How to Eat Your Vitamins (Instead of Popping Pills)
Let’s begin our understanding of vitamins and supplements with one simple statement: no pill is ever going to be an adequate substitute for a healthy diet. Vitamins and minerals are substances your body needs for normal growth and functioning. If you eat a healthy diet, all of your daily requirements of vitamins should be fulfilled. For example, let’s take a healthy intake with the daily healthy requirement. The vitamin C daily requirement for cellular function is 75 mg/day for women. The average orange or 8-ounce glass of orange juice has 69 mg of vitamin C. Therefore, you see, two clementines, one grapefruit, or one cup of broccoli has fulfilled your daily requirements.
The obvious problem with not getting enough vitamins and minerals is that the body cannot function properly without them. If you’re a woman with a regular period, you lose iron each month, if the iron is not replaced, new red blood cells cannot be formed and anemia sets in.
What about too much?
Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins B and C are not stored in the body. If you exceed the daily allotment of these two vitamins, they will be excreted in the urine. As I explain it to my patients, unless your toilet has a cold, do not take additional vitamin C tablets on top of a healthy diet!
Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) are stored in the liver. Too much of these vitamins is dangerous and can cause liver disease.
Getting your required vitamins is not difficult—and you don’t need to swallow a handful of pills in order to do it. Here’s a list of the daily requirements for each vitamin and mineral, as well as the best way to incorporate it into your diet.
WHAT IT DOES
Helps with vision
RECOMMENDED DOSE
700 mcg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Sweet potatoes, 2-3 times a week
WHAT IT DOES
Helps with metabolism and fights infection
RECOMMENDED DOSE
1.3 mg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Beans, fish or chicken. One serving a day of any of the three
WHAT IT DOES
Improves nervous system function and red blood cell formation
RECOMMENDED DOSE
2.4 mcg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Fish, chicken and red meat. One serving a day of any of the three
WHAT IT DOES
Increases your metabolism and prevents infection
RECOMMENDED DOSE
75 mg daily
HOW TO GET IT:
Citrus fruits and red, green or yellow peppers. One serving a day of either
WHAT IT DOES
Aids in new tissue formation in the body. Helps to prevent birth defects in pregnant women
RECOMMENDED DOSE
400 mcg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Dark leafy green vegetables, fruit nuts and dairy. If you’re not pregnant, eat one serving a week. Pregnant women will want to take an additional supplement (see my note on supplements, below)
WHAT IT DOES
Helps to absorb calcium for bone growth and reduces inflammation
RECOMMENDED DOSE
15 mcg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Fatty fishes, sunlight. Eat one serving of fatty fish once a week and enjoy 15 minutes of sunlight every day sans sunblock
WHAT IT DOES
Protects cells from harmful molecules
RECOMMENDED DOSE
15 mg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Sunflower seeds, almonds. 2-3 servings a week of either
WHAT IT DOES
Fortifies your teeth and bones
RECOMMENDED DOSE
1000 mg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Yogurt, dark leafy greens and fruit. One serving a day of any of the three
WHAT IT DOES
Forms hemoglobin in red blood cells
RECOMMENDED DOSE
18 mg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Red meat, lentils and beans. One serving a week of any of the three
WHAT IT DOES
Clots your blood
RECOMMENDED DOSE
90 mcg daily
HOW TO GET IT
Green leafy vegetables. One serving a week
Lycopene, lysine, niacin, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and potassium are known as trace elements. Just as their name implies, “trace elements” means that their recommended dosage is minimal. One bowl of healthy cereal—Kashi, Fiber One or Whole Grain Cheerios—each week provides enough of each of these elements.
What about taking supplements?
Supplements of any kind can be potentially harmful. If you are on other medications or taking oral contraceptive pills, some of the supplements can interfere with your prescription medication. The FDA does not regulate supplements and the clinical trials behind some of the supplements are nonexistent. Some supplements can be helpful for specific purposes, in specific doses. The best thing to do is discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Do you feel tired? Depressed? Are you losing weight? Gaining weight? Your doctor should do a complete history and physical and blood work panel to obtain a diagnosis. Supplements will not help you if you do not know what you’re treating.
So what is a normal healthy woman to take/eat every day?
A healthy diet should consist of mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. If you’re actively menstruating, increasing your iron intake is advisable. If you are pregnant, a prenatal vitamin with extra folate is necessary. A daily multivitamin is not required if you eat well. Keep it simple and keep it healthy!
For more from Nancy, read her recent columns on health and wellness, or visit her online at NancySimpkinsMD.com.