This rainy, gloomy, miserable day & my declining energy level got me thinking about Vitamin D.....
I have always been a FIRM believer in getting your nutrients-- vitamins, and minerals from whole foods. I used to juice religiously. I don't have the patience for the clean-up with my out-dated juicer, but I still do it as often as possible. I have always had such a tough time with Vitamins. Frankly, they have always made me quite nauseous. I always tried to juice, and eat nutrient-rich foods...
My concern is that the pollution and heavy metal toxicity in our fish make it dangerous to eat it as often as recommended
(note, you can also get a significant amount of Omega 3's in plants). There are also studies that show that they way we grow our food has an impact on the nutrients in those foods!
USDA figures show a decline in the nutrient content of 43 crops it has tracked since the 1950's. In a recent analysis, vitamin C declined by 20%, iron by 15%, riboflavin by 38%, calcium by 16%. So this means that you would have to eat 3 apples today to get the same amount of iron you would in 1 apple in the 1940's, scary! Research shows that plants grown with industrial fertilizers were significantly inferior to those grown in organic soil. So think of this: if there are higher levels of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (
plant chemicals found in fruits, veggies, spices, herbs, seeds and beans known to reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease) in the crops grown organically, will you consider investing in eating those crops rather than the cheaper, less nutrient rich version grown with pesticides? Do you think that is the same thing as investing in taking a supplement? Wouldn't you want the "real thing" as opposed to a vitamin (that may or may not be getting absorbed)?
Your activity level has no impact on whether or not you are deficient in a certain vitamin, it all comes down to the food. People who exercise do not need a special amount of vitamins just because they are exercising. So don't buy into anyone trying to sell you a Vitamin because it will make your muscles grow bigger when you lift, or "burn fat" more efficiently when you workout.
The most "common" nutrient deficiencies in the general population include Vitamin B6 (folic acid), and the antioxidants Calcium & Zinc. Other studies show that the reliance on processed foods full of "empty calories" created common deficiencies in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A and magnesium.
Is supplementation the answer to ensuring you are getting the right amount of nutrients to ward off illness, disease, feel your best? The jury is still out, it can help, but on the other hand, it can be dangerous if you are not smart about it. I do believe that eating a nutrient-rich diet, staying away from known "anti-nutrients" and staying active will put you on the right path!
It's considered unethical for me 'sell' or 'push' vitamins on my clients.
I know what vitamins and minerals are important for certain conditions, for instance, magnesium may help people with hypertension.
(I told my brother all through college to take Milk Thistle, which supports the liver, because he drank so much, haha) So I may tell a client with hypertension what foods are rich in magnesium, but you will never see me "pushing" a certain vitamin or vitamin-type product on anyone.
I am going to give you the break-down of vitamins, and you can decide if you should look into supplementing, or getting tested for nutrient deficiencies. There are some facts you should know, like too much Vitamin A (more than 20,000 IU daily) can be toxic!
Read on...
"Fat Soluble" Vitamins
Vitamins: A, D, E and K which are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of lipids (fats), and are more likely to accumulate in the body, b/c they DO NOT excrete in your urine, they get stored in your liver and fatty tissue (which means you are more likely to "overdose" on fat soluble vitamins, which can be extremely dangerous). Also, unlike water-soluble vitamins, foods that contain fat soluble vitamins
do not lose nutrient-value when cooked.
Vitamin A (*beta carotene is an antioxidant*)-cell growth, healthy skin, hair, nails & vision.
food sources: dark green & yellow vegetables, broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and apricots. Animal sources are liver, milk, butter, cheese & whole eggs.
Vitamin D-promotes absorption of calcium & phosphate for healthy bones and teeth.
found in: THE SUN (10 minutes/ day is best source), fortified milk, cheese, whole eggs, liver, salmon.
Vitamin E (*antioxidant*)-protects red blood cells. Helps prevent destruction of Vitamin A & C
food sources: wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils.
Vitamin K- Necessary for normal blood clotting and synthesis of proteins found in plasma, bone and kidneys.
food sources: spinach, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, wheat bran, organ meats, meats, dairy, eggs, cereal, certain fruits.
"Water Soluble" Vitamins
All (8) B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, cyanocobalamin, and pyridoxine)) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which is an antioxidant.
