it. Eating plenty of broccoli andoranges would help supply higher levels, but average intake gives you onlyabout half the optimum level. People who aren’t getting enough in their foodshould take a supplement. That’s true for other vitamins as well, especiallyvitamin B6 and vitamin E. Studies show that a 40% lower risk of heat diseasefor those taking vitamin E supplements. That’s a greater benefit than you getfrom fat-reducing drugs, which cost about $1500 a year versus $10 to $20for vitamin E. It makes sense for most people to take a multivitamin thatcontains vitamins E, B-complex, A and C. A large body of evidence supportstaking a vitamin E supplement beyond the multivitamin amount. Womenshould choose a multivitamin/multimineral supplement that adds iron, if theyare of child-bearing age. They are a good nutritional safety net. Supplementscan be useful to individuals, consumers and to the U.S. population as part ofan overall strategy to optimize nutrition intake. All people whose diets fail toprovide target amounts of nutrients might reasonably choose to improvedietary habits and use supplements in an effort to meet nutritional goals. Goalscould improve their overall self-esteem, and would place a better factor ontheir lives. Multivitamins and dietary supplements provide a wide range ofmicronutrients in modest dosages. They’re typically taken to augment less thanperfect eating habits a form of nutritional insurance against deficiencies. Manynutritional experts agree that unless you’re consistently eating a good diet, it’sprobably a good way to supplement. David Benton, Ph.D., a psychologyprofessor at the University of Walees, Swansea, says the first signs ofnutritional deficiencies show up not as physical signs but as declining mentalperformances. To prove his hypothesis, Benton gave a group of healthycollege students a daily high-potency multivitamin supplement containing threetimes the Daily Value o...
