You’re probably wondering why you need to know what vitamins are best for you because you already take a multivitamin.
Well, multi-vitamins, like the highly recommended One-A-Day Women’s, adhere to the updated DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes) very closely, but even the best multi-vitamin can’t stuff everything in. Use this list, which includes the top 10 vitamins African American women need and the recommended intake, to cross-reference the multi-vitamin you take or are considering taking.
Vitamin A
The recommended daily value is 5,000 IU (International Unit). 5,000 IU is too much for women with relatively healthy diets, which is why most multi-vitamins cut that amount in half.
B Vitamins (B6, B12, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin)
B6: 2 mg (milligrams)
B12: 6 mg
Riboflavin: 1.7 mg
Thiamin: 1.5 mg
Niacin: 20 mg
Bs are in plenty of foods, especially vitamin-spiked cereals, so there is usually not a high need for more.
Vitamin C
The recommended amount is 60 mg, but new research suggests that 60 mg is not enough. You can get more than enough from one glass of OJ, which packs 120 mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin D
800 IU. Without Vitamin D, your body can’t can’t absorb calcium. Because it’s in not in a lot of foods, it’s hard to get through your diet.
Vitamin E
30 IU, but research is being performed to find out if extra vitamin E protects against cardiovascular disease and/or cancer.
Vitamin K
100 mcg (micrograms). Vitamin K works with Vitamin D and calcium to build bones, yet some multi vitamins leave out Vitamin K altogether because it can interfere with blood thinning drugs that are used to treat heart disease. If you are at risk, you should check with your doctor before taking extra K.
Folic Acid
400 mcg. Folic Acid is recommended for all women of a child bearing age, as it is said to prevent birth defects.
Calcium
1,000 mg. Calcium is key in building and maintaining healthy bones.
Iron
18 mg. African American women tend to be low in Iron. Be careful with taking in additional Iron because the body stores Iron and you don’t want to reach the toxic level of 45mg, which can cause diarrhea in the short term and problems like heart disease over time.
Magnesium
400 mg. Most African American women don’t get enough of magnesium, which protects against heart disease, diabetes
