| Vitamins |
Recommendations * |
| A |
No more than 2,500 IU |
| B6 |
4 mg a day |
| B12 |
25 mcg, in a supplement. (B12 in a supplement is absorbed much better than the B12 found in food) |
| C |
400 mg a day three times a day (remember it's water-soluble, so you need several doses over the day). Reduce this to 100 mg a day from supplements if you're taking a statin drug (for example, Zocor, Lipitor, Pravachol, or Crestor) |
| D |
400 IU a day if under age 60; 600 IU a day if 60 or over |
| E |
400 to 800 IU a day (400 to 800 IU of mixed tocopherols is the form I favor). Reduce this to less than 100 IU a day from supplements if you're taking a statin drug |
| F (folate) |
800 mcg a day (folic acid, folate, or folicin, sometimes listed as vitamin B9) |
| Thiamin |
25 mg |
| Riboflavin |
25 mg |
| Niacin |
At least 30 mg a day, preferably more if you're taking a statin drug (check with your doctor) |
| Biotin |
300 mg |
| Pantothenic acid |
30 mg |
| Minerals |
|
| Calcium |
600 mg twice a day (1,200 mg total a day for women) |
| Magnesium |
400 mg a day |
| Selenium |
200 mcg a day |
| Zinc |
15 mg |
| Potassium |
Four fruits plus a normal diet should do |
| Additional vitamin-like substances that might be taken daily |
| Lycopene |
Ten tablespoons of tomato sauce a week (400 mg) should do it |
| Lutein |
A leafy green vegetable a day (40 mg) should do it |
| Alpha lipoic acid |
Not indicated by data yet, but if you want it, 400 mg a day |
| Acetyl-L-carnitine |
Not indicated by data yet, but if you want it, 1,500 mg a day |
| Coenzyme Q10 |
Add 200 mg if you're taking a statin drug. Make sure your multivitamin contains less than 2,500 IU (less than 1.6 mg) of vitamin A, because too much vitamin A or beta-carotene ages you. |
