Multivitamins, and random information

Do I need that? What are all of these crazy words listed on the side of my multivitamin bottle? 

I wondered that one time, and it's part of what made me pick up books and start reading.  A lot of people are familiar with the more common ones like calcium, iron, and zinc. (If you're not, don't worry - I'm not done... I'm just too sleepy tonight to get into that.  I will though... I will.) Not so commonly known are the trace minerals... so I thought I'd run through some of them real quick for you - just because I think information is something you should never keep to yourself.

Chromium: Works with insulin to balance blood sugar levels, helps lower cholesterol levels, and protects against heart disease.

Copper: Helps the body use iron and convert food into energy.

Fluoride: Helps protect teeth.

Iodine: Helps control metabolic activity.

Magnesium: Helps cells and muscles work efficiently. Helps the body use calcium and potassium.

Manganese: An antioxidant and important for bone structure and nerve function.

Phosphorus: Required for healthy cells, bones, and teeth.

Potassium: Helps in cellular growth and controlling blood pressure.  Also good for the nervous system and for regulating bodily fluids and the acid-alkali balance in the body.  Required for muscle activity and helps prevent cramping.

Selenium: A major antioxidant with anti-cancer powers.

Sodium: Helps regulate the body's water content and enables the nerves to function effectively.

I will add a more thorough explanation of what vitamins and minerals do for your body, and why you should make sure you base your diet around them, and take supplements to fill in the gaps you may be creating with choices ranging from McDonald's to Dominos.  TAKE YOUR VITAMINS. 

Some random facts for you, from the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.  I have just started flipping through this book tonight, so I will let you know what I think of it when I finish it.  I'll probably read it tomorrow night.  Yeah... that's what I do occasionally on a Friday night. And what! Say something...  ;) hehe

• Americans choose to eat less than .25% of the known edible food on the planet.
• Nearly one-third of the land surface on the planet is dedicated to livestock.
• On average, Americans eat the equivalent of 21,000 entire animals in a lifetime.
• In the typical cage for egg-laying hens, each bird has 67 square inches of space.
• Animal agriculture makes a 40% greater contribution to global warming than all the transportation in the world combined; it is the number one cause of climate change.
• Modern industrial fishing lines can be as long as 75 miles -- the same distance as from sea level to space.
• Less than 1% of the animals killed for meat in America come from family farms.