Macular degeneration is a condition that results when the cells in the macula deteriorate or when abnormal blood vessels grow and leak under the macular tissue. The macula sits on the retina, the sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye,...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin responsible for helping the body absorb calcium and promote bone mineralization. While the vitamin is naturally present in very few foods, you can get the recommended daily allowance, or RDA, from ultraviolet...
For children in the 1930s and 1940s, taking your daily dose of cod liver oil was an important part of preventing rickets, if you could choke the stuff down. In addition to vitamin D, which prevents rickets, cod liver oil contains omega-3 fatty...
Cod liver oil contains omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid, also known as EPA; and docosahexaenoic acid, abbreviated to DHA, two fatty acids which have received much attention for their potential health benefits. However, cod liver oil also...
Each day you need to consume some vitamin K in the foods that you eat. This amount is called AI, or adequate intake, and it ensures that your body is able to build healthy tissues and complete the other functions that depend on vitamin K. Vitamin...
Vitamins are small molecules that the body uses to help speed chemical reactions that are needed to produce energy, new cells and tissues and to repair damaged parts of the body. Although it's critical to get a certain amount of vitamins from your...
Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is a form of vitamin D3 that is commonly used in health supplements. In your body, vitamin D3 is converted into vitamin D, which is then used in numerous biochemical reactions. Vitamin D3 is an essential...
Vitamin B12 is one of 13 essential vitamins essential for good health and proper body functioning. It plays several roles in the body, acting as a catalyst for some chemical reactions. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 can cause fatigue, weight loss and...
Most Americans are fortunate enough to have an abundance of choices when shopping for food, but when nutrition is your top priority, it's not always clear which choice is superior. It's a common belief that fresh foods always are healthier than...
Vitamin D is a hot topic among nutritionists and physicians. Once thought to be primarily useful for preventing weak bones and diseases such as rickets, vitamin D is now being considered as having a potential benefit in reducing cancer risks,...
Melanoma is a severe, and life-threatening type of skin cancer that is characterized by tumors produced in the cells of the deep layers of the skin. Due to the seriousness of melanoma, supplements alone are not recommended to fight it off. They...
Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient that is needed for bone health, and as seen in many recent studies such as one found in the November 2010 issue of "Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology," vitamin D might also play a role in the prevention of...
Breastfeeding mothers who eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins do not require much supplementation. When battling a cold, however, you might decide to increase supplementation of vitamins and minerals to boost your immune...
Your body requires a range of vitamins to maintain optimal health. Vitamins are widely available in a well-balanced diet, and you also can supplement with over-the-counter or prescription vitamins. However, it is possible to have too much of a...
Vitamin D-3 is a form of vitamin D known as cholecalciferol. If you consume too much vitamin D-3 from supplements, you may develop high levels of calcium in your blood. Although this does not directly lead to dizziness, hypercalcemia can cause...
Vitamin B-12 is in many of the foods you eat. If you eat a balanced diet and take a B-12 supplement or multivitamin, you do not have to worry about an overdose. B-12 is water soluble, which means that once your body has used what it needs, it...
In your body, vitamins and minerals can interact and influence each other's function. One example of this is calcium and vitamin D-3, because the levels of vitamin D influence how well you absorb calcium. For this reason, many calcium supplements...
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone and immune health, but many people fail to get sufficient amount of this essential vitamin from their diet or from exposure to sunlight. To ensure that your vitamin D levels stay in a healthy range, you...
Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight and also available in some foods, often requires taking supplements. Vitamin D helps maintain strong bones and may also play a part in...
Vitamin C is a very important vitamin that your body uses to build connective tissue, run your nervous system and fight infections. It is an essential vitamin that must be consumed through food and supplement sources each day. However, the Harvard...
Vitamin B-12 is commonly taken in supplements and multivitamins each day. It is also found in the foods that you eat and there are daily recommendations of how much you should take each day. There is currently no maximum recommended dose of...
Vitamin C is water-soluble and essential for the growth and repair of all the body's tissues. It is also needed to form collagen. Collagen is a protein used for the production of tendons, ligaments, skin and blood vessels. An adequate amount of...
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a progressive, inflammatory disease of your central nervous system, characterized by the patchy destruction of myelin in your brain and spinal cord. Myelin is the protective insulation that coats your nerve cells and...
The dietary supplement 5-Hour Energy claims to boost your energy for several hours without sugar and with little caffeine. While this may sound tempting to women who are nursing, the supplement's effect on young babies is not known. 5-Hour Energy...
Your body uses vitamin D for a number of functions including regulating your calcium level and in bone production. Studies indicate that this vitamin may also have an important role in cancer treatment. Vitamin D may be effective on its own or in...
Stopping your breast milk supply once it’s been established can be an uncomfortable process. Your breasts will still become engorged as production tapers off, requiring you to express milk to reduce your risk of developing mastitis....
The brand-name energy drink called 5-hour ENERGY is concentrated into 1.93 fluid-oz. shots, which the company recommends taking in half or full doses depending on your energy needs. The drink contains phenylalanine -- which can cause a severe...
Vitamins are an important part of your diet, but more is not always better. High doses of some vitamins, such as vitamin D, can result in health problems such as kidney stones. Vitamin D supplements are safe when taken in the appropriate doses,...
It's common knowledge that vitamin D comes from the sun, and because of that, most people assume they cannot have a deficiency. There is evidence that shows there is a hereditary link to not being able to create your own vitamin D as efficiently...
