Slump no more.

Vitamins can add vigor to your day

For Charles Collins, there's little downtime during the workday. As the principal of the Paul Bobeson Community School of the Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey, he never knows what might come up and need his immediate attention. Perhaps that's one reason why he swears by vitamin supplements.

"I don't have the best eating habits," says Collins, who only has a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, a bowl of soup for lunch and one serving of his wife's cooking for dinner. "I need the extra oomph to help get me going" and keep up with the faculty and 500 students, grades pre-K through eight, under his charge.

Think taking vitamins is a waste of time? "Very few African Americans--in fact, very few Americans of any race--eat a well-balanced diet on an ongoing basis," say Dr. Marcellus A. Walker and Dr. Kenneth B. Singleton, authors, in Natural Health for African Americans: The Physicians' Guide (Warner Books, $14.99). "Many of us don't eat as well as we should, and nutritional supplements provide some insurance that we get the nutrition we need."

Long, nonstop days at the office often mean fast food and/or skipped meals. Vitamins become crucial to ensuring that your system doesn't slow down during those times when you need lots of energy. Collins' daily morning cocktail includes Vitamins A and C, ginko biloba (for memory) and garlic (for circulation). If you're not into swallowing a handful of pills every day, you can still get the health benefits through a single multivitamin. They come in various formulations by age and gender.

To help you get in the know about basic vitamins, we've constructed an at-a-glance chart of 12 key supplements. A word of caution: "Mega-dosing," taking more than the recommended amounts, can actually do more harm than good. See your doctor or nutritionist for the right dosage for you.

Name                              What It Does

Vitamin C                       Enhances immune system: promotes
                                  tissue growth and speeds healing:
                                  reduces blood cholesterol levels
                                  and high blood pressure
Vitamin E                       Helps improve circulation, prevents
                                  cataracts, slows signs of aging
Selenium                        Maintains tissue elasticity and red
                                  blood cell metabolism
Calcium and Magnesium           Maintain regular heartbeat: prevent
                                  osteoporosis
Vitamin A and Beta-carotene     Prevent night blindness and acne:
                                  heal gastrointestinal ulcers
B-Complex BS, B6, B12           Maintain healthy nerves, skin,
                                  eyes, hair, liver and mouth
Folate (Folic Acid)             Stimulates energy production and
                                  formation of red blood cells:
                                  encourages DNA synthesis,
                                  healthy cell division and
                                  replication
Zinc                            Important in prostate gland
                                  function: promotes healthy
                                  immune system and healing
                                  of wounds: affects taste
                                  and smell
Chromium                        Helps synthesize cholesterol,
                                  fats and protein
Essential Fatty Acids           Necessary for the overall
                                  health of the blood vessels
                                  and nerves
L-Glutamine                     Speeds repair of the
                                  digestive tract:, essential
                                  for cerebral function
L-Cysteine                      Detoxifies chemicals: assists
                                  metabolic processes

Source: Natural Health for African Americans: The Physician's Guide