There is more research and scientific evidence to support that eating an organic, balanced diet, supplementing herbally and building regular exercise into your lifestyle is the perfect combination for increasing the function of your immune system and can build a resistance to not just minor ailments like the common cold but also give you the best resistance to chronic illnesses such as cancer.

Vitamin A, C and E are the foundation vitamin for ensuring you have a robust immune system.  You can get a good intake of Vitamin E by including a handful of almonds into your diet on a daily basis.  Guava and citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C.

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There are many minerals and vitamins that have blood glucose controlling qualities.  To work as efficiently as is necessary your body requires plenty of these vitamins and nutrients.  There is little research available to support that singular or particular blends of vitamins and minerals can increase your body’s blood glucose management and more research is needed in the field. 

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Organic is the latest marketing money spinner and this has now extended to the availability of organic vitamins.  We’ve been pre-conditioned to believe that organic is better – but are organic vitamins any better than their synthetic counterparts?

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We often take our eyes for granted working long hours in front of the computer, leaving them unprotected in the sun and avoiding that long overdue visit to the opticians.  Our eyes are intricately designed to give us keen vision in varying degrees of light and at close and long distance ranges.  Located at the front of the face they are susceptible to trauma, foreign objects and particles and infection.  Overuse can strain the eye muscles and in extreme cases damage the quality of sight.

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Anaemia is one of the most common blood disorders and occurs when the number of red blood cells drops below the number of white blood cells.  This can cause major problems for the body as red blood cells contain haemoglobin which is responsible for carrying oxygen to tissues within the body.  A malfunction here can cause a variety of issues such as fatigue and stress to organs.  Anemia can be caused by many things, but the three main bodily mechanisms that produce it are:

• excessive destruction of RBCs
• blood loss
• inadequate production of RBCs

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There are many old wives tales about how to ensure your baby is a boy or girl but a UK study has recently presented the first findings to suggest that what food and vitamins a woman consumes around the time she conceives could influence the sex of the child.

Scientists collected data from 740 first-time pregnancies and found that those women who ate a couple of hundred calories a day more than women in the lower calorie group were more likely to have a baby boy. 

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We all know that the best way to ensure your child has all the vitamins he or she needs is to make sure they eat a healthy well-balanced diet.  That means offering a wide variety of different foods including fruit and vegetables, lean meats and fish, whole grains, pulses and dairy products.

However this is the real world and although some children may like the sound of a healthy diet, most children won’t eat the foods we would like them to and there is a worry that the more picky eaters might not get the full variety of vitamins and nutrients they need to grow and develop into healthy adults.  In today’s fast food society it can be a challenge to guide your child away from sugary treats, processed meals and junk foods with poor nutritional value.

If you have a child that refuses to follow a healthy diet it may be worth considering supplementing their diet with a good multi-vitamin.  Here are some key guidelines to some of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are important for your child’s development:

•    Of huge importance to the development of an optimally functioning nervous system and brain is the omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs).  The best sources are from seed oils such as flax, hemp and pumpkin and from fish oils.
•    Vitamin C is essential for your child’s immune system and if your child refuses to eat fruits and vegetables they may be lacking in this vitamin.
•    It is believed by some experts that the quality of our soil has led to a depletion of essential minerals in our food.  The following are some minerals that are important to include in the diet:

• Calcium and magnesium ensure the development of healthy teeth, bones and muscles
• Zinc is now known to be essential to promoting a healthy immune system
• Chromium is important for carbohydrate metabolism which is particularly important if your child insists on eating a lot of refined sugary foods