Multivitamins, Multiple Choices

c) Misty Gregg

Are you in the 1% of American adults who gets all the nutrients you need from the food you eat?  If not, join the rest of us!  The Anarem Report, a government National Food Consumption Survey of over 21,500 individuals, reported that not one single person consumed 100% of the recommended daily value for the following studied nutrients:  Protein, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin B-12 and Magnesium.  This report came out several years ago, but I would guess if they did the same study today, the results would be similar.

Some of the nutrients we expect to be in our food are not there.  Why?  Nutrients are lost in a variety of ways such as:  shipping, pasteurization, canning, freezing and cooking.   The problem is your body still needs them.

A great analogy would be a car; a car needs gasoline, oil and other fluids to run properly.  If we put coffee in the gas tank, yes it is a liquid, but it is not what the car needs…same thing when we eat processed foods.  They are empty calorie foods and even though we feel full, our body still needs the missing nutrients.

Why would we believe there is no connection between what we eat and how our body functions???  Even if we eat a healthy diet, we might be missing some of the key nutrients our body needs. 100+ years ago, many people had farms and grew most of their food or they purchased fresh, local food.  This meant that people ate a variety of foods depending on what was in season.  In turn, they got many of the key nutrients on a regular basis.

If we are not getting all the nutrients our body needs from our food, adding nutritional supplements can support our diet.  But, “the buyer beware,” because not all vitamins are created equally.  When selecting vitamins, it is important to check the company and their products for safety and efficacy.  Look for a company who provides scientific date with quality testing.  Ask if the company can make available their clinical research studies and are they published in peer-reviewed journals.  Many vitamins contain synthetic ingredients, preservatives and they are made from chemicals rather than food.  Some others are made with a combination of products and can be unbalanced.  I would recommend vitamins made from whole foods that are cold pressed, so as not to cook out any of the nutrients.  This type of supplement will help when you need a little extra nutrition to support a busy lifestyle!

Misty Wright Gregg is a preventative healthcare consultant and lives with her family in Virginia.  As the owner of the “The Sage Soapbox,” she enjoys traveling for speaking engagements and individual consultations.  www.TheSageSoapbox.com

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