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Vitamins are important substances that the body uses to help speed up some of the chemical reactions that are necessary to life. Vitamin deficiencies are usually caused by people not consuming enough of a given vitamin, but a vitamin deficiency...
Eight substances make up the vitamin B complex, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Poor absorption of these substances can result in diseases caused by vitamin B deficiencies,...
People often crave fat-filled foods such as potato chips, corn chips and other snacks that combine salt, sugar and fat. Olestra, a calorie-free fat substitute created by Proctor and Gamble, allows you to eat what the company calls "savory snacks"...
As a result of smoking, the body not only absorbs toxins, but loses nutrients. Because smoking interferes with absorption of vital vitamins and minerals, deficiencies can develop. Vitamin deficiencies create or exacerbate some of the major health...
To know what types of vitamins you should take for optimal health, it is important understand how vitamin absorption works. Every body has a different absorption rate for every type of vitamin, and certain dietary supplements interact with your...
Soybeans, like other legumes, are high in phytates, often referred to as antinutrients because they may inhibit the absorption of some nutrients. This has initiated concerns about the health effects of soy, especially in vegetarians, vegans or...
Various types of weight loss surgeries have become popular as a way to help people who are severely obese to permanently reduce their weight and improve their health and quality of life. About 220,000 people underwent bariatric surgery in 2009,...
You need a mixture of vitamins and minerals to help your body function and to support continuous growth throughout every stage in life. Multivitamin supplements can provide the vitamins and essential minerals you need, including calcium. However,...
Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin. Consuming foods such as eggs, fish and fortified milk can help you meet your recommended dietary allowance for this vitamin, which helps to regulate the amount of phosphorus and calcium in your blood,...
Your fast-paced lifestyle might leave little room for home-cooked meals. As a result, many of your meals might come from a drive-through menu rather than from your own kitchen. To counteract these bad habits, you might choose a dietary supplement...
Whenever you add a supplement to your diet, you always want to first discuss it with your doctor. Even a benign supplement like a multivitamin can interact with certain medications. Cod liver oil is a multivitamin supplement given for its high...
Many people take vitamins on a regular basis to optimize their health or to complete areas of the diet that are deficient in nutrients. Vitamin absorption depends on many factors and is difficult to measure. Understanding factors that affect...
If you are wondering just how much of your vitamin or mineral supplement is actually broken down and absorbed by your body, you can conduct a simple experiment at home. Only your vitamin supplements and a few items from the kitchen are required....
The gut is a major source for maintaining vitamin D levels in the blood. Vitamin D is absorbed mainly from fish, eggs, cod liver oil and vitamin D-fortified milk; these foods are rich sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D is needed for the absorption of...
You might experience symptoms associated with a vitamin B-12 deficiency such as fatigue and morning grogginess. Some people have medical conditions, such as anemia, which can affect vitamin B-12 absorption. The natural aging process also decreases...
Taking a vitamin every day is a good way to provide your body with the essential nutrients that may not be provided by diet alone. There are two different types of vitamins, water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins. Water soluble vitamins...
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that you must get from dietary sources. It plays a crucial role in a number of different bodily functions, including production of chemicals called neurotransmitters, production of a substance called collagen and...
More than 50 percent of Americans take some type of supplement, according to a 2009 article published in "U.S. News and World Report." However, some of these individuals exceed the upper limit for one or more nutrients. This can cause problems...
Vitamins are essential to the function of the human body. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Vitamins B and C are water-soluble vitamins that are excreted by the body...
Vitamins and minerals are very important to daily nutrition. A lack of iron and vitamin C can cause a weakened immune system, and an iron deficiency can lead to anemia. The body absorbs iron more effectively when consuming certain iron-rich foods...
Iron is a metallic element which comprises about 5 percent of the mineral content of the earth's crust. Dr. Elson Haas, author of "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," believes that iron may have been the first mineral to be incorporated into living...
Vitamin B-12, a water-soluble vitamin, plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, nerve cell formation, DNA synthesis and neurological function. Insufficient vitamin B-12, or chronic malabsorption of B-12, can lead to vitamin B-12...
You need vitamins to function, but some conditions can cause your body to have trouble absorbing vitamins -- including B-12. If you do not consume enough B-12 or if your body is not able to absorb enough, you will develop B-12 deficiency symptoms,...
You need vitamin D3 to maintain healthy levels of calcium and phosphorous in your body. Since vitamin D3 by itself is inactive biologically, your body must absorb it properly to use it, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. Your body can absorb...
You may be getting enough calcium. But are you aware that shortfalls elsewhere in your diet can affect your calcium levels? Vitamin D is essential to your ability to maintain a healthy level of calcium in your bloodstream. If you don't have enough...
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient necessary for neurological function, red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Yogurt is a good source of dietary vitamin B12. However, certain population...
If you get most of your dietary iron from plant sources and you're not consuming enough vitamin C, your body may not be absorbing enough iron. Vitamin C converts non-heme iron, a form of the mineral that accounts for most of the iron in the...
Zoloft, the brand name of sertraline, is a prescription medication used to treat major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It belongs to the class of...
As you age, your body's secretion of intrinsic factor decreases. Adequate amounts of intrinsic factor are needed from your small intestine for vitamin B12 absorption to take place. As you age, your stomach's production of hydrochloric acid also...
Iron is an important part of your diet, maintaining muscle tone and the healthy circulation of blood throughout the body. Try these tips for buying foods rich in iron in this healthy shopping video.
Multivitamins are becoming popular dietary supplements for many people concerned with balancing vitamin and mineral intake. Try these tips for buying multivitamins in this healthy shopping video.
Osteoporosis is the thinning of the bones and can be helped through a proper diet. Learn more about nutrition for a person with osteoporosis in this health video.
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