Standard multivitamins include some or all of the vitamin alphabet from A to E. They are all essential to an ordinary adult's good health. Vitamin A is good for bones, skin, hair and eyesight. Vitamin B in its various numbered guises is good for your digestive and nervous systems. Vitamin C is essential for your immune system, gums and blood vessels. Vitamin D will help you grow, keep your blood system healthy and help you absorb calcium. Vitamin E is to prevent the breakdown of cell tissues. In short, you need them all to live an optimally healthy life. Because vitamins are essential for everyone, governments around the world have produced recommended daily allowance figures of nutritional supplements to help you take just the right amount each day.
Genetic links mean similar needs
But is it enough to take a multivitamin each day? Well, no. With scientific research continually showing links between your genes and your nutrition, you should be aware of what your family tends to be most short of and how to boost your levels of that
vitamin or mineral. The strength and nature of our genetic phenotype demonstrates a pivotal role for nutrition in hormonal activity and function and therefore in health. So, if your mother was short on iron, then it is likely you will be too, and if your family tends to have calcium deficiency, you should be prepared to take additional nutritional supplements of calcium to make up for it.
Your lifestyle will impact on your needs
Besides the supplements that the whole family should take, you need to consider how your lifestyle affects your nutrition. For example, vegetarians should be imputing protein and calcium supplements to replace the vitamins and minerals that are found in meat and dairy products. This is particularly true if they have simply taken meat of the menu, rather than substituting it with other high protein vegetarian foods such as pulses, beans. Flaxseed oil is another important booster for the vegetarian in your family, as it avoids the use of fish and fish oil, while giving you the recommended daily amount of omega 3, thus keeping your heart and joints protected.
For women
The women in the family need to take additional
nutritional supplements too. Calcium and iron are needed to replace minerals lost are different stages of the menstrual cycle, and in pregnancy, care should be taken to increase the amount of folic acid and Vitamin C you take to the recommended level.
Your elder generation
What about the senior members of the family? If your eldely relatives live alone, you should encourage them to top up their vitamin and mineral intake. Supplements that contain calcium and vitamin C can help maintain healthy tissue and bones, and help
prevent infections and colds. Regularly eating together as a family will enable you to keep an eye on everyone's wellbeing.
