Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Vitamin article - key is balance

Vitamin Pills: A False Hope?

I found this article interesting because it is mainstream--anyone can understand it--and it sums up my view about vitamin supplements. I know so many people that spend mucho dinero buying health food/vitamin supplements. When did it become more attractive to take a pill in place of eating a piece of fruit?!

Balance is key. I see no harm in taking a multi-vitamin, but the best way to ensure that your vitamin levels are right, is to consume a colorful and diverse group of fruits and vegetables. The article touches on the fact that in the U.S., there has been a shift from concerning ourselves with vitamin deficiencies to searching for benefits of larger doses of certain vitamins. And, as the article points out, some studies are showing no benefit from high dose vitamin consumption...

My senior project in college dealt with antioxidants and immune response. I remember having the same overall conclusion that is discussed in this article: anti-oxidants can help against free-radicals, but some free-radicals are important to the immune response. In other words, balance is a factor.

Eat your veggies! I think it would be hard to find a nutrition or medical professional who disagreed with that idea.

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