Water-soluble vitamins-B12 and vitamin C-dissolve in water. Your body absorbs what it can and then sends the rest out through the urine. You may even notice that water soluble vitamins cause a change in the color of your urine shortly after you take it.

It’s easy to destroy water-soluble vitamins through exposure to heat, light, and water, which can happen during cooking or storage. We recommend that you refrigerate fresh produce until you use it and make sure that milk and grains are stored in light-proof (opaque) packaging. Because it’s almost impossible to prevent vitamin loss completely, you may want to consider using the water you cook vegetables in to make soup. Not only do you preserve valuable vitamins, you also make a tastier dish.

As new scientific research emerges, recommendations change. We are now rethinking how much calcium and vitamin D is needed for good bone health. There is increasing evidence that too much calcium from supplements is not likely to be a benefit — and worse, can be harmful. This was underscored in the 2010 report from the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) recommending that premenopausal women and men may not benefit from calcium supplements.

Remember that we need to get these essential vitamins from our diets or from supplements. If you have a busy life or don’t consistently eat a balanced diet, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits of taking a multivitamin.

The recommended daily allowances (RDA) are goals established by the Institute of Medicine—the RDA varies with age, gender, and other factors. These amounts would be sufficient for 97% of the US population.

It has been said that our sewer systems are full of calcium. We’re popping supplements-and then excreting calcium four to six hours later, often relatively undigested and unabsorbed by our bodies. Or we’re spending significantly for supplements that claim to be highly absorbable.

People who suffer uncomfortable symptoms of lactose intolerance learn to avoid dairy products. There is no cure for lactose intolerance, but it can be managed to reduce the unpleasant symptoms. There are food strategies can help.