Vitamins Information
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Vitamin C: Tips For Increasing Your Intake
A new RDA?
According to a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the National Institutes of Health is taking another look at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C. The current RDA for vitamin C is 60 milligrams per day—about the amount you get from one orange. Due to recent findings on the potential health benefits of this wonder vitamin, the NIH is now considering boosting the RDA to somewhere between 100 and 200 milligrams per day, two to three times the current recommendation.
Why all the hype?
Vitamin C has long been known for its value as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are natural compounds found in many of the foods we eat. The most well known antioxidants are vitamin C, selenium, beta carotene and vitamin E. Antioxidants work by inhibiting toxic substances in the body (also known as "free radicals") which may lead to the development of cancers, heart disease and the aging process. There has been a strong correlation between diets high in fruits and vegetables (which are rich in antioxidants) and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Vitamin C may account for much of this protection. However, we are also finding numerous other compounds within fruits and vegetables, collectively called "phytochemicals", that may also play a preventative role. Phytochemicals are defined simply as chemicals found in plants. They occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. These substances, many of which also have an antioxidant effect, may protect our bodies from cellular damage that can lead to cancer and other chronic diseases.
Due to the strong correlation between diets abundant in fruits and vegetables and disease prevention, The National Cancer Institute launched the "5-A-Day" program. The basis of this campaign promotes the intake of a minimum of five fruits and vegetables daily as a good defense against cancer and other diseases. A specific recommendation of this program is to include vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables in the diet each day since vitamin C is a particularly well-researched antioxidant. The mainstay of the program, however, is that by eating five servings of produce daily we can easily take in not just a good dose of vitamin C, but the minimum amount of protective plant chemicals shown to be effective in reducing risk of chronic diseases. Remember, five is the minimum amount. In the case of fruits and veggies it's definitely a situation where more is better!
Sudden Protein Intake Harmful for Some Hospitalized Patients
MONDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors report that they've discovered a syndrome that could afflict thousands of hospital patients who take high-protein dietary supplements.
The syndrome -- called supplement-associated hyperammonemia after cachectic episode (SHAKE) -- appears to cause difficulty walking and alters mental status, leading to symptoms such as diminished attention, impaired thinking, altered consciousness and reduced awareness.
But the syndrome can be prevented, researchers report, by making sure at-risk patients don't consume high-protein supplements if they've failed to eat properly for more than a week before admittance. The sudden reintroduction of protein to the diet appears to be the problem.
Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine report the existence of the syndrome in the March issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study authors think the problems are caused when too much protein is reintroduced into the diet after patients eat poorly for weeks.
"With advances in nutritional education and supplements, this syndrome likely occurs thousands of times per year in hospitals across the United States. We believe it may account for more than 10,000 hospital days, countless morbidity and even some mortality," senior study author Dr. Michael Perloff, a resident at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.
More information
For details about nutrition for seniors, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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