<p style=

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<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>As the colder months

approach, many people turn to vitamin supplements to aid their

diets. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>During the colder season

many people take vitamins to help aid the body in multiple

ways.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>UNA junior Amber Petree

takes vitamin supplements to make up for the loss of nutrients she

experiences during the colder season. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>“I take Vitamin C during the

winter months to keep my immune system up,” Petree said. “I also

take B-12, so that I am not as groggy because it improves my

ability to stay awake. B-12 helps to keep me more alert and more

focused.” 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>According to the Mayo

Clinic, Vitamin C can be found naturally in citrus, strawberries,

broccoli, red peppers, tomatoes and kiwi. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>The FDA warns consumers to

be careful when consuming Vitamin C, because an excess of the

vitamin can cause abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea and insomnia

according to the FDA.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Peggy Bergeron, a nurse at

UNA’s Health and Wellness Center said college students in general

are not eating the way they should. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Bergeron suggested that

students cut processed and fast food out of their diets. “Processed

foods in general are bad,” Bergeron said. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Bergeron said students

forget during the winter months they are losing Vitamin D, which

comes from the sun.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”> “Get out and walk, get some

exposure to the sun,” Bergeron suggested. “Just get out and walk

around, it helps with mood.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Bergeron also suggested that

students make sure they maintain a healthy level of Vitamin E in

their diet. She explained that Vitamin E is known to help boost

cardiovascular health and help with keeping the skin from drying

out.   

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>According to the Mayo

Clinic, Vitamin E is found naturally in sunflower seeds, mango,

kiwi, broccoli and spinach.

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>“Always make sure your

healthcare provider knows which supplements you are taking,”

Bergeron said. “If you are on a prescription medication, make sure

your healthcare provider approves the supplement. Do not just

search the Internet for supplements. Not everything on the Internet

is reputable.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Human Environmental Sciences

Instructor Jill Englett recommends students eat a healthy diet to

get the essential nutrients the body needs to function. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>“Do not take over the

recommended dietary allowance for any vitamin,” Englett said.”The

best way to get your vitamins is through your diet.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Englett suggests if students

are going to take a multivitamin they should take a multivitamin

that does not exceed 100 % of the recommended dietary allowance set

by the USDA. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>Both Englett and Bergeron

warned that if someone is going to take a vitamin supplement, they

should always first advise their healthcare provider. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>They both warn that vitamins

in excess can be harmful to the body and counteract with other

medications a person might be taking. 

<p class="MsoNormal" style=

“text-align: justify; text-indent: 14pt;”><span style=

“font-size: 14pt; font-family: Times;”>For more information on a

healthy diet, visit mypyramid.gov, visit FDA.gov or visit your

healthcare provider.