If you eat healthy and varied, you get all the vitamins and minerals in sufficient numbers within. But in practice, this is often easier said than done. Only a small part of the Dutch eat every day according to the food pyramid. Saves the vast majority do not. In such a case, in the form of a multivitamin supplement can be helpful.
Some groups have always need extra vitamins, how healthy they also eat. For example, pregnant women, as well as seniors and people with dark or tinted skin.

Then there are finally people for whom extra vitamins are recommended because of their lifestyle. For example, smokers, or vegans. But this also applies to people working on the lines are or many sports.

Do here the vitamin test to see if you need a multivitamin.

There are several types of supplements on the market. Where only one or a few vitamins in supplements, but also supplements in which nearly all the vitamins and minerals are: multivitamins.

Multivitamins can complement are on your daily healthy diet. They are available in different forms: tablets, drops, sprays and chewable and effervescent tablets. Vitamin supplements are available without a prescription at drug store, pharmacy and in the supermarket.

All 13 vitamins are in a multivitamin. That's a good thing: they have all 13 different, but important functions in the body. There there are minerals in a multivitamin.

Healthy diet is always the main base to get enough vitamins and minerals. From the food consumption Survey, however, shows that the majority of English people are not healthy eating enough. Multivitamins are that a good addition. They can provide extra energy with fatigue and worry that resistance.

More and more people In England are using extra vitamins and minerals in the form of a multivitamin supplement. Multivitamin supplements or multivitamins are the dietary supplements, they are meant as a supplement to the daily diet, be used for additional energy or for a good resistance.
Here you will find specific information about multivitamins. We explain what a multivitamin is and when your extra vitamins in the form of a multivitamin can use. Also we will address the safety of multivitamins and pronunciations (claims) that on the label. Finally, you'll find here frequently asked questions about multivitamins.

Minerals are substances that the body does not itself to. We need to get them through food. A varied and healthy diet is important for a good mineral supply.

Each product group from the food pyramid provides certain minerals. The overview below gives in alphabetical order a brief explanation about the different minerals and their (natural) sources.

Calcium
Calcium occurs mainly in dairy products such as milk and cheese. Bread, vegetables, pulses and potatoes contain much less calcium than dairy products, but wear though of the total calcium supply.

Below is some important calcium sources for the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Starting point is the requirement of an adult, namely 1000 mg of calcium a day

Natural food sources% RDA man and woman
Semi-skimmed milk (1 glass) 18
48 + cheese (1 slice) 16
Green beans (cooked 200 grams) 11
Broccoli (cooked, 200 grams) 7
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 1

Chloride
Because chloride is often in the form of salt is taken in the same foods as sodium chloride comes for. Sodium chloride, and therefore, is present in almost all foods and drinks. Chloride is in the form of salt during the manufacturing process, preparing the meal or added at the table.

There are no general information available about the amount of chloride in foods in Netherlands.

Chrome
Grain products with a high content of bran are high in chromium. It is not clear whether chromium from these products are also good. Advance chrome mainly in Brewer's yeast, whole wheat bread, vegetable, cane molasses, meat and liver. Meat, poultry, and fish contain per serving between 1-2 micrograms of chromium. The content of chromium in fruits and vegetables is very variable.

There are no general information available about the amount of chromium in foods in Netherlands.

Phosphorus
Phosphorus comes almost in all foods. Foods as milk, fish, meat and bread contain relatively much phosphorus. Also phosphorus, as a binding agent, in the form of phosphate salt added to food products.

Below is for some products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed. Starting point is a need of 700 milligrams of phosphorus per day. This is the lower limit of the RDA for adults.


Natural dietary sources% RDA man and woman
Chicken breast (75 grams) 36
Semi-skimmed yoghurt (1 dish) 25
Semi-skimmed milk (1 glass) 22
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 10
White cabbage (cooked, 200 grams) 7

Iron
Iron is found in meat and meat products, potatoes, bread and vegetables. The main suppliers for iron in the Dutch diet are bread and meat (were).

Below is for some products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed. Starting point is a need of 9 milligrams of iron per day for men and a need of 15 milligrams of iron per day for women.

Natural food sources% RDA (male)% RDA (female)
Corn salad (raw, 100 grams) 44 27
Apple syrup (1 slice) 25 15
1 Meatball (75 grams) 15 9
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 8 5
Currants/raisins (1 tablespoon) 3 2

Iodine
Iodine occurs naturally in sea water, in soil and in drinking water. Through these roads is iodine in food as sea fish and vegetables. Milk and milk products also contribute to the iodine intake. In the consumer goods Act stipulates that bread and bread substitutes, meat products and common salt and common salt substitutes may be enriched with iodine.

