As the fall begins to arrive and winter soon after we begin to worry about seasonal sickness, colds, and Flu. Money Magazine published an article this month about steps one can take to help avoid the bugs this winter and the expenses involved in curing winter colds.
Prevent Bugs
Sleep – it’s been shown that lack of sleep depresses immunity
Yogurt – good bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus, prevents growth of bad germs
Flu shot – 90% effective
Colds
Take 1000 mg of Vitamin C and 8 mg of Zinc per day at the first sign of a cold. Echinacea has also been shown to shorten the duration and symptoms of a cold.
It’s got me thinking about eating healthier and giving my body the right nutrients needed to function efficiently. Sometimes we lack important vitamins and minerals. Iron for instance helps in the movement of oxygen from the lungs to the organs and only 65 to 70% of Americans meet their daily requirement. In winter you’re exposed less to vitamin D, which comes from the sun’s ultraviolet light. There are 13 essential vitamins that are crucial to our function. Multivitamins can help.
A typical multivitamin contains all the essentials but, according to a report by Jane Higdon, Ph.D. of the Linus Pauling Institute, the multivitamins we take use an outdated system from the ’60s to determine our daily requirement. So, the recommendations might be different that what we should have. Here’s a brief rundown of the majors, the correct Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), and what’s in the multivitamin bottle:
Vitamin C – RDA: 75-90 mg/day, in the bottle: 60 mg, aim for: 400 mg, eat: fruits and veg
Vitamin K – RDA: 90-120 mcg/day, in the bottle: 80 mcg, eat: broccoli and dark leafy greens
Magnesium – RDA: 310-420 mg/day, in the bottle: 100 mg, eat: green veg, whole grains
Selenium – RDA: 55 mcg/day, in the bottle: 70 mcg
Vitamin B12 – RDA: 2.4 mcg, in the bottle: 6 mcg, eat: meats
Iron – RDA: 8-18 mg, in the bottle: 18 mg
There are real benefits to taking a multivitamin, the main one is preventing a deficiency, though you should still eat healthy. I take a multivitamin every day and have increased the amount of orange juice I have each morning. I’m also trying to eat more fruits and vegetables as well as drink more water and juices.
More details on vitamin requirements.
NutritionData.com is an amazing resource to look up detailed nutrition facts of certain foods or finding foods high in a particular nutrient.
2 Comments
30 Aug 2006 at 08:09
I had a blood test a few years ago that revealed I had dangerously high levels of iron. It turns out that, although women need iron supplements, men generally do not. Since then, I have sought out multivitamins that do not contain iron. I won’t name brands because I don’t want to be spammy, but I would generally recommend looking at the vitamin aisle at a place like whole foods instead of those found at a mainstream grocery store.
4 Sep 2006 at 20:00
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