How to Get Nutrients Vitamins In Your Diet

Think your diet is healthy? Guess again. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans says many adults lack some essential nutrients — from calcium to Vitamin D – and certain groups of people are missing even more. Filling in so many nutrient gaps seems insurmountable without supplements, but more often than not, food can solve the shortfalls.
Calcium: Essential Nutrient for Muscles, Bones, and More
You don’t outgrow your need for calcium just because you’re all grown up. While calcium is necessary to bolster developing bones, it’s also needed to keep your skeleton strong throughout life. And that’s not all. Besides participating in maintaining a normal heart rhythm, calcium plays a role in blood clotting and muscle function.
Studies have shown a link between adequate calcium intake and lower blood pressure, as well as weight control.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), the group of experts that sets nutrient quotas, has determined that calcium needs increase with age. Here’s what you need every day:
19- to 50-year-olds: 1,000 milligrams
51 years and up: 1,200 milligrams
Three servings of dairy foods each day, as part of a balanced diet, provides most people with the calcium they need. Try to get calcium from foods, preferably dairy. Calcium is best absorbed in the presence of lactose, natural milk sugar.
Some examples of foods that provide around 300 milligrams of calcium per serving:
8 ounces of milk or yogurt
8 ounces calcium-added orange juice
1 1/2 ounces hard cheese
8 ounces fortified soy beverage
Bonus nutrients: Dairy foods and soy supply magnesium; orange juice packs potassium.
Vitamin E: An Essential Nutrient to Combat Free Radicals
A misplaced fear of fat may harm health by preventing you from getting the vitamin E you need.
Vitamin E, found primarily in fatty foods such as nuts, seeds, and oils, is a potent antioxidant. It combats free radicals, the unstable oxygen molecules that result from normal metabolism as well as from exposure to air pollution, cigarette smoke, and strong ultraviolet rays.
Vitamin E is a complex nutrient; food supplies eight different types of vitamin E. Experts have determined that alpha-tocopherol vitamin E (AT) is the most useful of the vitamin E forms. Men and women over age 19 need 15 milligrams of AT every day.
Here’s how to get more vitamin E from healthy fats:
Snack on sunflower seeds or almonds and add them to salads, steamed vegetables, and cooked whole grains
Enjoy a nut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread
Use sunflower and safflower oil instead of corn or vegetable oils
Combine low-fat milk, honey and 1 ounce toasted slivered almonds in a blender for a delicious and nutritious smoothie
Include vitamin E-fortified ready-to-eat whole-grain cereals
Bonus nutrients: Whole grains supply fiber; sunflower seeds offer magnesium and fiber; and milk contains calcium.
Vitamin C: Essential Nutrient for a Healthy Immune System
It’s touted for helping the body repel germs and cancer, but it’s not solely responsible for a healthy immune system.
Most research on diet and cancer prevention focuses on the benefits of consuming a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, not single nutrient supplements like vitamin C.
Vitamin C is also vital for the production of collagen, the connective tissue that keeps muscles, skin, and other tissues, including bone, healthy. And, like vitamin E, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps ward off cellular damage.
Vitamin C: Essential Nutrient for a Healthy Immune System continued…
You need this much vitamin C daily:
Men, 19 and older: 90 milligrams
Women, 19 and older: 75 milligrams
Your body can’t store vitamin C or make it, so you need some every day. Include some of these vitamin C-rich foods in your choice of fruits and vegetables:
Raw sweet red pepper, 1/2 cup: 142 milligrams
Medium kiwi: 70 milligrams
Orange juice, 6 ounces: 61-93 milligrams
Strawberries, 1/2 cup raw: 49 milligrams
Cantaloupe, 1/4 medium: 47 milligrams
Broccoli, cooked, 1/2 cup: 51 milligrams
Bonus nutrients: Vitamin C-rich foods also provide potassium and fiber. Sweet red pepper and cantaloupe are rich in carotenoids. Consuming vitamin C at meals or snacks improves the absorption of iron from plant foods and iron-fortified grains.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Essential Nutrient for Eyes
An important player in good health, vitamin A is essential for normal vision, gene expression, tissue growth, and proper immune function, among many other duties.
Vitamin A comes in two forms: as retinol (preformed and ready for the body to use) and carotenoids, the raw materials the body converts to vitamin A. Americans have no trouble consuming adequate retinol, but they don’t get nearly enough carotenoids.
While there is no daily requirement for carotenoids, foods rich in carotenoids are rich in healthy nutrients.
Concentrating on including colorful produce will likely get you more carotenoids than you’re eating now. Top picks include:
Carrots
Sweet potato
Pumpkin
Spinach
Cantaloupe
Sweet red pepper
Broccoli
Bonus nutrients: Foods that contain carotenoids are rich in potassium and supply fiber; there’s vitamin E and magnesium in spinach, and vitamin C in broccoli.
Older Adults, People with Dark Skin, and Those Who Avoid the Sun
What do these groups have in common? They may lack vitamin D.
Vitamin D production is initiated in the skin in response to sunlight. People who avoid the sun may not make enough vitamin D. Ditto for people with darker complexions, who have a higher level of melanin, a natural sunscreen.
Age decreases the body’s ability to make vitamin D, so older people may easily become deficient, even when they get enough sun. To make matters worse, vitamin D needs double after age 51 to 400 international units (IU) a day (the equivalent of four glasses of milk), and increase to 600 IU daily after age 70.
In addition, most foods are poor natural sources of vitamin D. That’s why experts recommend consuming vitamin D from fortified foods, including milk and breakfast cereals, and from supplements. You may need a mixture of both to get the vitamin D your body requires.

CALCIUM:What dose is used?

What dose is used?
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For preventing low calcium levels: 1 gram elemental calcium daily is typically used.
For heartburn: Calcium carbonate as an antacid is usually 0.5-1.5 grams as needed.
To reduce phosphates in adults with chronic renal failure: The initial dose of calcium acetate is 1.334 grams (338 mg elemental calcium) with each meal, increasing to 2-2.67 grams (500-680 mg elemental calcium) with each meal if necessary.
For prevention of weak bones (osteoporosis): Doses of 1-1.6 grams elemental calcium daily from foods and supplements. Osteoporosis treatment guidelines in North America currently recommend 1200 mg daily of calcium.
For prevention of bone loss in premenopausal women over 40: A dose of 1 gram.
For pregnant women with low dietary calcium intake: The dose for increasing fetal bone density ranges from 300-1300 mg/day beginning at gestation week 20-22.
For premenstrual syndrome (PMS): 1-1.2 grams calcium per day as calcium carbonate.
For reducing thyroid hormone levels in people with chronic renal failure: 2-21 grams calcium carbonate.
To prevent bone loss in people taking corticosteroid drugs: Divided daily doses of 1 gram of elemental calcium daily.
For high blood pressure: 1-1.5 grams calcium daily.
For preventing high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia): 1-2 grams elemental calcium daily as calcium carbonate.
For preventing colorectal cancer and recurrent colorectal benign tumors (adenomas): Calcium 1200-1600 mg/day.
For high cholesterol: 1200 mg daily with or without vitamin D 400 IU daily has been used in conjunction with a low-fat or calorie-restricted diet.
For preventing fluoride poisoning in children: Calcium 125 mg twice daily, in combination with ascorbic acid and vitamin D.
For weight loss, increasing calcium consumption from dairy products to total intake of 500-2400 mg/day in combination with a calorie-restricted diet has been used.
Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the two most commonly used forms of calcium.
Calcium supplements are usually divided into two doses daily in order to increase absorption. It’s best to take calcium with food in doses of 500 mg or less.
The Institute of Medicine publishes a recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium which is an estimate of the intake level necessary to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in the population.
What other names is the product known by?
Acétate de Calcium, Aspartate de Calcium, Bone Meal, Calcio, Calcium Acetate, Calcium Aspartate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chelate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Citrate Malate, Calcium D-Gluconate, Calcium Disuccinate, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Glycerophosphate, Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate, Calcium Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Lactate, Calcium Lactogluconate, Calcium Orotate, Calcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Carbonate de Calcium, Chélate de Calcium, Chlorure de Calcium, Citrate de Calcium, Citrate Malate de Calcium, Coquilles d’Huîtres Moulues, Coquilles d’œuf, Dicalcium Phosphate, Di-Calcium Phosphate, Dolomite, Egg Shell Calcium, Gluconate de Calcium, Glycérophosphate de Calcium, Heated Oyster Shell-Seaweed Calcium, Hydroxyapatite, Lactate de Calcium, Lactogluconate de Calcium, MCHA, MCHC, Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite, Orotate de Calcium, Ossein Hydroxyapatite, Oyster Shell, Oyster Shell Calcium, Phosphate de Calcium, Phosphate de Calcium Hydrogène, Phosphate de di-Calcium, Phosphate Tricalcium, Poudre d’os, Sulfate de Calcium, Tricalcium Phosphate.

