Health Informative Council

We are told by our doctors to take vitamins. The advice is understandable. We do not get enough vitamins from our fruit and vegetables. Either we don’t eat enough, or they are so pump with water that the effectiveness of the vitamins is in doubt.

Which vitamins to take is another question. And the more you’ll ask the more answers you’ll get. Here is some order in the confusion and the recommended daily allowance by the food and drug administration.

Vitamin A – Helps in bone growth and in vision, appetite and taste. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 800 mcg.
Vitamin B1 – Helps regulate the nerve system, heart, digestion and muscles. RDA – 1.2 mg.
Vitamin B2 – Helps in the breaking of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Helps in the building of nails, hair and skin. RDA – 1.3 mg.
Vitamin B6 – Helps in the absorption of proteins and carbs. RDA – 1.3 mg.
Vitamin B12 – Boosts energy, helps in the production of red blood cells. RDA – 2.4 mcg.
Vitamin C – Immune booster, helps in healing of wounds, preventing scurvy. RDA 90mg.
Vitamin D – Enables the absorption of calcium . RDA – 5 mcg. a day.
Vitamin E – An antioxidant, fights infections, lubricates, has an important part in the building of nails and hair. RDA 15 mg.
Folic Acid – Helps in the production of red blood cells. Women lacking in folic acid might give birth to babies with neurological problems.
Vitamin K – promotes strong bones, helps in blood clotting. RDA 100 mcg.
Coenzyme Q10 – The body makes it and our cells use it, but we don’t make enough. The coenzyme is important in converting food to energy. RDA 100 mg.

Those are the basic vitamins (today we know also of B3, B5, B7 etc.) we should all take the recommended dosage. There is a difference between men and women. This list is the average to be used as a guideline.

Most of those vitamins have been grouped together in multi-vitamins to make it easy to take. Some people say those recommendations are too low. From time to time there comes a doctor who recommends loading the body with a certain vitamin to prevent diseases (used to be B12, then C. Now it’s vitamin D.) Try to get as much vitamins as you can from proper nutrition and use supplements to make up the gap.