Category: Nutrition Information

A guide to vitamin C supplements – Often touted as immune system super-boosters, vitamin C supplements are put to the test by Healthy Food Guide. You might notice in winter How much vitamin C that big jars of vitamin C supplements appear on retail shelves, but the wide variety of choices means it’s important to

Foods to boost zinc   How much? The recommended daily intake (RDI) for adults is: women     8mg men    14mg Vegetarians need to take care: Zinc absorption is lower from vegetarian diets, so intakes need to be 50 per cent higher for people not eating meat: that’s up to 12mg for women and 21mg for

Vitamins give you energy – but will taking extra vitamins make you more energetic? We need the B group vitamins – including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and pantothenic acid – to produce energy in the cells of our bodies. But it does not follow that if you have more B vitamins you'll feel more energetic. If

Magnesium seems to be the supplement of the moment, but is it all it’s cracked up to be. Dietitian Katrina Pace gives us the lowdown. Head into any pharmacy and you’ll see row upon row of magnesium supplements. Sold as a way to help you sleep, calm down and relax your muscles, magnesium is being

Why do we need selenium? The mineral selenium is incorporated into a range of important proteins in our bodies, called selenoproteins, one of which is a vital part of our antioxidant defence mechanism. Scientists believe selenium could play a role in reducing the likelihood of developing cancer, as it has been shown to inhibit cell

All animal foods contain vitamin B12 – some foods are fortified with it – but New Zealanders may still have a low intake. Why B12? Vitamin B12 is needed throughout life for normal growth and development, healthy functioning of the nervous system and cell division. A deficiency of B12 can cause tiredness, anaemia, tingling and

Q. "I get cracks on the corners of my mouth all the time. Could this be related to diet?" A. Senior nutritionist Rose Carr responds: This could be related to an inadequate intake of riboflavin (vitamin B2), other B vitamins or iron, although if that is the case you’re likely to have other symptoms too. Red meat