shown that young girls sometimes do not get enough calcium and magnesium in their diets. This may become more apparent as children (especially girls) start to change their eating habits. In other words, many children start to follow various calorie restricting diets. Usually with these diets, the first things to be reduced are dairy products, which happen to be one of the best sources of calcium. This is why I recommend a calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement for teenagers. Sometimes teenagers decide to switch to a vegetarian diet. Being a vegetarian myself, I think it is a good idea if you know what you are doing. Being a vegetarian does not mean just eating salads, breads and potatoes. A vegetarian diet should be varied and contain many different fruits, vegetables, beans, grain, nuts and soy products. Iron and vitamin B12 are two vitamins that vegetarians should be concerned with because these are primarily found in animal products. This is the perfect reason they should take a multivitamin, to make sure they receive enough of these two important multivitamins.
....Another important supplement, that I think is often overlooked, is water. Hopefully, many teenagers are active. Increased physical exertion can lead to water loss in the form of sweat. This fluid must be replaced, preferably in the form of plain water. The first signs of |
mild dehydration or lack of fluid are dry skin and dry or cracked lips.
....So what should the average adult take? This is a tough question because there are so many supplements available, some of which can be useful. You should check with your Peoples Pharmacist to see which supplements might be helpful for you.
....In general, adult females have a few major health concerns. Generally the top five health concerns are osteoporosis, menopause, depression, breast cancer and autoimmune diseases (lupus, arthritis, etc). This might be a lot to cover, but I can address the first two items. Adequate calcium, vitamin D and other mineral intake is very important in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. The Osteoporosis Association of Canada recommends that women over the age of 50 should get at least 1500mg of elemental calcium per day. While this is possible without supplements, taking extra calcium in the form of supplements can ensure you get this amount. I often get asked which form of calcium is best. The best form of calcium is the kind that you remember to take. It is true that calcium citrate is slightly better absorbed than calcium carbonate, but the difference is not very significant. There are other newer and better absorbed forms of calcium out there (malate and bisglycinate), but I am not convinced that they are
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worth the extra cost. Adequate vitamin D intake is perhaps the most important factor in calcium absorption and bone formation.
....One of the most commonly recommended herbal products used to help with menopause is black cohosh. This herb has been shown to reduce the symptoms of menopause such as, hot flashes, sweating, and headaches. It is not clear how black cohosh works. However, it is believed that it does not act like estrogen in the body. This product may take up to 4 to 6 weeks to fully work. Side effects are rare, with only the occasional stomach upset reported. Due to a lack of long-term safety studies, therapy is recommended to be no longer than six months at a time. Yet, black cohosh has had over 60 years of safe clinical use in Germany. The most common dosage for black cohosh is one or two tablets twice a day of a standardized extract, made to contain 1 mg of 27-deoxyacteine per tablet. There are many combinations of menopause formulas on the shelves, look for ones that contain standardized black cohosh as their main ingredient.
Soy and other legumes (peas, beans and red clover) contain substances called phytoestrogens. These natural plant-based estrogens act like estrogen in the body, only considerably weaker. The average North American diet
Ian Lloyd...Continued On Page 6 |
