Are vitamin and mineral supplements worth the time and money? A multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplement is the most popular supplement in America. A MVM is generally defined as a dietary supplement that contains 100% of most vitamins and nutritionally essential minerals. However, some MVM compounds don't contain the Daily Value (DV) for some essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Some companies do include the latest RDA in their supplements and many companies market their formulations to age-and gender-specific groups. However, in many supplement brands, the DV is based on outdated, 1986 US government information and doesn't contain the current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI), the essentials.
One-third of the population, from 1-year olds on, takes a MVM supplement every day. Statistics show that the groups who take MVM are generally females, non-Hispanic whites, older adults and individuals with higher education. Some studies have associated MVM use with a healthier diet or the individuals rate their health as good or excellent.
Many Americans are eating adequate or too many calories but still don't meet the RDA for vitamins and essential minerals. A national survey found US residents, even with daily diet and supplements, are falling short of the requirements; Americans are missing needed nutrients. We are only getting 35% of vitamin E, 55% of magnesium, 62% of calcium, 66% of vitamin A, 75% of vitamin C, 92% of vitamin B6, and zinc. Vitamin D insufficiency is also very common among Americans.
MVM deficiencies have been documented in other industrialized countries, and multiple micronutrient deficiencies, especially of vitamin A, iodine, iron, and zinc, are widespread in the underdeveloped world. MVM deficiencies have been estimated to affect almost two billion people worldwide.
These lacks can increase susceptibility to infectious diseases but may also increase risk for chronic, age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Micronutrient deficiencies have further been linked to cognitive dysfunction. Given the fact that many people are not meeting micronutrient intake recommendations, a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement would offer insurance.
Take your bottle of multivitamin/mineral pills and compare the content values vs. what the RDA or AI is actually recommended. You may be surprised at what's NOT in your pill. Something could be missing.
c. 2012 - Live2AgeWell.com
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