Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you all enjoyed the company of family and friends and had an enjoyable break from the routine.
If you’ve been anywhere near the internet or other news sources lately you’ve probably seen stories about new studies on vitamin supplements. The impression given is that you don’t need to take vitamins, that they really don’t make a big difference in light of the cost. Other experts will tell you that it depends greatly on what your diet and general health situation is, in terms of making a decision about whether you need to take vitamins. So, here’s kind of my two cents worth about this, and for those of you who have heard me talk about it before, my opinion hasn’t really changed. You DO need to take vitamins, but you SHOULD take them via a healthy diet and nutrient rich foods. I know, that’s sometimes hard to do, but it is the truth in my own experience, and so I encourage anyone who might have dietary deficiencies to look first to the grocery store and the kitchen, before turning to the medicine cabinet and supplements. The fact is, Americans are increasingly eating a calorie dense but nutrient deficient diet. That’s not good.
For a more in-depth analysis, read what Balz Frei, Director of Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute has to say about it: Should You or Shouldn't You Take Vitamins?
It’s really not that complicated, more a matter of getting into the habit of learning to enjoy the right foods in the right amounts. Mix that with even moderate exercise and you’re going to be right on track to getting all the vitamins you need, without swallowing handfuls of supplement pills. As Professor Frei says in the article, some vitamins (like vitamin D, which you normally get from sunlight) might need to be supplemented in your diet if you’re almost never outdoors for any length of time. Frei, by the way, says he does take supplements, but he qualifies that by saying he’s in Portland, where it’s pretty cloudy most of the time. So let me know what you think, and if you have questions, come by the office or use the contact form and I’ll do my best to clear up any confusion.
All of us here at the clinic look forward to seeing you soon, and let’s
make this a prosperous and wonderful year.
Bruce
If you’ve been anywhere near the internet or other news sources lately you’ve probably seen stories about new studies on vitamin supplements. The impression given is that you don’t need to take vitamins, that they really don’t make a big difference in light of the cost. Other experts will tell you that it depends greatly on what your diet and general health situation is, in terms of making a decision about whether you need to take vitamins. So, here’s kind of my two cents worth about this, and for those of you who have heard me talk about it before, my opinion hasn’t really changed. You DO need to take vitamins, but you SHOULD take them via a healthy diet and nutrient rich foods. I know, that’s sometimes hard to do, but it is the truth in my own experience, and so I encourage anyone who might have dietary deficiencies to look first to the grocery store and the kitchen, before turning to the medicine cabinet and supplements. The fact is, Americans are increasingly eating a calorie dense but nutrient deficient diet. That’s not good.
For a more in-depth analysis, read what Balz Frei, Director of Oregon State University’s Linus Pauling Institute has to say about it: Should You or Shouldn't You Take Vitamins?
It’s really not that complicated, more a matter of getting into the habit of learning to enjoy the right foods in the right amounts. Mix that with even moderate exercise and you’re going to be right on track to getting all the vitamins you need, without swallowing handfuls of supplement pills. As Professor Frei says in the article, some vitamins (like vitamin D, which you normally get from sunlight) might need to be supplemented in your diet if you’re almost never outdoors for any length of time. Frei, by the way, says he does take supplements, but he qualifies that by saying he’s in Portland, where it’s pretty cloudy most of the time. So let me know what you think, and if you have questions, come by the office or use the contact form and I’ll do my best to clear up any confusion.
All of us here at the clinic look forward to seeing you soon, and let’s
make this a prosperous and wonderful year.
Bruce
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