Vitamins And Minerals: Healthy Eating A Guide To The New Nutrition
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Vitamins and minerals
Determining just how much of various vitamins and minerals people need for good health is a tricky science. For more than half a century, federal recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) spotlighted a combination of nutrients aimed at preventing deficiency diseases in most people. But the DRIs from the Institute of Medicine, which replaced the familiar RDAs, ushered in considerable change. Whereas the RDAs were established to prevent deficiency diseases, the DRIs seek also to enhance health and lower the risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer. This shift in focus reflects the fact that few people in industrialized countries today are deficient in nutrients, but many die from major diseases that could be prevented with better diets. The guidelines acknowledge that the need for certain nutrients varies with people's age, sex, and other important characteristics.
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 Take a close look at the vitamin and mineral content of your diet. |
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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