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Health
Headlines
Get
the latest news in prevention and health matters. This
feature includes daily postings and recent archives to
keep you up to date on health reports and wires around
the world. |
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Weekly
Wellness
Get
informed with weekly wellness facts in a diversity of
health topics from prevention to fitness and nutrition. |
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Tips
Great
tips on what you need to know about keeping healthy and
active all year round. |
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Fat-Soluble
Vitamins
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| Vitamin
A |
| Good
to know: |
Also
called retinol or retinoic acid. Humans convert carotenes
from plant foods into vitamin A in the body. |
| Recommendations: |
Men
ages 11-51+, 1000 micrograms RE/day (equivalent to about
5000 IU)
Women
ages 11-51+, 800 micrograms RE/day (equivalent to about
4000 IU)
(RE=retinol
equivalent, the standard measure for vitamin A)
|
| Benefits: |
Important
for good vision, especially at night. Also affects immunity,
reproduction, and the growth and maintenance of cells
of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and other mucus membranes. |
| Food
sources: |
Fortified
milk, eggs, liver, cheese, leafy green vegetables (such
as spinach, kale, turnip greens, collards and Romaine
lettuce), broccoli, dark orange fruits and vegetables
(such as apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, papaya,
mango and cantaloupe), red bell pepper. |
| Day's
supply in: |
½
cup sweet potatoes (2800 mcg), OR one carrot (2000 mcg),
OR 1 oz fortified cornflakes (635 mcg) PLUS 1 cup milk
(150 mcg) PLUS 1 cup raw spinach (375 mcg) |
| Watch
out: |
Taking
high-dose supplements (daily dose over 15,000 micrograms
RE, or about 75,000 IU) can cause toxicity, which can
result in bone fractures; joint pain; headaches; skin
that is dry, itchy or peeling; brittle nails; hair loss;
nausea and vomiting; diarrhea; fatigue; blurred vision;
liver failure; hemorrhages. |
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| Vitamin
D |
| Good
to know: |
The
body can make vitamin D on its own, provided it gets enough
sunlight. By exposing face, hands and forearms for between
5 and 30 minutes two or three times per week, most people
can manufacture all the vitamin D they need. Sunscreen
blocks the type of rays needed to produce vitamin D. |
| Recommendations: |
Ages
11-24, 10 micrograms/day (equivalent to about 400 IU)
Ages
25-50, 5 micrograms/day (equivalent to about 200 IU)
Ages
51-70, 10 micrograms/day (equivalent to about 400 IU)
Ages
71+, 15 micrograms/day (equivalent to about 600 IU)
(IU=International
Unit)
|
| Benefits: |
Increases
absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which leads to stronger
bones and teeth. |
| Food
sources: |
Fish
liver oils, fatty fish, fortified milk, cheese, egg yolk,
and fortified cereals. Sunlight helps the body create
its own vitamin D. |
| Day's
supply in: |
2
cups milk (200 IU), OR 1 cup milk (100 IU) PLUS 1 cup
cornflakes (40 IU) PLUS 1 egg (25 IU) PLUS 1 tsp margarine
(20 IU) PLUS 3 ounces salmon with bones (10 IU) |
| Watch
out: |
Since
vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestines, people
with diseases that prevent proper absorption--such as
liver disease, cystic fibrosis, Whipple's disease and
sprue-may develop vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin
D production plateaus after a short amount of time in
the sun. More exposure won't produce extra vitamin D,
just skin damage.
Excess
vitamin D from supplements (greater than 50 micrograms
or 2000 IU per day) can result in kidney damage, kidney
stones, weakened bones and muscles, and possibly death.
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| Vitamin
E |
| Good
to know: |
Also
called alpha-tocopherol, tocopherol or tocotrienol. Alpha-tocopherol
is the most biologically active form. |
| Recommendations: |
Men
ages 11-51+, 10 milligrams a-TE/day (equivalent to about
30 IU)
Women
ages 11-51+, 8 milligrams a-TE/day (equivalent to about
24 IU)
|
| Benefits: |
Acts
as an antioxidant, reducing risks of cancer and heart
disease; contributes to good immunity. |
| Food
sources: |
Vegetable
oils, wheat germ, whole-grain products, nuts, egg yolks,
green leafy vegetables. |
| Day's
supply in: |
1
ounce wheat germ (5 mg) PLUS 1 egg (0.5 mg) PLUS 1 ounce
toasted almonds (4.5 mg) |
| Watch
out: |
No
Warnings |
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| Vitamin
K |
| Good
to know: |
Also
called menadione, menaquinone, or phylloquinone. Vitamin
K is made in the body by normal intestinal bacteria, then
absorbed for use. |
| Recommendations: |
Men
ages 15-18, 70 micrograms/day
Men
ages 19-24, 70 micrograms/day
Men
ages 25+, 80 micrograms/day
Women
ages 15-18, 55 micrograms/day
Women
ages 19-24, 60 micrograms/day
Women
ages 25+, 65 micrograms/day
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| Benefits: |
Makes
proteins that allow the blood to clot. |
| Food
sources: |
Liver,
cabbage, broccoli, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach,
kale, collard and turnip greens), milk, eggs, citrus fruits. |
| Day's
supply in: |
1
cup raw spinach (145 mcg), OR half cup raw broccoli (60
mcg) PLUS 1 egg (25 mcg) |
| Watch
out: |
Too
much vitamin K can interfere with anti-clotting medications
such as warfarin (Coumadin). |
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