And the answer is a magical little pill called the multivitamin. You take it every day without fail. It says right on the container that it gives you everything you need, so why bother with a balanced diet, right? Not so fast. While multivitamins have their place, they aren't for everyone and they can even cause more harm than benefit in some cases.
Multivitamins are a good way to help supplement a diet for those who don't always have time to shop for fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains. But most health experts agree that a multivitamin is no replacement for a good, well-balanced diet. In fact, if you do eat a well-balanced diet, you not only have no need for a multivitamin, but you actually could be getting too much of a good thing -- especially when you consider that many foods are already fortified with vitamins and minerals. Supplementing the areas where your diet falls short with specific vitamins may be a better plan if you're a relatively healthy eater.
Here are some basic rules you can use to find a multivitamin that works for you:
For men: You won't need as much iron as a woman, only about eight milligrams per day.Best source are meat,potatoes with the skin on, lentils and beans.
For women: You need extra iron because of a loss of the mineral during monthly menstruation, about 18 milligrams per day. Folic acid is big for women who plan on having children.
For kids: Contrary to what you might think, kids don't really need large amounts of vitamins and minerals. A lot of children's foods are already fortified with vitamins and minerals, so if your child eats a well-balanced diet then he or she may not even need a multivitamin. Vitamin D is important for bone growth and it's difficult to get enough through diet, so most children's multivitamins contain large amounts of it.
For the over-60s: If you're more than 60 years old, then you should probably take a daily multivitamin. Sadly, as we age we lose the ability to absorb certain vitamins and nutrients. B12 is one of these, so multivitamins for older folks contain more of it.
Be your own advocate, do the research and talk to your doctor before you begin taking a multivitamin. If you already take one, compare its ingredients to your diet to make sure you aren't getting too much of any one vitamin or mineral.
Multivitamins are a good way to help supplement a diet for those who don't always have time to shop for fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains. But most health experts agree that a multivitamin is no replacement for a good, well-balanced diet. In fact, if you do eat a well-balanced diet, you not only have no need for a multivitamin, but you actually could be getting too much of a good thing -- especially when you consider that many foods are already fortified with vitamins and minerals. Supplementing the areas where your diet falls short with specific vitamins may be a better plan if you're a relatively healthy eater.
Here are some basic rules you can use to find a multivitamin that works for you:
For men: You won't need as much iron as a woman, only about eight milligrams per day.Best source are meat,potatoes with the skin on, lentils and beans.
For women: You need extra iron because of a loss of the mineral during monthly menstruation, about 18 milligrams per day. Folic acid is big for women who plan on having children.
For kids: Contrary to what you might think, kids don't really need large amounts of vitamins and minerals. A lot of children's foods are already fortified with vitamins and minerals, so if your child eats a well-balanced diet then he or she may not even need a multivitamin. Vitamin D is important for bone growth and it's difficult to get enough through diet, so most children's multivitamins contain large amounts of it.
For the over-60s: If you're more than 60 years old, then you should probably take a daily multivitamin. Sadly, as we age we lose the ability to absorb certain vitamins and nutrients. B12 is one of these, so multivitamins for older folks contain more of it.
Be your own advocate, do the research and talk to your doctor before you begin taking a multivitamin. If you already take one, compare its ingredients to your diet to make sure you aren't getting too much of any one vitamin or mineral.
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