Water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted from the body, which is why your pee turns bright orange when you take them; so, because they are not readily stored, daily consumption is important. This is where someone MAY feel they need to supplement. Note, it IS possible to reach toxic levels of water soluble vitamins, so be careful not to mega-dose on these supplements!
There are other things to consider to, for instance, when taking a B-12 vitamin (which is one of the most important vitamins, involved in metabolism of every cell in our body); it should be taken in a sublingually or administered in a shot by your doctor if he or she recommends it.
I often see doctors recommending calcium and iron supplements, especially in women and people over 65.
Nutrient Absorption or Expensive Urine?
The Dilemma, I want to take vitamins. Where Should I Buy, What Brand??
First, and foremost..when you are considering supplementing, always talk to your physician or a specialist. As I said before, there are dangers in "over-supplementing"
So what's the best? Should you go to GNC for your multi-vitamin or to Wal-Mart and pay half the price? Buy from a local distributor, or even Whole Foods? Is one product better than the next?
Since vitamins are not regulated by the FDA, pretty much any sales person can get the right training & tell you how "their" products changed their lives and the lives of everyone they know. Or, you can go to any Target or Wal-Mart, and decide for yourself whether the bottle looks like if it has the nutrients you are looking for, with a fair price, and be on your way, right? Read on....
There are a few things to consider when taking a supplement
- Absorption-Is the supplement I am taking going to actually be absorbed in my body? Vitamins and minerals not coming from an actual food source a have more complex journey, and there are many things that can go wrong in the process that can prevent the nutrients in your supplement from getting where it needs to go.
- Bio-availability- the degree to which a nutrient is available to the body for use. So In order for a nutrient to be bio-available it must be within physical proximity to the cell so the cell can use it. The cell needs to make it from your mouth, all the way to the cell in a form the call can use!
The problem is even is "X" Company claims their supplement is more bio-available than "Y" Company, their claim is not valid because it is difficult to claim the percentage of absorption in any individual person. Absorption can differ person to person depending on age, gender, medications taken, diet, genetics, or intestinal environment. Calcium absorption differs greatly between adults and children--
Under the US Dietary and Health Education Act 1994 (DSHEA) nutritional supplements are regulated under ‘food’ GMP – this means absorption rates do not have to be tested – this has played a part in creating a credibility problem for the supplement industry.
Research data on bioavailability levels for supplements is very limited and incomplete to say the least. There is an urgent and continuing need to develop simple in-vitro methodologies to determine bioavailability of nutritional supplements.
To understand bioavailability and how it effects the nutrient absorption in supplements check out this article:
"Eat food, mostly plants, not too much" --Michael Pollan
Eat organic as often as possible, know your body, get your daily dose of sunlight, and stay away from "anti-nutrients" and "empty calories"
Ciao for now lovers.
This rainy, gloomy, miserable day & my declining energy level got me thinking about Vitamin D.....
I have always been a FIRM believer in getting your nutrients-- vitamins, and minerals from whole foods. I used to juice religiously. I don't have the patience for the clean-up with my out-dated juicer, but I still do it as often as possible. I have always had such a tough time with Vitamins. Frankly, they have always made me quite nauseous. I always tried to juice, and eat nutrient-rich foods...
My concern is that the pollution and heavy metal toxicity in our fish make it dangerous to eat it as often as recommended (note, you can also get a significant amount of Omega 3's in plants). There are also studies that show that they way we grow our food has an impact on the nutrients in those foods!
USDA figures show a decline in the nutrient content of 43 crops it has tracked since the 1950's. In a recent analysis, vitamin C declined by 20%, iron by 15%, riboflavin by 38%, calcium by 16%. So this means that you would have to eat 3 apples today to get the same amount of iron you would in 1 apple in the 1940's, scary! Research shows that plants grown with industrial fertilizers were significantly inferior to those grown in organic soil. So think of this: if there are higher levels of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant chemicals found in fruits, veggies, spices, herbs, seeds and beans known to reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease) in the crops grown organically, will you consider investing in eating those crops rather than the cheaper, less nutrient rich version grown with pesticides? Do you think that is the same thing as investing in taking a supplement? Wouldn't you want the "real thing" as opposed to a vitamin (that may or may not be getting absorbed)?
Your activity level has no impact on whether or not you are deficient in a certain vitamin, it all comes down to the food. People who exercise do not need a special amount of vitamins just because they are exercising. So don't buy into anyone trying to sell you a Vitamin because it will make your muscles grow bigger when you lift, or "burn fat" more efficiently when you workout.
