Nutritional supplements important even for non-dieters, experts say

• January 25, 2005 Whether you're dieting or eating what you please, supplements can play an important role in your overall health.
• If you're not eating these foods, be sure to indulge in plenty of leafy greens, and make sure folic acid is in your daily multivitamin (400 mcg for women, 200 mcg for men).
• This robust B vitamin seems to help ward off everything from cardiovascular disease, stroke, birth defects, Alzheimer's disease, and breast, colon and pancreatic cancers.
• Selenium Support "I love selenium," says San Francisco dietician Alison Eastwood, R.D. "It's a co-antioxidant."
• Selenium supports the antioxidants working hard to help repair cell damage in your body, not to mention reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers.
• Grains contain selenium, so if you're cutting them out, be sure to take a supplement.
• "You'll find it in a multivitamin like Centrum Silver," Eastwood says.
• Vitamin E for Extraordinary This antioxidant has gained notoriety because it offers protection from coronary artery disease.
• It also defends your body's tissues against those nasty free radicals associated with aging.
• If that's not enough, vitamin E helps you form new blood cells, too.
• You'll find this fat-soluble friend in oily fish, oils, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and most multivitamins.
• Calcium may help you lose weight, say researchers at Purdue University's Department of Foods and Nutrition.
• They also found a link between eating dairy products -- which are naturally loaded with calcium -- and a lower incidence of insulin resistance syndrome.
• If you're trying to shed a few pounds, take a calcium supplement or work some calcium-rich milk, cheese or yogurt into your diet.
• Ann Lane is a freelance writer based in San Francisco.
• She writes about health and nutrition for SELF magazine, aHealthyme.com, parentcenter.com and BabyCenter.