Reader's Digest 200 Great Tips on the Vitamins You Need [antikvár]

New research continues to prove how important nutrition and supplements can be.Since the 1990s, nutritional research has produced a flood of studies offering compelling evidence that specific foods and nutrients may help prevent, slow, or even reverse serious diseases. Many scientists and other experts who were skeptics now believe that the right amount of vitamins and minerals may increase a person's chances of enjoying optimal health.Vitamins are essential for regulating both the metabolic functions within the cells and the biochemical processes that release energy from food. With a few exceptions (notably vitamins D and K), the body cannot manufacture vitamins on its own, so they must be ingested in food or nutritional supplements. Minerals are needed for a wide range of vital processes, from basic bone formation to the normal functioning of the heart and digestive system. Just as with vitamins, people must replenish their mineral supply either through foods or through supplements.Evidence is accumulating that certain vitamins also act as antioxidantssubstances that protect tissues from cell damage and possibly help ward off some degenerative diseases. A number of minerals have also been linked to the prevention of cancer, osteoporosis, and other chronic illnesses. Food is a major source of those vitamins and minerals (see Foods That Heal on page 8).Conventional wisdom holds that as long as people who are healthy