The most "common" nutrient deficiencies in the general population include Vitamin B6 (folic acid), and the antioxidants Calcium & Zinc. Other studies show that the reliance on processed foods full of "empty calories" created common deficiencies in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A and magnesium.
Is supplementation the answer to ensuring you are getting the right amount of nutrients to ward off illness, disease, feel your best? The jury is still out, it can help, but on the other hand, it can be dangerous if you are not smart about it. I do believe that eating a nutrient-rich diet, staying away from known "anti-nutrients" and staying active will put you on the right path!
It's considered unethical for me 'sell' or 'push' vitamins on my clients.
I know what vitamins and minerals are important for certain conditions, for instance, magnesium may help people with hypertension. (I told my brother all through college to take Milk Thistle, which supports the liver, because he drank so much, haha) So I may tell a client with hypertension what foods are rich in magnesium, but you will never see me "pushing" a certain vitamin or vitamin-type product on anyone.
I am going to give you the break-down of vitamins, and you can decide if you should look into supplementing, or getting tested for nutrient deficiencies. There are some facts you should know, like too much Vitamin A (more than 20,000 IU daily) can be toxic!
Read on...
Vitamins: A, D, E and K which are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of lipids (fats), and are more likely to accumulate in the body, b/c they DO NOT excrete in your urine, they get stored in your liver and fatty tissue (which means you are more likely to "overdose" on fat soluble vitamins, which can be extremely dangerous). Also, unlike water-soluble vitamins, foods that contain fat soluble vitamins do not lose nutrient-value when cooked.
Vitamin A (*beta carotene is an antioxidant*)-cell growth, healthy skin, hair, nails & vision.
food sources: dark green & yellow vegetables, broccoli, spinach, turnip greens, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and apricots. Animal sources are liver, milk, butter, cheese & whole eggs.
Vitamin D-promotes absorption of calcium & phosphate for healthy bones and teeth.
found in: THE SUN (10 minutes/ day is best source), fortified milk, cheese, whole eggs, liver, salmon.
Vitamin E (*antioxidant*)-protects red blood cells. Helps prevent destruction of Vitamin A & C
food sources: wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils.
Vitamin K- Necessary for normal blood clotting and synthesis of proteins found in plasma, bone and kidneys.
food sources: spinach, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, wheat bran, organ meats, meats, dairy, eggs, cereal, certain fruits.
All (8) B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, cyanocobalamin, and pyridoxine)) and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which is an antioxidant.
Water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted from the body, which is why your pee turns bright orange when you take them; so, because they are not readily stored, daily consumption is important. This is where someone MAY feel they need to supplement. Note, it IS possible to reach toxic levels of water soluble vitamins, so be careful not to mega-dose on these supplements!
There are other things to consider to, for instance, when taking a B-12 vitamin (which is one of the most important vitamins, involved in metabolism of every cell in our body); it should be taken in a sublingually or administered in a shot by your doctor if he or she recommends it.
I often see doctors recommending calcium and iron supplements, especially in women and people over 65.
Nutrient Absorption or Expensive Urine?
The Dilemma, I want to take vitamins. Where Should I Buy, What Brand??
First, and foremost..when you are considering supplementing, always talk to your physician or a specialist. As I said before, there are dangers in "over-supplementing"
So what's the best? Should you go to GNC for your multi-vitamin or to Wal-Mart and pay half the price? Buy from a local distributor, or even Whole Foods? Is one product better than the next?
Since vitamins are not regulated by the FDA, pretty much any sales person can get the right training & tell you how "their" products changed their lives and the lives of everyone they know. Or, you can go to any Target or Wal-Mart, and decide for yourself whether the bottle looks like if it has the nutrients you are looking for, with a fair price, and be on your way, right? Read on....
There are a few things to consider when taking a supplement
The problem is even is "X" Company claims their supplement is more bio-available than "Y" Company, their claim is not valid because it is difficult to claim the percentage of absorption in any individual person. Absorption can differ person to person depending on age, gender, medications taken, diet, genetics, or intestinal environment. Calcium absorption differs greatly between adults and children--
Research data on bioavailability levels for supplements is very limited and incomplete to say the least. There is an urgent and continuing need to develop simple in-vitro methodologies to determine bioavailability of nutritional supplements.