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9 Results for search "Vitamins / Minerals".

Wellness Library Results

It takes strong building materials to make a healthy baby, and few things are stronger than iron. Iron forms the core of red blood cells, the vehicles that carry oxygen to every part of your body, including to your growing baby. If you don't have enough iron -- a common problem in pregnancy -- these vehicles will start to break down, leaving you and your baby deprived of oxygen. This condition, c...

Anyone can make mistakes taking medication, but kids are especially vulnerable. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, half of all kids don't take their medicines properly. Of course, no one should expect a 6-year-old to read and follow the instructions on a box of cough syrup or pain reliever. It's up to parents and other caregivers to make sure kids take the right medicines in the rig...

Remember those high school chemistry experiments in which you mixed two harmless chemicals and got a bizarre reaction? You may be performing a similar experiment on yourself every time you take two medications at the same time. Certain drugs react strongly when taken with others, often causing serious side effects. In rare cases, drug interactions can even be deadly. Drugs can affect each other i...

Why is it important to get enough iron? Iron is used to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to your organs and tissues. When you're pregnant, your body makes extra blood for both you and your baby. Your body needs extra iron to make this blood and also to support your baby's rapid growth. If you don't get enough iron from your diet, your body gradually depletes its ...

Why do I need vitamin A? You've probably heard that the vitamins in carrots can help you see in the dark. That old tale is actually true -- the beta carotene in carrots and many other vegetables is converted in the intestines to vitamin A (also known as retinol), and vitamin A is undoubtedly good for the eyes. But night vision is only the beginning; vitamin A is also vital for healthy skin, strong...

Why do I need B vitamins? B vitamins are an important class of vitamins that help support your red blood cells and your nervous system. Some of the benefits are already well known. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant need plenty of folic acid -- also known as vitamin B-9, or folate -- to prevent a serious type of birth defect known as neural tube defects (these include spinal bif...

Why do I need zinc? Zinc may come last in any alphabetical listing of nutrients, but it's one mineral that your body absolutely can't do without. It plays a key role in your immune system and wound healing. It's also important for fertility and growth. Severe cases of zinc deficiency can cause hair loss, impotence, and skin lesions, among other things. Fortunately, most people get plenty of zinc i...

Why do I need vitamin D? Vitamin D -- also called the sunshine vitamin because your body makes it naturally when exposed to sunlight -- is perhaps best known for its ability to help build strong bones. Children with a serious shortfall of vitamin D can develop rickets, a condition that deforms growing bones. But even if you get enough vitamin D to avoid rickets, you may not have enough for optim...

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, also called ubiquinone) is a vitamin-like substance that's present in foods and is also produced by your cells to help convert food into energy. The Japanese were the first to start taking it in supplement form, and it's still commonly used in Japan to treat heart-failure patients. During the 1980s, CoQ10 gained popularity in this country as an energy-booster; it's now touted ...