Multivitamins and Minerals In The Press


Multivitamins and minerals - all round health

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Health Article: Daily Mail:

Vitamins and minerals are vitally important to the healthy working of our bodies. They help trigger the thousands of complex chemical and metabolic reactions that constantly occur in our bodies; without them we would suffer devastating health problems. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble; because of this they can be stored in our livers and body fat reserves and need not be taken every day; but take care not to exceed the recommended daily amount (RDA), as overdosing can be potentially harmful.

Water-soluble vitamins however, like vitamin C, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12 and folic acid, cannot be stored in the body and need to be taken every day. Apart from maintaining health, vitamins like folic acid are vital during a baby's development to ensure that the foetus's nervous system develops properly. Our bodies need minerals in minute but vital quantities for the healthy growth of teeth and bones. They also help with muscle contraction, nerve reaction and blood clotting.

Most people can obtain the necessary amounts of vitamins and minerals from a fresh, varied diet, although pregnant women and people with intestinal disorders (which may interfere with proper absorption of nutrients) may need extra supplements. Vitamin D is the only one that our bodies can manufacture, when our skin is exposed to sunlight.


Vitamins help you start a family

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Health Article: Daily Mail:

Taking a daily multi-vitamin pill could boost a woman's fertility and double her chances of becoming pregnant, researchers said yesterday. A British study has found that women suffering from fertility problems are twice as likely to conceive if they take a vitamin pill each day.

Experts believe the beneficial effect may also apply to all women who are trying for a baby, although the reasons for the link between increased pregnancy rates are not yet fully understood.

Doctors from Leeds University, who carried out the research, believe that taking a daily multi-vitamin pill may have helped produce better quality eggs. In IVF, a woman's eggs are surgically removed and then fertilised in the laboratory to create an embryo which is then implanted in her womb.

In women taking a vitamin pill, fluid surrounding the eggs in their ovaries was found to be rich in vitamin C and E. The fluid is used for nourishing the egg and the study, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lausanne, Switzerland, suggests that these vitamins could provide a crucial 'boost' that aids fertility.

Both vitamins C and E are known for their antioxidant activities, meaning they 'mop up' potentially harmful pollutants in the body, and are crucial for the production of collagen, which promotes healthy tissue growth. However, researchers say other minerals or vitamins included in the pill could also have combined to help improve overall fertility.

Women who took a multi-vitamin pill had a 40 per cent chance of pregnancy, compared with only 19 per cent for those not taking any supplements.

'The significant improvement in pregnancy rates in women on multi-vitamins may reflect the influence of other components in the preparation, or the action of a combination of vitamins and minerals.

'We now need to see further studies to examine this link.'