There are no general data on the amount of iodine in foods in Netherlands.

Potassium
Potassium comes almost in all foods. Major sources of potassium are potatoes, bread, milk and milk products, meat and meat products and vegetables.

When potatoes and vegetables with plenty of water be boiled potassium is lost.

Because there is no recommended daily allowance in Netherlands has been prepared for potassium, there is no percentage of this quantity.

Copper
Copper occurs mainly in organ meats, fish & seafood, nuts and cereal products. Also fruits and vegetables and cocoa products contain copper.

Below is for some products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed. Starting point is a need of 1.5 milligrams of copper per day. This is the lower limit of the RDA for adults.

Natural food sources% RDA man and woman
Beef liver (75 grams) 550
Peeled shrimps (75 grams) 36
Cashew nuts (1 tablespoon, 20 g) 23
Sprinkles, pure (1 slice) 20
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 5

Magnesium
Magnesium found in almost all foods for. The content of magnesium varies by food. Cocoa and dark chocolate, shellfish, shrimp, soybeans and nuts contain more than 100 milligrams of magnesium per 100 grams. Also green vegetables, Brown grains and nuts are rich in magnesium. Drinking water can make an important contribution to the intake of magnesium. This depends on the magnesium content of the drinking water.

Below is for some products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed. The calculation is based on a need of 300 milligrams magnesium/day for men and a need of 250 milligrams magnesium/day for women.


Natural food sources% RDA (male)% RDA (female)
Soybeans (cooked, 100 grams) 50 60
Peanuts, unsalted (1 tablespoon) 14 17
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 8 9
Semi-skimmed milk (1 glass) 6 7
Sprinkles (1 slice) 6 7
Manganese
Manganese is found in cereals, rice, nuts, leafy vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and tea. There are no general information available about the amount of manganese in foods in Netherlands.

Molybdenum
Molybdenum occurs mainly in legumes, grains and nuts. Other good sources of molybdenum are organ meat, milk and eggs. The concentration of molybdenum in plant food depends on the amount of molybdenum in the soil in which the food grow.

There are no general information available about the amount of molybdenum in foods in Netherlands.

Sodium
Sodium is present in almost all foods and drinks. In some foods and drinks sodium comes naturally. Furthermore, sodium in the form of salt during the manufacturing process, preparing the meal or added at the table. Because there is no recommended daily allowance has been established by the Health Council of the Netherlands, are below for several products as a percentage of the amount of the recommended intake of 2.4 grams of sodium (= 6 grams of table salt). There only allow foods to which sodium is added.

Dietary sources% of 2.4 grams of sodium
Salt (1 teaspoon, 3 grams) 49
Sauerkraut (cooked, 200 grams) 25
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 7
48 + cheese (1 slice) 7
Nuts (1 tablespoon, 15 grams) 6
Selenium
Selenium is present in almost all foods. The content of selenium in plant products depends on the Selenium content of the soil. Grains are generally richer in selenium than vegetables.

Meats such as liver and kidney contains a lot of selenium and the same applies to fish and shellfish.

Below is for some products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed. Starting point is a need of 50 micrograms of selenium per day. This is the lower limit of the RDA for adults.

Natural food sources% RDA man and woman
Nice guy (145 grams) 140
Beef liver (1 piece, 75 grams) 59
Tuna, canned in oil (25 grams) 45
Wheat bread (1 slice) 4
Semi-skimmed milk (1 glass) 3

Zinc
Zinc occurs primarily in meat, fish, herring, whole wheat bread, pulses and rice.

For more information about minerals

Most vitamins we get from our diet. People are not able to vitamins to create itself. There are a few exceptions. Vitamin K and D can be created by the body. Vitamin B and A can also make the body itself, but there is the amino acid tryptophan or beta-carotene for need from food.

Who eat sufficient and varied (see the food pyramid), gets all the vitamins within which daily are needed. But not everyone can get enough vitamins from food. A supplement for these groups is desirable.

The following is an overview of the different (pro) vitamins and their natural resources. Per vitamin is for some relevant products the quantity as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is displayed.

