My wife and I have been giving my three-year-old daughter gummy bear vitamins for a year or so now. We’ve found it an easy way to get her to supplement her very finicky diet. And I even find myself occasionally dipping into her stash.

Then, a few months back I see a commercial for gummy vitamins… marketed to adults! It must have gotten back to them that we parents like ‘em too. I don’t recall the maker, just that there was a guy acting child-like in the supermarket. A quick “Googling” only unearthed a company called Slice of Life that makes allergen- and gluten-free gummy vitamins for adults.

Not only do the Slice of Life vitamins come in a multi-variety, but there are ones for special needs such as Vitamin C, omega-3, B12, among other even more specialized nutritional needs.

Some people have a hard time remembering their daily vitamins, or just don’t look forward to them enough to make it a habit. If you have a soft spot for gummy candy like I do, maybe try one of these.

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Gummy Vitamins For Adults

1. Calcium – According to the National Institute of Health, the recommended total calcium intake is 1,000 mg a day for women between 25 and 50 years of age, 1,200 – 1,500 for pregnant or lactating women, and 1,500 mg per day for postmenopausal women. The average calcium consumption among North American women is currently only 600 mg per day. I take a calcium magnesium supplement and find that it really helps me with nighttime leg cramps.
2. Fish Oil – fish are rich sources of Omega 3s, most especially EPA and DHA, highly specialized fats that cannot be made by our bodies in the levels we need. Taking these essential oils also has an added skin benefit, and because we all know that fish is brain food – well, the thought of improved brain function never fails to sway me. Make sure it’s an encapsulated version so as to avoid fish oil burps. (I take mine at night.)
3. Vitamin D -The major biologic function of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. The FDA has increased the levels of Vitamin D recommended, and a low level of this important vitamin has been shown to affect mental stability.
4. B Complex – The Vitamin B Complex is comprised of the essential B Vitamins – Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, Vitamin B12 plus the vitamins Biotin, Choline and Inositol. Vitamin B Complex is needed for the proper functioning of almost every process in the body, including energy production, healthy digestion and great looking skin, hair and nails – a wonderful side benefit!
5. Multi-Vitamin – My other choice would be a quality multi-vitamin, one balanced in the key nutrients and close to 100% of the RDA without going over with enormous numbers. Many of those high numbers are impressive, but they are often water soluble vitamins and can cause you to have nothing more than “expensive pee.”

What would you add or subtract?

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Five Key Supplements For Good Health

In a study, those subjects (older men and women) who took a vitamin K supplement for three years had lower blood levels of insulin. They also experienced an improvement with insulin resistance as compared to another group who did not take the supplement.

Here comes the catch…

It doesn’t necessarily work the same if you are overweight. So, don’t look at it as a magic bullet. Men in the study seemed to benefit more from the K supplement, presumably because more of the women were overweight. Since being overweight contributes to insulin resistance, it diminishes the benefits of vitamin K.

Why not try to get vitamin K naturally? You can do so by making your salad greens darker and avoiding the iceberg. Think green, leafy vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, and broccoli. Other sources packed with vitamin K include kale, swiss chard, Brussel sprouts, and collard greens.

(via: Real Age)

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Vitamin K Helps Fight Diabetes

Do I need one?
Deciding to take a multi-vitamin and mineral really should be determined based off of your current diet. Do you eat a well balanced diet (including plenty of fruits and vegetables)?  If so, you’re honestly wasting your money on these supplements.

However, if you eat poorly (i.e. Eating out a lot, not having a lot of variety, eating little to no fresh fruits and vegetables) then you would probably benefit from taking a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. 

I really wouldn’t recommend taking one as a fall back plan.  Taking one as a precautionary approach is tricky because it is possible to get too much of something, which can lead to a toxicity and serious health problems.  It‘s also important to remember that these supplements and their label are not strictly regulated so you may not be getting everything that the label is promising.

What does the research show?
Research on supplementation is still on the fence.  As mentioned above if you know you eat poorly then taking one would be good for you.

Research is really strong for supplementation of folic acid (folate), which is one component of a multi-vitamin/mineral.  Supplementation of folic acid prior to and during pregnancy helps with the prevention of neural tube defects in a developing fetus.  Also, people suffering with or that have a prior history of alcoholism would benefit from supplementation.

What kind do I need?
The kind you want to buy doesn’t have to be the most expensive from some health food store.  Generic brands are equivalent to the name brand kinds.

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Find out if You Really Need a Multi-Vitamin

Dr. Oz and Oprah introduce the Ultimate Health Checklist (Oprah.com)

As Oprah’s Best Life week continues, she welcomed Dr. Oz, a.k.a. America’s doctor, to the show once again. In the second day of her campaign to get healthy alongside the rest of us, she asked Dr. Oz to share the most important things about our health that we need to be aware of and proactive in doing. He calls it the Ultimate Health Checklist, and says that as long as we’re able to keep to the list, which really isn’t that overwhelming, we can live long, happy lives.

Here are the 10 things on Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Health Checklist that all men and women should make a point of following.

1. Schedule a Check-Up. Dr. Oz told Oprah’s audience that people who have a family doctor are healthier, and pointed out that while many do not have health insurance, you can find free and government-funded access to quality health care providers.

2. Know the Five Ingredients to Avoid. Check food labels for this simple list of ingredients, and pass on foods that include them in the first five ingredients listed (meaning they are highest in concentration).

• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Sugar
• “Enriched“
• Trans-fat (may be indicated by the word “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”)
• Saturated Fat

3. Add Healthy Foods to your Diet. Make an effort to meet these nutritional goals each day and week.

• 3 grams Omega-3 daily. Sources for this healthy fat are fish, soybeans, nuts, flaxseed and others.
• 5-7 servings of Antioxidants daily. Sources for this cancer-fighting agent are blueberries, red beans, pomegranates and pecans.
• 25 grams Fiber daily. You’ll want to chose whole-grain options, like brown rice and whole grain cereals and pastas.
• 1 Tbs. Olive Oil daily. Extra-virgin or regular olive oil both work. Dr. Oz suggests this is why the Mediterranean Diet is praised for working so well.

4. Take a Multi-Vitamin. This should be part of your daily routine. Here are Dr. Oz’s vitamin tips.

Oprah checks Dr. Oz's resting heart rate. (Oprah.com)

5. Know Your Numbers. At your check-up, learn these numbers, and make it a goal to optimize them.

• Waist size – measure at belly button, total inches should be less than half your height.
• Blood pressure – optimal is 115/75
• Cholesterol – LDL (bad) should be <100; HDL (good) should be >40
• Resting heart rate – <83 beats per minute (athletes average about 40)
• Blood sugar
• Vitamin D – find out if you have a deficiency. Darker skinned people are more susceptible.
• C-reactive protein
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

6. Find a Health Advocate. Always bring a relative or a friend with you to the doctor to better understand your treatment.

7. Get Organized with Your Health Information. Keep updated copies of insurance, medical records, allergies, etc. so that you can play a more active role in your care and treatment.

8. Know the Medical Tests You Should Have. These will vary for men, women and by age, but talk with your doctor to learn if you need:

• Mammogram
• Pap Smear and Pelvic Exam
• Dental check-up (2x/year)
• Vision check-up (1x/2 years)
• Bone Density
• Hearing
  

  Dr. Oz gives four attainable exercise tips. (Oprah.com)

9. Exercise. Dr. Oz wants us to keep our bodies actively moving, and recommends the following:

• Start walking. Aim for 10,000 steps per day, start with 30 minutes/day (about 3k steps)
• Elevate your heart rate for 60 minutes every week
• Flexibility 5 minutes/day
• Strength training 30 minutes/week

10. Sleep! Your body requires the rest that comes from a good night’s sleep. Practice these tips to catch your Zs:

• Get 7-8 hours sleep each night
• Keep the room dark and cool
• Create a routine
• Make the bedroom for sleep and sex only
• No caffeine four hours prior to bed
• Do not keep a TV in your bedroom
• Take a calcium and magnesium supplement

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Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Health Checklist from Oprah’s Best Life Week

Justification for this increase is due to the numerous health issues resulting from inadequate consumption. Complications due to poor Vitamin D intake include: Rickets in kids (a bone-softening disease), which increases the child’s chances of having osteomalacia (soften of bones) and osteoporosis (loss of calcium from bone, therefore increasing your chances of easily fracturing bones) in their adult years. Benefits of consuming more Vitamin D include: preventing heart disease, cancer, and mortality risks. The new recommendation is bumped up from its previous 200 IU/day to 400 IU/day beginning within the first few days after birth.

Sources of vitamin D include:

- The body is able to synthesize Vitamin D from the sun; therefore it’s recommended to get 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight (however, sunscreen SPF above 8 will completely block the synthesis)

- Any Vitamin D fortified product, including milk and soy milk

- Veal, beef, egg yolks, liver, fatty fish (salmon, sardines)

- Or supplementation through taking a daily vitamin

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Kids Need to Double-up on Vitamin D