Mystery of the Multivitamin
Bite This: More than half of all Americans take a multivitamin.
I'm back!
Let's get down to business. You have probably read in the news recently or heard recently (okay, maybe not all that recently) about how multivitamins are pointless. I have had a lot of people say to me recently, "hey, I heard that vitamins are pointless." Yep, multivitamins may not help prevent "chronic diseases like cancer or cardiovascular disease or death." (Well, no shit.)
Are you sitting on your ass all day eating potato chips and smoking that cigarette and think you're protected from heart disease because of your morning routine of popping those gummy vitamins? Or how about inhaling toxic chemicals at work all day, or eating out of plastic containers which you just nuked your dinner in the microwave, and thinking, "hey, it's cool, I had my vitamin today!"
Did anyone think that vitamins and minerals were going to protect them from chronic diseases like these? I'm sorry, I was just taking mine to prevent an iron deficiency because I don't eat a lot of meat. I was taking mine for the purpose for which it was intended - to prevent a vitamin deficiency.
I agree with one thing - vitamins are pointless if you are eating a healthy well-balanced diet. You know, one consisting of 5 whole servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as well as five servings of whole grains, 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy, and as little sugar as possible? Raise your hand if you ate 5 servings of fruits and vegetables today. Give a thumbs up if you got all of your calcium today. So, you, my friend, may actually benefit from a multivitamin if you didn't throw your hand in the air or give me a thumbs up.
Anyway, my point is that multivitamins are beneficial for some people who are deficient in a vitamin or mineral, but they're not going to protect you from every illness or chronic disease or death. And yes, a single vitamin or mineral like beta-carotene can actually be harmful in large quantities. Large quantities. So lesson here is? Drum roll....MODERATION! One general multivitamin with 100% or less of the RDA of vitamins and minerals per day can be beneficial and not harmful - it's when people take multiple vitamins and minerals and supplements where shit goes awry. And that extra single vitamins/minerals are not necessary unless you know for sure you are deficient (i.e. calcium or vitamin D deficiency).
Multivitamins, or more precisely, prenatal vitamins, are also vital for women of child-bearing age because of the extra folic acid which actually has been shown to prevent neural tube defects. So, at least there is a necessity for that.
Peace out.
Sound Bite: Evaluate your diet this week. If you're not getting your fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy or whole grains, you may just benefit from a multivitamin. If you do eat that way most days of the week and are not planning on getting pregnant, then you probably don't need a multivitamin. If you already have a chronic disease that prevents absorption of some vitamins and minerals, you would benefit from a multi.
I'm back!
Let's get down to business. You have probably read in the news recently or heard recently (okay, maybe not all that recently) about how multivitamins are pointless. I have had a lot of people say to me recently, "hey, I heard that vitamins are pointless." Yep, multivitamins may not help prevent "chronic diseases like cancer or cardiovascular disease or death." (Well, no shit.)
Are you sitting on your ass all day eating potato chips and smoking that cigarette and think you're protected from heart disease because of your morning routine of popping those gummy vitamins? Or how about inhaling toxic chemicals at work all day, or eating out of plastic containers which you just nuked your dinner in the microwave, and thinking, "hey, it's cool, I had my vitamin today!"
Did anyone think that vitamins and minerals were going to protect them from chronic diseases like these? I'm sorry, I was just taking mine to prevent an iron deficiency because I don't eat a lot of meat. I was taking mine for the purpose for which it was intended - to prevent a vitamin deficiency.
I agree with one thing - vitamins are pointless if you are eating a healthy well-balanced diet. You know, one consisting of 5 whole servings of fruits and vegetables per day, as well as five servings of whole grains, 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy, and as little sugar as possible? Raise your hand if you ate 5 servings of fruits and vegetables today. Give a thumbs up if you got all of your calcium today. So, you, my friend, may actually benefit from a multivitamin if you didn't throw your hand in the air or give me a thumbs up.
Anyway, my point is that multivitamins are beneficial for some people who are deficient in a vitamin or mineral, but they're not going to protect you from every illness or chronic disease or death. And yes, a single vitamin or mineral like beta-carotene can actually be harmful in large quantities. Large quantities. So lesson here is? Drum roll....MODERATION! One general multivitamin with 100% or less of the RDA of vitamins and minerals per day can be beneficial and not harmful - it's when people take multiple vitamins and minerals and supplements where shit goes awry. And that extra single vitamins/minerals are not necessary unless you know for sure you are deficient (i.e. calcium or vitamin D deficiency).
Multivitamins, or more precisely, prenatal vitamins, are also vital for women of child-bearing age because of the extra folic acid which actually has been shown to prevent neural tube defects. So, at least there is a necessity for that.
Peace out.
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Sound Bite: Evaluate your diet this week. If you're not getting your fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy or whole grains, you may just benefit from a multivitamin. If you do eat that way most days of the week and are not planning on getting pregnant, then you probably don't need a multivitamin. If you already have a chronic disease that prevents absorption of some vitamins and minerals, you would benefit from a multi.
"Moderation in everything, and everything in moderation." << Quote from my Mother that stuck with me all these years
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