When it comes to achieving and maintaining optimal health, vitamins and minerals are essential. From vitamin A to zinc, these essential nutrients play a key role in keeping your body functioning properly. Unfortunately, many people don't get enough of these important vitamins and minerals in their daily diets. That's why it's important to understand which vitamins and minerals are most important for your health, and how to get them through diet and supplements.
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is a fat-soluble vitamin found in many dairy products and yellow or orange fruits and vegetables. The recommended daily dose of vitamin A is 700 micrograms for women and 900 micrograms for men. Vitamin A is vital for organ function, healthy tissue growth, and vision. The B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that are essential for energy production, metabolism, fatigue prevention, and supporting brain function.
Vitamin B12 is especially important for mental health, as it can have a big impact on depression. Vegetarians and vegans are more likely to have low levels of vitamin B12 because it is only found in animal foods. The recommended daily dose of B vitamins is different for men and women. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that contains antioxidants that promote healthy tissue growth.
The recommended daily dose for men is 90 milligrams and 75 milligrams for women. Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables, and can help the body absorb iron better if you have an iron deficiency. Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that is activated by ultraviolet (UV) light. In addition to sun exposure, vitamin D is also found in cod liver oil, fatty fish, fortified juices, milk, and cereals.
The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 15 micrograms (600 IU) for children and adults, and 20 micrograms (800 IU) for people age 70 and older. Unfortunately, about 41.6 percent of Americans don't get enough vitamin D.Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin that helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. The recommended daily dose of vitamin E is 15 milligrams a day. Sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, avocados, spinach, seeds and nuts, and whole grains. Vitamin K is an essential protein-rich vitamin that helps with blood clotting.
The recommended daily dose of vitamin K is 120 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms for women. Vitamin K is found primarily in green leafy vegetables. Iron helps carry oxygen in the blood. A lack of iron can cause a weak immune system and fatigue. Men and women should consume between 8 and 18 milligrams of iron a day.
Iron is found in red meat, green leafy vegetables, and legumes. Magnesium is another of the most important minerals for optimal health since it is required for more than 600 enzymatic reactions in the body. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 420 milligrams per day for men and 320 milligrams per day for women. Magnesium can be found in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, fish, avocados, bananas, dark chocolate, yogurt, kefir, milk, cheese, tofu, beans, lentils, quinoa. Zinc plays an important role in many bodily functions including immune system support, wound healing, protein synthesis, DNA synthesis, cell division and growth. The RDA for zinc is 11 milligrams per day for men and 8 milligrams per day for women.
Zinc can be found in oysters, beef liver or kidneys, crabmeat or lobster meat. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most important supplements out there because they help treat all types of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression ADHD and dementia. Omega-3s also play a central role in overall health including heart health. Fish oil is the best form of omega-3; look for bottles that say “EPA” and “DHA” on the back (these are the technical terms for the most important omega-3s). Try to avoid processed fish oil that contains ethyl esters. Probiotics are living bacteria that you can take as a supplement to promote gut health by strengthening your gut lining protecting your bloodstream from inflammation reducing your risk of serious health problems such as autoimmune diseases. When it comes to achieving optimal health vitamins minerals supplements are essential components to consider when creating a healthy lifestyle plan that works best for you!.
