Vitamins

Supplementing Your Diet: Vitamins, Minerals and Beyond
by National Institute of Health
The world of dietary supplements is getting more and more complicated. People aren't just taking vitamins and minerals anymore. Now, things like glucosamine, saw palmetto, black cohosh and ginkgo biloba are crowding onto shelves beside old standbys

The Rattlesnake King
Natural Causes: Death, Lies and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry
by Dan Hurley
Over 60 percent of Americans buy and take herbal and dietary supplements for all sorts of reasons-to prevent illness (vitamin C), to ease depression (St. John's wort), to aid weight loss (ephedra), to boost the memory (ginkgo biloba), and even to cure

The Nutritional Status of Alcoholics : Vitamins
by National Institute of Health
Vitamins are molecules that are present in small amounts in various foods and are essential for normal metabolism; insufficient vitamin levels in the body can lead to serious diseases. Alcoholics, even without liver disease, tend to have clinical

Dietary Supplements: More is Not Always Better
by National Institute on Aging
Dietary supplements used to make you think only of vitamins and minerals. But, today this big business makes and sells many different types of dietary supplements that have vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, herbs, or hormones in them.

Vitamin E Supplements Safety
by Health Canada
While vitamin E from dietary sources is needed to maintain good health, people often take vitamin E supplements in the belief that they may prevent disease. Recent studies, however, have suggested that the use of high doses of vitamin E may actually

Vitamin K
by MedlinePlus
Forms of vitamin K: The name Vitamin K refers to a group of chemically similar fat-soluble compounds called naphthoquinones. Vitamin K1 (phytonadione) is the natural form of vitamin K, which is found in plants, and provides the primary source of vitamin K

Vitamin E : Uses and Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties. Forms of vitamin E: Vitamin E exists in eight different forms (isomers): alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherol; and alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocotrienol.

Vitamin D : Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin D is found in numerous dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun is also a significant contributor to our daily production of vitamin D, and as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to preven

Vitamin C : Uses and Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin which is necessary in the body to form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels, and aids in the absorption of iron. Dietary sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables

Vitamin B6
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is required for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, and for myelin formation. Pyridoxine deficiency in adults principally affects the peripheral nerves, skin, mucous membranes, and the hematopoietic

Vitamin B12 : Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin B12 is an essential water soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meats, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation.

Vitamin A : Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which is derived from two sources: preformed retinoids and provitamin carotenoids. Retinoids such as retinal, retinal, and retinoic acid are found in animal sources like liver, kidney, eggs, and dairy produce.

Thiamin, Vitamin B1
by MedlinePlus
Thiamin (also spelled 'thiamine') is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin, previously known as vitamin B1 or aneurine. Thiamin was isolated and characterized in the 1920s, and thus was one of the first organic compounds to be recognized as a vitamin.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) : Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin which is involved in vital metabolic processes in the body, and is necessary for normal cell function, growth, and energy production. Small amounts of riboflavin are present in most animal and plant tissues.

Pantothenic Cacid (Vitamin-B5), Dexpanthenol : Health Benefits
by MedlinePlus
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is essential to all life, and is a component of coenzyme A (CoA), a molecule which is necessary for numerous vital chemical reactions to occur in cells. Pantothenic acid is essential to the metabolism of carbohydrates

Niacin (Vitamin-B3), Niacinamide
by MedlinePlus
Vitamin B-3 is made up of niacin (nicotinic acid) and its amide, niacinamide, and can be found in many foods, including yeast, meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, and cereal grains. Dietary tryptophan is also converted to niacin in the body.

Buying Medical Products Online : Dietary Supplements
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Dietary supplements are products taken as a supplement to the diet. Examples are vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, and amino acids, the individual building blocks of proteins needed for all life. Dietary supplements are classified as foods

Dietary Supplements Safety
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The dietary supplement industry has changed a lot in the last decade. When DSHEA was passed, there were about 4,000 dietary supplements on the market. Now there are about 29,000 on the market, with another 1,000 new products introduced each year

Guide to Dietary Supplements
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Traditionally, dietary supplements referred to products made of one or more of the essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and protein. But DSHEA broadens the definition to include, with some exceptions, any product intended for ingestion

Folate Can Help Prevent Birth Defects
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Adequate intake of folate, a B vitamin, is so important in preventing birth defects that FDA is requiring it be added to bread and other grain products. If you plan to have children some day, here's important information for the future mother-to-be