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Show Practice moderation in nutrition too lead to anemia. Zinc deficiencies can lead to fatigue, skin scaliness and fertility problems. To be on the safe side you shouldn't exceed 2,000 mg total, not just supplements. If you are eating a diet that has any calcium in it at all this would mean you shouldn't consume more than about ab-out 1,000 mg of calcium supplements supple-ments per day, Mahoney says. Have a dietitian analyze your diet. You may not need supplements supple-ments at all. Mahoney warns, in case you're thinking, "Well if calcium is preventing pre-venting me from absorbing enough zinc and iron, I'll just take more iron and zinc supplements." Don't try this either. Too much iron and zinc have their own side effects. , Too much iron can be toxic and too much zinc can cause problems with absorption of copper and iron, he says. It's boring, but there is no way to get around the concepts of moderation modera-tion and variety in the diet. The RDAs (recommended dietary allowances) allo-wances) are designed to give your body the correct balance and ratio of nutrients. Remember the law of diminishing dimi-nishing returns. By DENNIS HINKAMP Consumer Information Writer Utah State University Although we may not use the words "law of diminishing returns," re-turns," most of us understand the concept. Ten pounds of fertilizer will make your lawn green. Fifteen pounds will make it a little greener. Thirty pounds will turn it brown. The law of diminishing returns applies to almost everything in life. For instance, one donut tastes great. The second or third may still taste great but by the time you get to the eighth or ninth the thrill is gone. The law of diminishing returns, which could also be called the law of moderation, often conflicts with our notion of "more is better." When it comes to nutrition, this may be counterproductive or even dangerous. The body works on an interaction interac-tion of nutrients and too much of one may inhibit the use of another. For example, the current emphasis on calcium supplementation for women has led some to take large doses, thinking that more will build bones stronger or faster. According to Dr. Art Mahoney, nutritionist in the Utah State University Uni-versity College of Family Life, consuming more than 2,000 milligrams milli-grams of calcium a day may lead to zinc and iron deficiencies. "More is definitely not better. Trying to take too much calcium to . prevent osteoporosis, may lead to , a whole new set of problems," Mahoney says. l' He says iron deficiencies can |
