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The Perfect Multivitamin


menshealth.com

Don’t be fooled by the laundry-list labels of modern multivitamins. “Manufacturers will throw in a little something sexy—lutein, lycopene—but rarely enough to be worthwhile,” says Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent tester of health and nutritional products. You’re better off with a more conservative multivitamin that nails some of the essentials listed below.

Vitamin A
Maintains healthy bones, vision, and skin; regulates immune system to fight infections.
Dietary sources: Liver, milk, eggs, and cheese
RDA: 3,000 IU/day (10,000 IU/day upper limit)

Vitamin B-6
Helps your immune system manufacture disease-fighting antibodies; produces mood hormones serotonin and dopamine and the sleep hormone melatonin.
Dietary sources: Beans, poultry, fish, grains, fortified breads and cereals
RDA: 1.3 mg/day (100 mg/day upper limit)

Vitamin C
Essential for growth and repair of tissue, production of collagen and certain neurotransmitters. It also helps the body absorb iron from plant sources.
Dietary sources: Peppers, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes
RDA: 90 mg/day (2,000 mg/day upper limit)

Vitamin D
Regulates immune and neuromuscular function, fights inflammation, and helps your body absorb calcium.
Dietary sources: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, cheese, egg yolks, fortified cereals
Adequate intake: 5 mcg/day (50 mcg/day upper limit)

Vitamin E
Protects the body from tissue-damaging free radicals and aids in immune function.
Dietary sources: Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, fortified cereals
RDA: 15 mg/day (1,000 mg/day upper limit)

Vitamin K
Essential component for blood clotting.
Dietary sources: Green leafy vegetables (particularly spinach), broccoli, brussels sprouts
Adequate intake: 120 mcg/day (no established upper limit)

Folic Acid
Helps create and sustain new cells and is essential to DNA production. Also helps break down the amino acid homocysteine, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Dietary sources of folate: Leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beans and peas
RDA: 400 mcg/day (1,000 mcg/day upper limit)

Thiamin
Helps create energy from carbs and branched-chain amino acids.
Dietary sources: Pork, ham, whole-grain or fortified cereals
RDA: 1.2 mg/day (no established upper limit)

Panthothenic Acid
Needed to make coenzyme A, which helps make fatty acids, amino acids, neurotransmitters, and steroid hormones.
Dietary sources: Beef, potatoes, egg yolks, broccoli, whole grains
Adequate intake: 5 mg/day (no established upper limit)

Calcium
Fortifies your bones and teeth, while also maintaining proper heart, nerve, and muscle function.
Dietary sources: Milk, cheese, yogurt, leafy green vegetables
Adequate intake: 1,000 mg/day (2,500 mg/day upper limit)

Magnesium
Needed for more than 300 bodily processes, and helps maintain muscle, nerve and immune function. Also helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.
Dietary sources: Spinach, other green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains
RDA: 400-420 mg/day (350 mg/day when taken in a supplement)

Potassium
An electrolyte, it literally conducts a current through your body, keeping your heart pumping and assisting muscle contraction. Also reduced the effect of salt on blood pressure.
Dietary sources: Bananas, root vegetables, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes
Adequate intake: 4,700 mg/day (no established upper limit)

Zinc
Helps approximately 300 enzymes do their job, and aids in immune function, protein and DNA synthesis, wound healing, and cell division. Essential for your sense of taste and smell.
Dietary sources: Oysters, crab, lobster, nuts, chicken, cheese
RDA: 11 mg/day (40 mg/day upper limit)

Selenium
Combines with protein to form selenoproteins, which act as antioxidants, regulate thyroid function, and aid immune system function.
Dietary sources: Brazil nuts, meats, tuna, eggs, cottage cheese, whole grains
RDA: 55 mcg/day (400 mcg/day upper limit)

Manganese
Helps manufacture bone, and is involved in amino acid, cholesterol, and carbohydrate metabolism.
Dietary sources: Grains, vegetables, tea
Adequate intake: 2.3 mg/day (11 mg/day upper limit)

Chromium
Thought to transport blood glucose into your cells for energy.
Dietary sources: Lean meats, whole grains, spices, mushrooms, red wine, green beans, apples
Adequate intake: 35 mcg/day (no established upper limit)

Phosphorus
Helps build strong bones and teeth, and also helps clean out your kidneys, build and repair tissue, and manufacture DNA.
Dietary sources: Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products
RDA: 700 mg/day (4,000 mg/day upper limit)

Boron
Benefit: Boron has no clear function in humans, but thought to help metabolize

Vitamin D.
Dietary sources: Fruit-based drinks, potatoes, legumes, milk, avocado, peanuts/peanut butter
RDA: No established amount (20 mg/day upper limit)

Vanadium
No clear function in humans, but some research suggests it may increase the action of insulin.
Dietary sources: Mushrooms, shellfish, black pepper, parsley, dill seed
RDA: No established amount (1.8 mg/day upper limit)

Silicon
Benefit: Although there’s no clear function in humans, silicon has been shown to help build bones in animals.
Dietary sources: Beef, coffee, grains, vegetables
RDA: No established amount

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