Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

Vitamins and Their Nutritional Friends

From Energy Times Magazine. Original article contains a list of vitamins, the foods they're in, what they do for you, and what vitamins/foods they work best with.

"Most people know that vitamins are, as the word suggests, nutrients vital to well-being. But what’s not as well known is that no vitamin is capable of supporting health all by itself. Vitamins can only function properly in the presence of other nutrients, whether they are macronutrients such as fat and protein (including protein building blocks called amino acids) or micronutrients, which include minerals and other vitamins. That’s one reason nutrition authorities encourage people to consume a diet that primarily consists of whole foods, which naturally contain vitamins and their required cofactors. To learn which nutrients are required by each of the major vitamins, see below."

The chart is on the link at the top of this article. You might want to print it out and stick it to your refrigerator--this is going to be YOUR health reform plan instead of the government's, and since these are all bought OTC, you don't need a prescription.

One caveat: the drug industry has been working diligently to make supplements a "prescription required" item because of people who use them incorrectly, and because of haphazard supplement industry standards (meaning the quality control isn't always there--sometimes a supplement capsule contains more floor sweepings than actual listed ingredients).

To make sure you're getting a real supplement, do two things:

1. Become a subscriber to ConsumerLabs, who actually tests these supplements to check the ingredients (they also check for pollutants, like lead and mercury). ConsumerLabs charges $30/year, and $50/two years.

2. Look for the words PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE. These are the same strength and quality as those doled out WITH a prescription.

Posted by Cute at 6:33 PM

Labels: financial (non-tax), food preparation and use, food purchases, health