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It is often discussed whether the additional intake of vitamin and mineral supplements is necessary.
The best way to supply your body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals is to have a healthy, well-balanced and diverse diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables.
However, the average diet plan is usually not healthy and diverse. In addition to this, some doctors and nutritionists recommend a higher intake of vitamins and minerals than the official recommended amounts.
Vitamin and mineral supplements
So there are reasons to contemplate whether the intake of vitamin and mineral supplements is necessary.
If you are already taking a dietary supplement, it is important that you do not exceed the daily recommended amount. Do not assume that the larger the dose, the better! Too much of a good thing can have consequences.
If you are taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement then the basic recommended daily amounts are covered. However, you need to pay attention to the total amount of other nutrients consumed. Vitamin and mineral substances are relatively cheap so they are added to many foods for marketing purposes e.g. fruit juices, sweets, cereals etc.
Swallowing one tablet cannot possibly substitute a healthy diet! Most minerals and nutrients are only completely effective if they are taken in combination.
It is often discussed whether a preventive dose (optimum immunity) for individual vitamins should be taken into consideration when considering the recommended daily intake.
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Interaction:
It is important to take into consideration that most nutrients interact with each other so the more of one that you take, the more that others get depleted. This mostly applies to mineral nutrients and trace elements.
An example:
The absorption of calcium is dependant on the combined intake of vitamin D and parathormone, the amino acid lysine, the trace elements boron and manganese, the minerals magnesium and phosphorous, essential fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E. The intake of iron and zinc can inhibit the absorption of calcium. Eating too much protein, fat and sugar can likewise affect the absorption of calcium.
This combination illustrates how easy it is to disturb your nutritional balance. Our regular diet usually provides the necessary nutrients in the right combination for our bodies. The human body has appropriately adapted itself in the course of evolution.
The more of a nutrient you take, the more likely you are of disturbing your nutritional balance. The high intake of nutrients can have negative effects on your body.
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The Complete Book of Food Counts, 9th Edition: The Book That Counts It All
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