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ARE VITAMINS REALLY NECESSARY?

GET YOUR ESSENTIAL VITAMINS FROM FOOD ALONE

By Felicia Pesis

"It is still very possible to get in all of your essential vitamins and minerals solely through the foods you eat."

With the economy the way it is, any way to cut back and save is welcome. Costs add up between transportation, food, clothing and other expenses. Today, we introduce a new way to save: Eliminate vitamins. Yes, you heard right. While I am not espousing the benefits of a diet void of nutrients, I am saying that you may not need to purchase vitamin supplements anymore. Everyone knows it is crucial to get your daily nutrients, but taking them in tablet form may not be a valuable method. As Harvard Healthbeat notes, recent research has questioned the effectiveness of these pills. Its concerns are two-fold:

• Many multivitamins contain an excess of certain nutrients and micronutrients, which can lead to unsafe levels of these elements in your body;
• There has been research that supports the claim that vitamin supplements do not protect against cardiovascular disease or cancer in the same way that vitamins from regular foods do.

However, this is not bad news. It is still very possible to get in all of your essential vitamins and minerals solely through the foods you eat. Even if you eat less than 2,000 calories, as many women do, getting the recommended vitamins and nutrients is feasible. It is more a matter of food quality than quantity. There are many nutrient-dense foods that are still low in calories. Here are some options: Avocados, chard, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, mushrooms – crimini and shiitake specifically, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, papaya, raspberries, strawberries, low-fat yogurt, eggs, seeds – especially flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower, dried beans – specifically garbanzo, kidney, navy and pinto, lentils, peas, almonds, cashews, peanuts, barley, oats, quinoa, brown rice, salmon, halibut, cod, scallops, shrimp, tuna, lean beef, lamb, venison, chicken or turkey. You can put together delicious, nutrient-rich meals without packing on any additional pounds.

The best way to ensure you are getting your recommended daily nutrients is to make a food plan. Online food diaries such as http://www.caloriecounter.com and http://www.dailyplate.com allow you to track your snacks and meals. They include full nutritional information for thousands of foods, so you can plan or track what you are eating to see if you are reaching the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals. If you are still having trouble getting in these essential nutrients, make an appointment with a registered dietitian to make a plan tailored specifically for you. Here’s wishing you happy, healthy eating!

Note: Harvard notes that even with quality food choices, it is still unlikely that you get enough vitamin D. They suggest continuing with this supplement.

 

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