Advertising

The Seattle Times Company

NWjobs | NWautos | NWhomes | NWsource | Free Classifieds | seattletimes.com

The Seattle Times

Health


Our network sites seattletimes.com | Advanced

Originally published June 10, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 10, 2007 at 2:01 AM

E-mail article     Print view

An A-Z guide to vitamins

What's riboflavin, and why am I taking 1. 7 milligrams of it every day? Americans spent more than $2.3 billion on vitamins and nutritional...

The Associated Press

What's riboflavin, and why am I taking 1.7 milligrams of it every day?

Americans spent more than $2.3 billion on vitamins and nutritional supplements last year, but the medical community still can't confirm that daily multivitamins are essential to health. What it can tell you, however, is that vitamins and minerals are important — and they're easy enough to get through foods.

"It's a good idea to have a fair amount of knowledge about your diet," says Paul Thomas, a scientific consultant with the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

Thomas recommends paying close attention to official vitamin and mineral recommendations and watching your nutritional intake.

The attached PDF illustrates ways to find in nature what many daily supplements purport to provide. Print it out and keep a copy on your refrigerator.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

More Health headlines...

E-mail article Print view      Share:    Digg     Newsvine

advertising

VA clinic opens in Mount Vernon

Layoffs planned at Rainier School as DSHS deals with budget cuts

Just how friendly are those probiotics in your food?

Argentina acts on flu

Cantwell hints she might back Obama's public health plan

Advertising

Video

AP Video

Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech

Marketplace

 
Most read
Most commented
Most e-mailed
 
 
Advertising