Vitamin Intake HN

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Multivitamin Intake
Describe the factors you should consider in choosing an appropriate multi-nutrient supplement.
The main reason why a person may consider using nutritional supplements is to ensure that his or her body gets all the minerals and vitamins required to work at peak level. Before one goes shopping for dietary supplements, he or she needs to understand what type of nutrition requirement that the body needs (Higdon 79). Moreover, one needs to look at the diet that he or she uses and determine which body nutrients are not being met by those foods that he or she eats. In such a case, a nutritionist opinion may be required to determine the type minerals, vitamins, and other nutritional products required (Higdon 83). The nutritionist conducts tests to determine the nutrient deficiencies and then gives feedback on which ways one can change the diet for good nutrition. Moreover, a person needs to look for red flags that may exist on a particular label. Preservatives and additives such as chlorine, sugar, and coloring should be avoided (Higdon 97).
Explain the difference between enrichment and fortification. What foods from your diet fit into each category? What is the impact of fortified foods on your overall vitamin intake? What about enriched foods? Do you think fortifying or enriching foods is always a good approach to preventing malnutrition? Why or why not?
Enrichment means that some nutrients that had been lost during the processing stage are added back, while fortification entails the addition of minerals and vitamins to food that did not initially contain those nutrients, such as adding vitamin D in milk.

From my overall vitamin intake, fortified foods can increase nutrients such as Vitamin A and D in the body. Enriching the foods can also enable the body gain nutrients such as riboflavin, and vitamins B1 and B2 (Higdon 108). Fortifying and enriching are good ways of preventing malnutrition since they yield results faster and can be sustained over a more extended period. Moreover, they are cost-effective means that one can use to gain the important nutrients that may require one to use more money to buy more foods (Higdon 114).

Work Cited
Higdon, Jane. An evidence-based approach to vitamins and minerals: health implications and intake recommendations. New York: Thieme, 2003. Print.