It is common practice in North America to shower on a daily basis, sometimes more than once. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that more chlorine is absorbed through skin during average shower than by drinking six to eight glasses of tap water. This may make one wonder, how clean is shower water?

Are you a fan of hot showers? Since skin is porous, it is body's way of excreting toxins and regulating temperature, hot showers cause pores of skin to dilate, allowing chlorine and other free radicals to be rapidly absorbed. Chlorine is also contained within water vapor that enters air as steam, and which we breathe into our lungs as we shower. Dr. Halina Brown, a professor of water chemistry at University of Pittsburgh, claims that exposure to vaporized chemicals in water supplied through showering, bathing and inhalation is 100 times greater than through drinking water.

Are Vitamin Supplements Really Necessary? by Renee Kennedy

It is a fact that vitamins are important to a healthy diet. Without certain vitamins, your body could be at risk for disease. There are some studies on how specific vitamins can help specific illnesses. Some of those studies are mentioned below and references are listed at end of article.

However, most of medical community seems to agree that getting your vitamins from whole foods is much better than taking supplements.

There are exceptions to this. For example, if you're pregnant, a folic acid supplement may be prescribed by your doctor. Another example is taking doctor recommended vitamin supplements for a specific illness.

Do not take vitamin supplements without consulting your health care provider, especially if you are on any medications or you have any illness or special health conditions (like pregnancy, anemia, heart condition, etc.).

Here are most important vitamins:

Vitamin A --Affects: skin, tissue growth and regeneration, eyes, white blood cells, bone and teeth growth and mucus membranes in mouth, nose, throat, lungs. --Daily Recommended Dosage: 5,000 IU for men and 4,000 IU for women --Whole Foods: whole milk, fat-free milk fortified with vitamin A, whole eggs, liver, beef, chicken, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, cantaloupe, mangos, apricots, tomato juice. --Deficiency Symptoms: teeth and gum problems, fatigue, loss of appetite, dry, scaly skin, increase susceptibility to infection, night blindness. (Vitamin A deficiency would be rare in United States, it occurs mainly in developing countries where people are malnourished.) --Warnings: High doses of Vitamin A from supplements can cause birth defects, liver problems and reduction in bone density. --Research: A recent study found that beta carotene along with other antioxidants and zinc may slow down macular degeneration. Your doctor will prescribe proper vitamins if you have macular degeneration.

Vitamin B6 --Affects: brain and metabolism --Daily Recommended Dosage: 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams --Whole Foods: Poultry, fish, pork, eggs, soybeans, oats, whole-grain foods, nuts, seeds and bananas. --Deficiency Symptoms: skin problems, anemia in adults, convulsions in infants --Warnings: High doses of B6 may cause nerve damage.