Vitamins are essential to sustain life and we must get them from our natural foods or dietary supplements. The nutrition they provide help people feel better, more energetic and assist the body with normal functions. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for our growth, vitality and well-being.

Vitamins and minerals are essential for our body but they are no replacement for food. A vitamin or mineral has no caloric or energy value by itself, but when taken as a dietary supplement to your daily food intake, they can help supplement your daily diet by balancing out the deficiencies of improper eating habits, overcooked foods and non-nutritive, processed foods. Sometimes vitamins are used as therapies for various ailments and disease.

In addition to vitamins, your body needs minerals to aid in the assimilation of the vitamins. Minerals help accelerate the billions of chemical reactions occurring in your body all the time. Some help in the efficient metabolization of proteins, fat and carbohydrates. Others help regulate the utilization of certain vitamins. Minerals actually become components of the body structure - bones, cartilage, toenails and fingernails, and they contribute toward hardness and strength.

Vitamin E has recently been shown to protect/ preserve critical DHEA levels in the brain. It is suspected that preserving DHEA levels in the brain may delay the onset of many mental degenerative diseases associated with "getting older". According to a study done by Japanese researchers, vitamin E deficient diet notably reduced brain (adrenal) DHEA levels. However, using more vitamin E did not increase adrenal DHEA levels beyond normal values.

Even though dietary surveys suggest that many Americans do not consume magnesium in recommended amounts, magnesium deficiency is rarely seen in the United States in adults. When magnesium deficiency does occur, it is usually due to excessive loss of magnesium in urine, gastrointestinal system disorders that cause a loss of magnesium or limit magnesium absorption, or a chronically low intake of magnesium.

Magnesium supplementation is usually indicated when a specific health problem or condition causes an excessive loss of magnesium or limits magnesium absorption. Healthy adults who eat a varied diet do not generally need to take a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium aids in the transport of oxygen to muscle tissue, which promotes strength, endurance and relaxation. Magnesium also activates enzymes necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids.

It's important to remember that there are six nutrients essential for energy, proper functioning of the organs, utilization of food and cell growth: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. These nutrients are utilized by the body through the digestive process, which simplifies the nutrients via enzymatic actions that break the nutrients down into smaller chemical fragments. These are then absorbed through the walls of the digestive tract and eventually enter the blood stream to be utilized by the body.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98 percent) individuals in each life-stage and gender group (4). The 1999 RDAs for magnesium for adults, in milligrams (mg), are: