Family Living
Focus
Beaver Co.
Extension Agent
Mary Alice Gettings
THE WHAT’S
AND HOW’S OF
VITAMIN AND
MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS
Many of us take a calcium
supplement to help prevent os
teoporosis, vitamin E to help pro
tect against heart disease, or a
multi-vitamin/mineral pill to
take the place of a diet that is not
as healthy as we’d like it to be.
When taking one or more
supplements a day, you may
want to think about how to get
the most for your dollar. In order
to gain the maximum benefit
from vitamin and mineral
supplements, you need to consid
er many factors. These include
how to improve the absorption of
supplements, should they be
taken with or without food, and
“Great Deals For The New Year"
r .ISSION STYLE BED \ / RECLINER SPECIAL N ' '
NARBELED GREEN | I I
tHr lITIHI „ | Reg. Rat. $389.95
»■■ iftiiy \ R «i 9 R 9s' 1 I Our PriceYTSMS 1
Our Price 1 IBS' '
~sitd.m i I, *89 m I
CLOSEOUT $ 79»» j j
COUNTRY PINE \
6 PC. BEDROOM SET ,
w/Door Chest
Reg. Ret. $1,869.95 I
mU OurPrlce $869*5 .
Iflji paHi factory
SPECIAL I
/ SECTIONAL SLEEPER \
Loveseat,
5 Center Console, 1
' ‘ Side by Side |
Reclmers, Sofa
. ,Factory Liquidation w/Hide-a-Bed I
t 4 Reg. Ret. $2,589.95 Factory Special |
Our Cash Price $Q>I(188.
■Jt.t9B.9a I
I
1 DRAWER CHEST ~ \
Pine Finish and
Brass Hardware , &f[ I
Ret. $149.95 •
OUR CASH PRICE
's69*6. pSgsdlii |
FACTORY ESpS3tJ| ,
SPECIAL NSs~a4'fi •
»39<* felgp >
/bedroom set"* \
(Bleached Oak) Plus Chest .
Reg. Ret. With Jewelry Case Top 1
$2,239.95 r A froPT■'
Closeout |
$ 899 95
_ Hodbgrd_W«JL Un||/
, £ BLACK ft BUIE FOX ft HOON BLACK ft MARBLE N
?f a
f Rag. Rat. JL, *»9 R«<-
IM I (1 . $3*9.95 IHI O MS* **
|( SJ*=J— OurPrlea H M -I I* OurPrlca i
\PC3 *109“ ' CLOsLr*B9 M .
ILACK/BEVEL N*W« MATE'S BED SET N
f 3-MCK COCKTAIL Sr END w/Bookcaae Headboard A i
r.,«| JL *** SET 2 Night Stands 1
mm Reg. Ret. *329.951
J “l $*995 Our Price,
■ OurMca «sM6>
J v i J ■*»•«- L^Q^r-^ci^sEoiJT,
_ i FIVE PIECE DINETTE
I Table A Four Chairs - Natural, J! Hm JSM)
| Whlte/Natural, Green/Natural {
I Reg. Ret. $1,029.95
'I Cash Price *469.95 i’BtflJfSMl '/Vi! '
Special M I *l ' 1
are capsules that promise better
absorption worth the extra
money?
What Affects Absorption
Of Vitamins And Minerals
If you take a multi-vitamin/
mineral formula, it will be better
absorbed if you take it with a
meal. This occurs because the
stomach breaks down the pill
while it digests food, making it
easier to absorb the various nu
trients in the pill into the blood
stream. Taking pills with a meal
can also help reduce the gastric
(stomach) discomfort that some
people experience when taking
supplements.
Keep in mind that taking vita
min and mineral supplements
with certain foods can increase
or decrease the absorption of nu-
/ 7 PC. DiraNG ROOM SE? \
| Oak Table w/Your Choice - .
6 Side or 4 Side and >
I 2 Arm hairs I
i I factory •
SPECIAL 1
/ DBWKi ROOM SET "" '
I Oak Table - 4 Side Chain |
| Reg. Retail $1,400.00.
; Our Price SSMiU 1
—ifci i-.y Close Out *
SaSar »369~'
LJrJy '
I' GLIDER ROCKER '
Available in Blue, f \
Beige, Green / p j .
Reg. Ret. $159.95 ; U
Cash Price $4«91
Special |
*79°* mS* /
/ CORNER NOOK ' \
I Oak Verneer Table |
Trestle t Corner
ISjMfflßKuj Bench w/Stonge I
Ret. $1,169.95 i
Cash Price W 88.98 I
CLOSE-OUT
MATE'S BED SET \
w/Bookcase Headboard A i
2 Night Stands
rpppl Reg. Ret. *329.951
Our Price,
.. rrjfßB 1
STYLISH SOFA AND \
,
In Wrangler Camel
Reg. Reg. $2239.95
Our Price 9K9M.
i«4A'
Othei
Color
Avail
$589.
RAM'S HORN \
Rag. Retail $2lOO Cash PrienmOfc.
CLOSEOUT *649”
Available In 6 Color*
(OOKCASE BUNK BED\
SI KH 'IAFTKI SS {t KOXSPKirNC.
