The level of vitamin C

  Vitamins for dummies: part-3

Some experts say the damage is likely to be temporary; others say that it may be permanent Choline Very high doses (14 to 37 times the adequate amount) have been linked to vomiting, salivation, sweating, low blood pressure, and healthy people from deficiencies, but sometimes the circumstances of your life (or your lifestyle) mean that you need something extra medication? Do you smoke? Are you on a restricted diet? Are you pregnant? Are you a nursing mother? Are you approaching menopause? Answer yes to any of these questions, and you may be a person who needs larger amounts decrease the effectiveness of vitamins; some vitamins increase or decrease For example, a woman whofs using birth control pills may absorb less than the customary amount of the B vitamins about vitamin and drug interactions, see Chapter 25 you probably have abnormally low blood levels of vitamin C More trouble: hemicals from tobacco smoke create more free radicals in Even the National Research Council, which is tough on vitamin overdosing, says that regular smokers need to take about 66 percent more On the other hand, if youfre nuts for veggies but follow a vegan diet that shuns all foods from nimals (including milk, cheese, eggs, and fish you simply cannot get enough vitamin D without taking supplements Vegans also benefit from extra vitamin C because it increases their abilitya are a must to supply the nutrient found only in fish, poultry, milk, Keep in mind that geating for twoh means that youfre the sole source of nutrients for the growing fetus, not that you need to double the amount of food you eat. If you donft get the vitamins you need, neither will your baby. The RDAs for many nutrients are the same as those for women who arenft pregnant. But when youfre pregnant, you need extra. Vitamin D: Every smidgen of vitamin D in a newbornfs body comes from his or her mom. If the mother doesnft have enough D, neither will the baby. The qualifier is how many pills, because although too little vitamin D can weaken a developing fetus, too much can cause birth defects. Thatfs why until new recommendations for vitamin D are issued, the second important d-word is gdoctor. h As in, check with yours to see whatfs right for you. Vitamin E: To create all that new tissue (the womanfs as well as the babyfs), a pregnant woman needs an extra 2 a-TE each day, the approximate

Vitamin C:The level of vitamin C in your blood falls as your vitamin C flows across the placenta to your baby, who may. have vitamin C levels as much as 50 percent higher than yours. So you need an extra 10 milligrams vitamin C each day (1. 2 cup cooked zucchini or 2 stalks of asparagus). Riboflavin (vitamin B2): To protect the baby against structural defects such as cleft palate or a deformed heart, a pregnant woman needs an extra 0. 3 milligrams riboflavin each day (slightly less than 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal). Read More...