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In contrast, the synthetic form, folic acid, has much greater stability and bioavailability and is more effective at raising its stores. Multivitamin and mineral formulas with folic acid have proven to decrease neural tube defects. The prenatal vitamin is currently a worldwide recommendation during pregnancy and for women of childbearing age. In , folic acid was added to the U. Most Americans do not reach the daily requirements of bone-building nutrients, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, and vitamin D due to poor food choices, food preferences, access, and other factors.
When you don't consume adequate amounts of calcium, the body will breakdown bone to maintain blood levels to keep your heart beating. Over time, chronic shortages of calcium and synergistic nutrients lead to weakened bones and osteoporosis. Insufficient amounts of micronutrients lead to undetectable damage, which can speed up the age-related disease.
For example, in Vitamin K, the clotting proteins get it first It's all insidious damage that you get. That's a long-term consequence. We call these the diseases of aging. Blumberg, Cena, Barr, Doing so would help reach recommended levels and would also serve as nutritional insurance.
For instance, compared to food alone, taking a multivitamin and mineral was associated with a lower prevalence of inadequacies for 15 of 17 micronutrients examined.
Ames, Another study showed that multivitamin and mineral supplements significantly reduced the prevalence of insufficient intakes of calcium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, D and E. McCann, Ames The human body is programmed for survival and has sophisticated mechanisms for addressing chronic shortages of micronutrients by rationing their use for proteins and functions essential to keeping you alive while sacrificing vitamin and mineral dependent proteins critical for long-term health.
To maximize your micronutrient intake, you will need to consistently eat various food sources from all the major food groups. Dieting for weight loss, avoiding entire food groups, or eating the same foods with little variety limits your micronutrient intake and leads to more significant vitamin and mineral insufficiencies.
Despite a plethora of healthy eating guidelines, the data clearly and repeatedly shows that most Americans fall short of several vital micronutrients, setting themselves up for chronic disease and other health issues. S adult population, consume obesogenic diets high in calories and low in micronutrients.
The obese have the highest rates of chronic disease. Using a low dose of multivitamin and mineral has proven to help raise intakes to the recommended amounts needed to support physiological functions to meet the body's immediate demands while supporting long-term health. Nothing replaces a good diet and other healthy behaviors such as adequate sleep, regular exercise, managing stress, and maintaining healthy body weight.
In the case of micronutrients, a little insurance goes a long way. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins. Vitamin K, an example of triage theory: is micronutrient inadequacy linked to diseases of aging?. Am J Clin Nutr. PMID: Adaptive dysfunction of selenoproteins from the perspective of the triage theory: why modest selenium deficiency may increase the risk of diseases of aging. Nutrition throughout life: folate.
Int J Vitam Nutr Res. Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. N Engl J Med. Micronutrient Facts. Minus Related Pages. The role of six essential micronutrients is outlined below. On This Page. Iron Iron is critical for motor and cognitive development.
Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the consequences of iron deficiency 3. Iron deficiency is a leading cause of anemia which is defined as low hemoglobin concentration. Anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of death for the mother and low birth weight for the infant. Worldwide, maternal and neonatal deaths total between 2. Preventing iron deficiency helps improve children's learning ability and cognitive development. Vitamin A Vitamin A supports healthy eyesight and immune system functions.
Children with vitamin A deficiency face an increased risk of blindness and death from infections such as measles and diarrhea 6. Globally, vitamin A deficiency affects an estimated million preschool-age children 6. Providing vitamin A supplements to children ages months is highly effective in reducing deaths from all causes where vitamin A deficiency is a public health concern 6.
Vitamin D Vitamin D builds strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium 7. This helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D deficiency causes bone diseases, including rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults 7. Vitamin D helps the immune system resist bacteria and virsues 7.
Vitamin D is required for muscle and nerve functions 7. Available data suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be widespread globally 8. Bodies make vitamin D from sunlight, but this varies based on geography, skin color, air pollution, and other factors. Also, sunlight exposure needs to be limited to avoid risk of skin cancer. Globally an estimated 1. Iodine content in most foods and beverages is low. The amount of iodine added to salt can be adjusted so that people maintain adequate iodine intake even if they consume less salt The American Thyroid Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that pregnant or breastfeeding women take a supplement every day containing micrograms of iodine.
The American Thyroid Association recommends women who are planning a pregnancy consume a daily iodine supplement starting at least 3 months in advance of pregnancy.
Fortifying salt with iodine successfully increases intake of iodine. Folate Folate vitamin B9 is essential in the earliest days of fetal growth for healthy development of the brain and spine
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