It is very easy to become confused about what is a healthy diet when there are so many opinions on what we should be eating, in what quantities and when. The same goes for vitamin supplements – are they good for you or not? Do we need to take them? If so, which ones and in what quantity?
In a perfect world we would all eat a healthy balanced diet. We would eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, drink loads of water and eat very little saturated fats. Processed meals would disappear and we would all go back to home cooking.
But we don’t live in an ideal world. Real life often gets in the way. Most of us don’t grow our own fruit and vegetables so if we do eat “fresh” produce from the supermarket, just how fresh is it? The vitamin content in fruit etc starts to decline from the moment it is harvested. By the time it gets to our fruit bowls, the vitamin content has dramatically reduced.
So what can we do? If you live near farms, you should be buying local produce. If you are based in a city, you should eat frozen fruit and vegetables as their vitamin content should be higher. We should eat as wide a range of produce as possible. Think of all different colors when shopping and planning meals. Eat plenty of brightly colored vegetables. Aim to introduce a different type of vegetable to your menu every week.
Meat is a great source of vitamins and minerals but buy better quality in lower quantities. A small piece of steak is much better for you than a large portion of bacon or sausage. If you can afford to, chose organic as it won’t contain antibiotics and other chemical agents.
We have all heard the saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Have you ever wondered why? Some varieties of apples are anti carcinogenic, anti inflammatory and anti viral. An apple is a good source of vitamin C although some people say that you could just take a vitamin supplement. But there are other chemicals in apples that appear to work with the natural vitamin C to make the overall effect much stronger.
There are some people that should take a good quality vitamin supplement. The obvious would be pregnant women or those trying to conceive who need additional folic acid. Vegans and vegetarians may struggle to get sufficient vitamin B from their diet so a supplement may be in order. People who are stuck indoors due to ill-health or those who wear all encompassing black robes for religious reasons may suffer a lack of vitamin D which comes from natural sunlight. A vitamin D tablet may help these people.
If you have been ill or been through a very stressful situation such as death or divorce, your doctor may recommend a course of vitamins to give your system a kick start back to health.
In summary, the road to good health is not necessarily a vitamin supplement but for those people who are not eating a completely balanced diet, a good quality vitamin supplement can help to fill in the gaps.