Beta-carotene
Beta carotene is found in (dark) green leafy vegetable and carbon species. Carrots also contain a lot of beta-carotene, like mangoes and tangerines. Beta carotene gives the characteristic colour to orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin A
Important sources for vitamin A are liver, fish, (half) whole milk and milk products and butter. Fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene, which the body is converted to vitamin A as needed. in addition, in Netherlands vitamin A added to margarine, low-fat margarine and cooking products to the level of butter.

Liver contains large amounts of vitamin a. the Health Council Therefore recommends that pregnant women not to eat liver. Example: 75 grams beef liver contains over 27,000 micrograms of vitamin A, nine times as much as the safe upper limit of 3000 micrograms per day!

Vitamin B1
Most foods have a low content of vitamin B1. The main sources of this vitamin are pork and grain products.

Vitamin B2
Important sources of vitamin B2 are milk (products), meat (were), vegetables, fruits and grain products.

Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 has starred in various foods: meat and fish, cereals, vegetables and fruit. In addition, the body can make vitamin B3 partly from the amino acid tryptophan (a building block of proteins).

Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 comes in many different foods for meat, fish, eggs, potatoes, milk (products), vegetables and fruit.

Vitamin B6
Good sources of vitamin B6 are meat, eggs, fish, cereals, potatoes and legumes. Vegetables, milk and cheese contain vitamin B6 in smaller quantities.

Vitamin B8
Vitamin B8 comes in many different foods, including eggs, milk, soy products, nuts and peanuts.

Folic acid (vitamin B11)
Folic acid is found in green vegetables, fruit, whole grain products and to a lesser extent in milk and milk products.


Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 occurs only in foods of animal origin. Vegetarians, vegans, but surely there should be extra careful that this vitamin is present enough in their diet. If not, are supplements necessary.

Vitamin C
The main sources of vitamin C are vegetables, fruit and potatoes.

Vitamin C in food is sensitive to heat. The vitamin C is declining as a result of (long-term) cooking and during storage at a relatively high temperature. After opening a bottle or Pack sap takes the vitamin C content. For acid juices (such as orange juice) continues the decline limited to about two percent per day. By shaking more vitamin C can also be lost.

Vitamin D
The main source for vitamin D is sunlight. At large exposure to sunlight makes the body for most adults enough vitamin D in the skin. Children under four years of age need extra vitamin D needed.
Vitamin D occurs naturally only in foods of animal origin. These foods contain, however, generally very little vitamin d. a exception is oily fish (such as salmon and mackerel); they contain slightly more vitamin d. In Netherlands is vitamin D to margarine, low-fat margarine and cooking products added.


Vitamin E
Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils and in plant products such as cereals, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. Animal products are relatively low in vitamin e.

Vitamin K
The body is itself able to make vitamin K to. In addition we also get vitamin K from food. Vitamin K occurs mainly in spinach, broccoli and oils.

Body
Most vitamins we need to ingest through food. But there are two that our body can make itself.
These are vitamin D and vitamin k. vitamin D is synthesized in the skin, under the influence of the Sun. For that it is important to every day a quarter of an hour to come out with hands and face uncovered. Vitamin K is made by bacteria in the intestine. Only babies can this yet (enough) and have therefore a supplement needed.

We make itself vitamins
In addition, the body also make vitamin A and vitamin B3, but other substances from the power supply, the so-called pro-vitamins. For vitamin A is this beta carotene, vitamin B3 for the amino acid tryptophan.

The body of man is not able to make vitamin C itself. Also great apes and Guinea Pigs cannot. All other animals can make vitamin C does itself.

Minerals we can not create itself. There are no exceptions. We must therefore all minerals from our diet.

The body as pantry
The body can store vitamins in the body. The fat-soluble vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K are stored to a limited extent in the body. The rest is excreted through the urine or bile. The water soluble vitamins (B vitamins and vitamin C) may, with the exception of vitamin B12, also only in small quantities are stored. The rest will be excreted through the urine. Fat-soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins are stored in the body at different places. For example, vitamin A is stored in adipose tissue, vitamin B12 in the liver.

Because we most vitamins no large stock can moor, it is important that we get them daily through our diet. Minerals are stored in various places in the body. Examples include calcium, magnesium and zinc. Calcium can be found in bones, magnesium in muscles and zinc in the hair and skin.

Vitamins come not only from food. The body can make some vitamins themselves.
Many people use supplements. That contain extra vitamins and minerals, in addition to the power supply. But what supplements are there, what do you really need and how to make a responsible choice? Also on those questions can be found in this chapter the answers.

For the composition of supplements, for adding vitamins and minerals to foods and for the mention of the composition, for example on the label, apply laws and rules. The most important we have.