Thursday, December 18, 2008

KNOW THE MOST IMPORTANT VITAMINS FOR YOUR AGE

Your age, as well as your gender, says a lot about what vitamins your body craves and needs the most. Even though everyone can benefit from a taking a multivitamin, we all have specific needs once we get to a certain age. Children, teens, women and men all need various vitamins during specific intervals in their lives. Here are some tips on helping you decide which of the most crucial vitamins are for your age and gender.

For children, up to age 12, vitamins A, C and E are the most important. Vitamin A is essential for bone growth while vitamin C helps bones form collagen and aids iron absorption. Vitamin E is responsible for boosting immunity. For teens, ages 13-19, niacin, thiamin and riboflavin are very important vitamins. Riboflavin is responsible for supporting the immune system and encouraging healthy skin and hair. Thiamin is the vitamin that helps relieve stress and niacin is responsible for maintaining a healthy complexion. Women during their child-bearing years can benefit greatly from folic acid. Folic acid stabilizes hormone levels and it plays a crucial role in fetal spine and brain development. Women during their post-menopausal age can benefit greatly from vitamin D and magnesium. Vitamin D is responsible for improving bone density and slowing down the progression of breast cancer; magnesium on the other hand helps bones absorb more calcium.

As for men's health, some of the most crucial vitamins include vitamin C and lycopene. Vitamin C helps keep arteries strong thereby reducing the risk of a heart attack; whereas, lycopene is a powerful antioxidant which can help men fight off prostate issues. So as you can see there are countless vitamins and minerals out there, the key point however, is finding the ones that are most beneficial for your age and gender.

Okorie2008