149 95
189.95
.... ... 249.95
... 299 95
(M KAKini \ 'HIIKI SS Sr
IOIiSDAUOIN
109 95
139 95
189 95
. 189.95
3019 Hempland Hoad, Lancaster 397-6241
Stores in; LANCASTER • YORK • CARLISLE
STORE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9-9 • Sat. 9-6;
Sunday 12 to 5 PM
Closed New Year Day
• No Refunds
•No Exchanges For purchases with a chock, bring FINANCING
• Cash A Carry drivar* licanaa and phono numbers AVAILABLE
V Not rasporsibio for typographical errors Wa lasarve the right to substitute gift items
trients. A good example of this is
iron, which is a common nutrient
deficiency for children and men
struating women. Iron supple
ments should be taken with a
meal or a glass of juice since the
acid produced in the stomach as
a result of food entering it or the
acid naturally occurring in juice
increases the absorption of iron
into the bloodstream.
It’s best to avoid drinking cof
fee or tea for at least 90 minutes
after taking an iron pill or eating
an iron-rich meal. Chemicals
called polyphenols in coffee and
tannins in tea have been found to
decrease the absorption of iron.
Since calcium may reduce iron
absorption, avoid taking a multi
vitamin/mineral supplement at
the same time as a separate calci
um pill. Instead, take them with
different meals.
What Is The Best
Calcium Supplement
For those taking a calcium
supplement, select one with cal
cium carbonate, since it is best
absorbed when taken with meals.
Because the body is not able to
absorb large doses as well as it
does small doses of calcium, it’s a
good idea to divide large doses
(1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per
day) into three smaller doses
throughout the day. In addition,
if you are not receiving enough
sunlight on your skin, you may
sr
>rs
©
.95
HoneyPlne (w/Brats)
FUTON BUNK
in Black Red
White, w/8’
Futon Mattress
Reg. Ret.
$898.95
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 30, 2000-B5
not be producing enough vitamin
D, which is crucial in the absorp
tion of calcium.
This is especially a concern for
those living in the northeastern
part of the U.S. and those who
are home-bound. Those who
don’t expose themselves to the
sun should purchase a calcium
supplement that contains 200 to
400 milligrams of vitamin D for
every 1,000 milligrams of calci
um.
How Are Seniors'
Needs Different
An estimated 20 percent of
people older than 60 and 40 per
cent of people older than 80 have
atrophic gastritis, a disorder in
which acid is not sufficiently pro
duced in the stomach. This can
lead to inadequate absorption of
those minerals that require acid
to be present in the stomach.
For those older than 60 years,
to maximize the absorption of a
mineral such as calcium, take the
supplement with meals. Or pur
chase calcium citrate supple
ments, which are better absorbed
by those with atrophic gastritis.
Be aware that calcium citrate
pills have less calcium per pill;
therefore, you will need to take
more pills, which may result in
more expense.
Those with atrophic gastritis
may also have difficulty absorb
ing vitamin 812, a nutrient im
portant in the formation of red
blood cells. For those older than
50, it’s recommended to take a
supplement containing two to
four micrograms of vitamin 812
per day or to eat vitamin 812
fortified cereal daily. The vita
min 812 found in supplements
can be absorbed whether stom-
ach acid is present or not.
How Effective Are The
More Expensive Supplements?
They’re not! While timed re
lease capsules are more expen
sive, they are not necessarily bet
got milk?
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265 E. Meadow Valley Rd., Lltitz, PA 17543
717-733-7160 • 717-627-6886
1-800-247-2107
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ter. Those advertising timed
release supplements promote the
importance of maintaining a
constant level of vitamins and
minerals in the bloodstream.
Since this is not important, as it
is for medications such as antibi
otics, don’t spend the extra
money for timed release.
When searching through the
shelves for a vitamin/mineral
supplement, simply look for one
with a USP symbol and one that
contains no more than 100 per
cent of the recommended daily
allowance (RDA) for all vitamins
and minerals.
The presence of the USP sym
bol indicates the product has
been tested to disintegrate and
dissolve so it can be easily ab
sorbed. It also means that the pu
rity and potency meet established
standards.
Vitamins C And E
Natural Or Synthetic?
Spending extra money on the
natural form of vitamin C is not
necessary. On the other hand, re
search has revealed that the nat
ural form of vitamin E (d-alpha
tocopherol) is better absorbed. In
fact, the natural form has been
found to be twice as strong as the
synthetic (laboratory made)form
(dl-alpha tocopherol).
Research indicates that 100 to
400 International Units (1.U.) per
day can help fight heart disease
and enhance your immune sys
tem.
So purchasing and taking a
vitamin/mineral supplement is
not as easy as it once seemed.
However, research in this area
has lead to interesting informa
tion, which will help you to get
the most from your supplement
and your dollar.
Resource: Tufts University
Health and Nutrition Letter,
March 1999, “When (and
How) to Take Your Vitamin
and Mineral Supplements. ”
BUY,
SELL,
TRADE
OR
RENT
THROUGH
THE
CLASSIFIED
ADS
IN
Lancaster
Farming
PHONE
717-626-1164
OR
717-394-3047