FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q Why do I need to take a multivitamin?
A Researchers are finding that some important vitamins and minerals are protective against disease in amounts that may be difficult to obtain through diet alone, no matter how conscientious you are. It’s crucial that your body gets the precise nutrients it needs to function effectively and efficiently. The daily effects of pollution, fatty and processed food, and stress, can deplete your body of nutrients and it’s up to you to replace these nutrients. You can do this through healthy nutrition, or better still, through healthy nutrition and quality nutritional supplements.
Q Why are vitamins and minerals important?
A Because vitamins and minerals generally cannot be manufactured in the body, they need to be provided from the diet. Vitamins are essential to life and needed for numerous biochemical processes. They are required for normal metabolism, growth and general wellbeing and also enable the energy from digested food to be released.
Q Why can’t I get these nutrients by eating a healthy diet?
A Eating the ‘right’ foods from a balanced diet is one way to obtain many of the vitamins and minerals you need. However, very few of us consume a truly balanced diet everyday, and most of us do not obtain 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for every basic nutrient.
The way food is processed, stored or cooked can reduce its vitamin and mineral content. In addition, the way it may be grown with chemicals and pesticides can influence its nutritional value. Dietary and lifestyle factors including smoking, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and health conditions such as chronic degenerative diseases can also influence your individual requirement for essential nutrients.
Q Why are antioxidants important?
A Antioxidants are essential for health and help to protect against the damaging effects by free radicals on our cells. Free radicals have been linked with heart disease and other age-related diseases. As we age, our body’s ability to defend against free radical damage decreases, which can result in premature aging and its associated problems.
Although a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables provides a varied source of important antioxidants, without an adequate intake of fruit and vegetables, supplementing with extra antioxidants can be essential.
Q How much vitamin D3 do I need each day?
A All adults in the age range of 19–50 years are recommended 5µg/day. Adults aged 51–70 years are recommended 10µg/day. To compensate for the reduced capacity for the skin to produce vitamin D3 with ageing, supplementation with vitamin D3 may be necessary.
Q Why is vitamin D3 important?
A In adults, vitamin D3 is essential for maintaining healthy immune function, bone health and muscle strength. Vitamin D3 plays an important role in bone building, allowing the body to absorb calcium, and to maintain the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D3 can be formed in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. However, because many people do not produce enough vitamin D3 or get enough from food, vitamin D3 deficiency can be a problem for older people and those who are homebound or bed-ridden.
Vitamin D3 is essential for bone health, because it helps:
- increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorous from the stomach
- regulate the amount of calcium in the blood
- strengthen the skeleton
For New Zealanders, the main source of vitamin D3 is from exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D3 is formed by the action of sunlight (UV light) on the skin. A deficiency of vitamin D3 can contribute to osteoporosis because, without it, calcium will not be fully absorbed and utilised in the body. Vitamin D3 is found in small quantities in a few foods (e.g. fatty fish – salmon, herring, mackerel – liver, eggs, fortified foods).
Q Why are B vitamins essential?
A B-Complex vitamins play many roles in the body. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is essential for carbohydrate metabolism. It also works to maintain healthy nerves, improve mood & heart function. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is necessary for red blood cell formation and for assisting with fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism. B3 (Nicotinamide) helps promote healthy skin and mood and may assist with sleep problems. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) works to promote a healthy Central Nervous System, energy production and fight chronic fatigue, migraines, allergies and heartburn. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is essential for many enzyme functions. It plays a major role in forming red blood cells, proteins and neurotransmitters. It can be used to relieve PMS and supports the role of the adrenal glands involved in stress responses. Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) is essential to prevent pernicious anaemia. Biotin is important for nail and hair health. Folic Acid stabilises homocysteine levels, a risk indicator for heart disease, and is essential during pregnancy to protect against birth defects. Vitamin B6 and Folic Acid are involved in the production of mood enhancing hormones such as serotonin.
Q Who is most at risk of having a B vitamin deficiency?
A Those most at risk of a B-vitamin deficiency include those with poor intakes of B vitamins, individuals taking medication that can affect B-vitamin status, impaired absorption or individuals requiring a higher intake of B-complex vitamins.
Since the B-vitamins work together, a deficiency of any one may have broader implications. Poor intake of B-vitamins can often be a problem in strict vegetarians and the elderly. People who frequently fast or diet may also benefit from B-vitamin supplements. Those experiencing emotional or physical stress, pregnancy, breastfeeding, surgery or injury may have an increased requirement.
Q How does vitamin K2 protect my heart and bone health?
A Vitamin K2 works with vitamin D3 to deposit calcium into the bones. Clinical studies have shown that vitamin K2 is vital in supporting bone health because it activates a special protein (osteocalcin) that is necessary to use calcium to build healthy bone tissue. Vitamin K2 is also essential for maintaining heart health by helping to protect against calcification (calcium build-up) in arteries and soft tissues.
Q How do isoflavones benefit me?
A Isoflavones are a type of phyto-oestrogen, or plant hormone, that resembles the chemical structure of human oestrogen but are much weaker in effect. By mimicking human oestrogen at certain sites in the body, isoflavones provide many health benefits. The effects of the isoflavones are much less powerful than the oestrogen hormones. In fact, the effectiveness represents around 1/1000 of the oestrogen hormones. Isoflavones exert a balancing effect when the level of oestrogens is low, such as during menopause. Isoflavones can also reduce the effect of high levels of oestrogen, which may reduce the risk of oestrogen linked cancers. Isoflavones are found in soybeans, chickpeas, other legumes and red clover.