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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛЮТИЙ 2010 27 Decoding Vitamins by Ihor Magun, M.D., F.A.C.P. Deciphering the Hype “Health, vitality, youth and strength — all possible” is one of several eye - catching phrases propagated by the vitamin industry to draw our attention to their products. To add to the draw, acronyms like RDA, DV, and DRI are thrown in to provide the “medical terminology seal of approval.” So what does all this really mean, and do we really need to take vitamins? We can start by deciphering those above - mentioned acronyms. RDA is Rec ommended Daily Allowance, the amount of a particular nutrient needed to meet the daily basic need. This amount is determined by the medical community. DV or Daily Value is a value given for consumers (found on labels) to use as a guideline for understandin g the recommended daily allowance by percentage. DRI, which stands for Dietary Reference Intake, is the newest standard for nutrient requirements. It is a complex standard because it is made up of various components and essentially does little more than ad d to the vitamin confusion. Another factor that adds to this mix is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate vitamins, so we are left at the mercy of the manufacturers. Do I Need Vitamins? So what (if anything) should we be doing for v itamin supplementation? Should we just start the morning with a bowl of Total and be set for the day? The answer, as in so many cases with health questions, is going back to basics, common sense, and heeding medical advice. The medical com - munity has alway s maintained standard recommen - da tions for vitamin supplementation, and these recommendations haven’t changed in years. Pregnant or breast - feeding women, strict vegetarians or people on other severely restricted diets, indi - viduals with nutrient - depleting diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and individuals with long - standing diseases (such as medication - treated psoriasis and others that require individual recom - mendations) should take supplements. If you fall into one of these categories, take the vita min. If, on the other hand, you eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day with a bowl of fortified cereal, you probably do not need any vitamins. It won’t hurt you to take a multivitamin, but this would be superfluous. If, however, you d on't eat correctly, vitamin supplementation is recommended. Which Vitamins? Once you know that you need vitamins, the next thing to decide is which vitamins. As you are probably aware, the best vitamins are directly derived from a food source. Unfortunatel y, getting this “direct vitamin source” is not always possible. Many of us simply do not eat enough nutritionally rich foods. We avoid them, eat very little of them, cook them too long, or purchase them and let them sit on the pantry shelf until the vitami n/mineral content dwindles or is lost completely. The best way to fix this is to make changes to your nutritional lifestyle and eat those fruits and vegetables. The next best thing is to take vitamins. Store brands from major drug companies and retailers a re a reliable source for vitamins. Brand - name products are good, but not necessarily better. They may offer a better tablet size that is easier to swallow or a better outer coating that prevents oral dissolving, but these don’t affect the vitamin propertie s and potency. Choosing a brand is an individual decision, but avoid products that advertise their products with sensational claims that sound too good to be true. Some of these claims are made by reputable companies but many have not been substantiated. A Word About Vitamin D One of the most important vitamins that sustains the human body and has proven benefits is Vitamin D (also known as cholecalciferol). Vitamin D pro - motes healthy bones and plays a very important role in the maintenance of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. Ongoing studies demonstrate that this vitamin may help prevent some types of cancer and may have immune - boosting properties. Ironically, this is the only vitamin that the human organism can produce by itself. The human skin makes this vitamin, but this requires sun exposure throughout the year on a daily basis — something we have learned we need to avoid. Moreover, food sources of vitamin D are limited. You would need to drink a quart of fortified milk or eat more than the reco mmended portion of fatty fish (such as tuna or
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