Vitamins Vital To Health

We've heard for years that you can get all the vitamins you need from your diet. But is that realistic? Is it smarter to take a vitamin supplement?

CBS News Health Correspondent Dr. Emily Senay joined CBS This Morning to take a look at a few key vitamins and minerals that are especially important to women's health: folate (also known as folic acid), vitamin D, and calcium.

Dr. Senay took a look at the foods you need to eat to get your recommended daily allowance of these nutrients and compared the relative advantages of multivitamins.

Vitamin supplements are a popular way for many Americans to safeguard their health. In a CBS News poll, commissioned at the end of last year, it was discovered that about one third of Americans say they take vitamins. This agrees with other national estimates of vitamin consumption.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that certain vitamins may have a beneficial effect on your health. But it is still unclear whether they do more good if absorbed into the body through fruits and vegetables or through pills.

The easiest and most convenient way to get your daily vitamins is through a "multi-vitamin" supplement.

The health magazine Women's Sports & Fitness commissioned a laboratory analysis of five multi-vitamin formulas, from generic drugstore brands to the deluxe vitamin brands. The study found the nutrition content of one multi-vitamin is basically the same as the next, so you don't need to pay top dollar to get the most bang for your buck.

Most experts agree that there are two key vitamins:

• Folate: This vitamin is also known as folic acid. It is found in its highest concentration in green leafy vegetables, like spinach and asparagus, and in orange juice.

  Women who are thinking of becoming pregnant need to take extra amounts of folic acid. The National Academy Of Sciences recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid per day to reduce a woman's risk of having a child with neural tube defects, primarily known as spina bifida.

  Folate may also help the heart and prevent heart disease. The studies in this area are not as concrete as they are with birth defects, but there does seem to be solid evidence of a beneficial effect from folate.

  Studies have also shown that Americans do not get enough folate in their diets. That's why, since the beginning of this year, the government has mandated that grains be fortified with folate. That means that everything from pasta to bread to rice now contains folate.

  People over the age of 50 need to take a supplement of vitamin B-12, since beyond that age the body no longer is able to absorb this nutrient completely through food.

• Vitamin D and Calcium: Women need calcium for their bones, especially to prevent osteoporosis or "brittle bone disease. The human body cannot absorb calcium if it doesn't have enough vitamin D. That's why vitamin D is frequently fortified in dairy products.

  Strangely enough, vitamin D is not found in yogurt. So if you think that you're taking care of yourself by eating yogurt, you should think about getting your vitamin D in other ways. Sunlight also provides vitamin D. During the summer months, it's easy to get the vitamin D you need from being outdoors.

Eating Right: See CyberDiet's Nutritional Information Food Labels for a wide range of staples.