Calcium ：How does it work and Are there safety concerns?

How does it work?
The bones and teeth contain over 99% of the calcium in the human body. Calcium is also found in the blood, muscles, and other tissue. Calcium in the bones can be used as a reserve that can be released into the body as needed. The concentration of calcium in the body tends to decline as we age because it is released from the body through sweat, skin cells, and waste. In addition, as women age, absorption of calcium tends to decline due to reduced estrogen levels. Calcium absorption can vary depending on race, gender, and age.
Bones are always breaking down and rebuilding, and calcium is needed for this process. Taking extra calcium helps the bones rebuild properly and stay strong.
Are there safety concerns?
Calcium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately in recommended doses. Calcium can cause some minor side effects such as belching or gas.
Avoid taking too much calcium. The Institute of Medicine sets the daily tolerable upper intake level (UL) for calcium based on age as follows: Age 0-6 months, 1000 mg; 6-12 months, 1500 mg; 1-3 years, 2500 mg; 9-18 years, 3000 mg; 19-50 years, 2500 mg; 51+ years, 2000 mg. Higher doses increase the chance of having serious side effects. Some recent research also suggests that doses over the recommended daily requirement of 1000-1300 mg daily for most adults might increase the chance of heart attack. This research is concerning, but it is still too soon to say for certain that calcium is truly the cause of heart attack. Until more is known, continue consuming adequate amounts of calcium to meet daily requirements, but not excessive amounts of calcium. Be sure to consider total calcium intake from both dietary and supplemental sources and try not to exceed 1000-1300 mg of calcium per day. To figure out dietary calcium, count 300 mg/day from non-dairy foods plus 300 mg/cup of milk or fortified orange juice.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Calcium is LIKELY SAFE when used in recommended amounts during pregnancy and breast-feeding.
High levels of phosphate in the blood (hyperphosphatemia) or low levels of phosphate in the blood (hypophosphatemia): Calcium and phosphate have to be in balance in the body. Taking too much calcium can throw this balance off and cause harm. Don’t take extra calcium without your health provider’s supervision.
Under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism): Calcium can interfere with thyroid hormone replacement treatment. Separate calcium and thyroid medications by at least 4 hours.
Too much calcium in the blood (as in parathyroid gland disorders and sarcoidosis): Calcium should be avoided if you have one of these conditions.
Are there any interactions with Herbs and Supplements?
Magnesium
Calcium supplements can decrease the absorption of dietary magnesium, but only at very high doses (2600 mg per day). However, in people who have enough magnesium stored in their bodies, taking calcium doesn’t cause a problem over the long term. People at high risk for magnesium deficiency, however, should take calcium supplements at bedtime, instead of with meals, to avoid reducing dietary magnesium absorption.
Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D along with calcium increases absorption of calcium.
Are there interactions with Foods?
Caffeine
High caffeine intake from foods and beverages causes the body to remove calcium. Taking more than 300 mg of caffeine per day (three to four cups of coffee, or six 12-oz. cola drinks) is linked to increased bone loss and breaks in elderly women, especially when calcium intake is low. Be sure to get the amount of calcium from food and supplements that is recommended for your age and gender.
Fiber
Dietary fiber from certain sources can interfere with calcium absorption. These sources include wheat bran, spinach, rhubarb, and others. It’s best not to eat fibrous foods within two hours of taking calcium supplements.
Iron
Calcium supplements may decrease the absorption of dietary iron. However, in people who have enough iron stored in their body, taking calcium doesn’t cause a problem over the long term. People who are at high risk for iron deficiency should take calcium supplements at bedtime, instead of with meals, to avoid reducing the absorption of iron.
Magnesium
Calcium supplements may decrease the absorption of dietary magnesium. However, in people who have enough magnesium stored in their body, taking calcium doesn’t cause a problem over the long term. People who are at high risk for magnesium deficiency should take calcium supplements at bedtime, instead of with meals, to avoid reducing the absorption of magnesium.
Sodium
Eating foods that contain a lot of sodium causes the body to remove calcium. A calcium intake of 1000 mg/day is needed to prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women ingesting 2000 mg sodium chloride daily. About 1500 mg/day calcium is needed if sodium chloride intake is 3000 mg/day.
Zinc
Calcium supplements may decrease the absorption of dietary zinc. However, in people who have enough zinc stored in their body, taking calcium doesn’t cause a problem over the long term. People who are at high risk for zinc deficiency should take calcium supplements at bedtime, instead of with meals, to avoid reducing the absorption of zinc.