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Prescription for Health

The recommendations below are meant for generally healthy individuals interested in optimum health and preventing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. More detailed information regarding deficiencies of and requirements for specific nutrients is available in the Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center.


Healthy Eating

  • Eat at least five servings (2½ cups) of fruits and vegetables daily, but don't include potatoes in your tally. In fact, the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that a person who consumes 2,000 calories a day should aim for nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables (the equivalent of 2½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit). More on fruits and vegetables
  • To increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake, eat fish twice weekly and eat foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid, such as walnuts, flaxseeds, and flaxseed and canola oil. More on omega-3 fatty acids
  • Use oils rich in unsaturated fats, such as soy, corn, safflower, and olive oil.
  • Reduce your intake of saturated and hydrogenated (trans) fat, such as butter, cheese, animal fat, stick margarine, and vegetable shortening.
  • Reduce your intake of potatoes, white flour, and white rice by substituting whole grain products, such as whole wheat flour and pasta, whole grain breads and cereals, and brown rice. More on whole grains
  • Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar and low in nutrients, such as soft drinks, sugar-coated breakfast cereals, and candy.
  • Limit your intake of overcooked or charred meat, and eat meat or fish with ample portions of vegetables.

Healthy Lifestyle

  • Aim for a healthy weight. Becoming overweight (BMI of 25-29.5) or obese (BMI of 30 or more) increases the risk of many chronic diseases. Calculate your BMI. Having too much abdominal fat (waist circumference greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women) also increases disease risk. If you are at risk of obesity-associated diseases (see table), even a relatively small weight loss (10% of your current weight) can help lower your risk.
  • Accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. Most people can realize additional health benefits by increasing the duration of moderate-intensity exercise to an average of 60 minutes daily or by engaging in more vigorous physical activity. Examples of activities and their intensity levels. To improve muscular strength and balance and minimize bone loss, include strength-building activities, such as weight lifting, at least twice a week.
  • If you smoke, make every effort to quit. Even if you have smoked many years, quitting will result in dramatically decreased risk of chronic diseases. Smoking cessation resources
  • Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, but increased risk of some cancers. If you drink alcohol, limit your consumption to one alcoholic drink per day for women and two for men. Avoid alcohol if you have a personal or family history of breast or colon cancer or alcoholism. More on alcohol

Supplements

  • Multivitamins:

    Take a multivitamin supplement with 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for most vitamins and essential minerals, keeping the following suggestions in mind: More on multivitamins
    • Iron: In general, men and postmenopausal women should take a multivitamin without iron. More on iron
    • Vitamin A: Look for a multivitamin containing no more than 2,500 IU of vitamin A, or, if unavailable, a multivitamin containing 5,000 IU of vitamin A, of which at least 50% comes from beta-carotene. More on vitamin A

  • Vitamin C:

    Aim for a daily intake of at least 400 mg. Multivitamins usually provide 60 mg of vitamin C, and five servings of fruits and vegetables about 200 mg. More on vitamin C

  • Vitamin E:

    Take an extra supplement of 200 IU of natural source alpha-tocopherol (d-alpha-tocopherol) daily with a meal. More on vitamin E

  • Calcium:

    No multivitamin supplement contains 100% of the DV for calcium. If your total daily calcium intake doesn't add up to 1,000 mg add an extra calcium supplement (with a meal) to make up the difference. More on calcium

* More on the difference between Dr. Linus Pauling's recommendation and the Linus Pauling Institute's recommendation for vitamin C intake