Antioxidant supplements. In undergraduate courses, dietetics students are taught that we do not need supplements and that we should be getting all the nutrition we need from diet alone. This just simply isn’t happening.
sourceFood is not what it used to be. Modern agricultural practices are stripping our soils of essential minerals and our plants are malnourished as a direct result. “Plants need over fifty vitamins and minerals, yet our abused and overused soils only typically receive phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. If our plants are vitamin and mineral deficient and our bodies cannot manufacture these essential compounds, where else are we supposed to obtain them from?” (Charlotte Gerson, daughter of Max Gerson, creator of The Gerson Therapy).
In this day in age, our bodies are also exposed to more environmental pollutants than quite possibly any other generation. Our bodies need more nutrients to have higher defenses. When our bodies don’t get the nutrients they need; cancer, heart disease, and many other chronic illnesses ensue.
What is there left to do but supplement?
Now, before you run out and buy every vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant on the shelf, keep reading. Supplementing does not give you the free for all to eat whatever other “garbage” you would like.
No. We need to eat as many locally grown, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains as we can get. This will give you the most nutritional bang for your buck!
If you read part I and part II of this antioxidant series, you got a sampling of some of the wonderful benefits to eating healthy, whole foods! Antioxidants don’t need to be in pill form in order to reap the rewards! We just need to make an effort to take care of ourselves!! The only way to accomplish this is to eat for health first and foremost.
Eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can possibly take and eat them within a day or two of buying (they will have the most nutrients!). Enrich your diet with a wide variety of foods, experiment with a new food every couple of days, drink homemade juices, drink lots of water, and you WILL reap the benefits.
sourceEven though I don’t believe we need to take in an over-abundance of supplements, there are a few that I highly recommend taking regularly.
WHICH SUPPLEMENTS TO CHOOSE?
- Raw, whole food nutritional supplements. Our bodies are designed to recognize nutrients best when they come from food. Consult your local health food store and choose supplements that are natural (plant-based) vs. synthetic.
- Choose a high potency multivitamin or multi-mineral supplement. It should include biotin and iodine. This will give your body a solid foundation. If you are a sexually active female in her reproductive years (whether trying to conceive or not), you should be taking a high potency prenatal vitamin.
- Vitamin C. All other antioxidant supplements aside, choose vitamin C. It is the one antioxidant worth taking separately! Vitamin C helps fight premature aging, prevents cataracts, helps lower cholesterol, and high doses have shown to be effective as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer.
- Essential Fats. If you do not consume fish at least 3 times a week or consume omega 3′s from other sources (like cold-pressed seed oils or ground seeds), I suggest a high quality fish or krill oil supplement or a flaxseed oil supplement with EPA and DHA.
- Vitamin D. For those of us who work indoors regularly and wear sunscreen religiously, I suggest a daily vitamin D supplement of at least 1000 IU’s.
These are just my suggestions. Everyone has to do what works best for them. Each person has their own beliefs about the nutritional value of our current food system, I just happen to believe we can do better.
I hope you enjoyed this antioxidant series. Keep it healthy this holiday weekend, while still enjoying time with friends and family. Be safe friends!! Happy Fourth of July!
QUESTION: What are your weekend plans?
Great post! I have read some research about the soil not being what it used to be. Of course, as you say, pills are no replacement for a healthy diet w/ lots of organic produce, however, I supplement my diet too w/ a high quality MVI w/ mineral, plus some others that have helped me with my fibromyalgia. I also think supplementation is a very individual thing and should be based upon our individual health concerns and genetics.
I just read an article about a test that the government did checking out the vitamin/minerals contents in different brands of multi-vit. Unfortunately many famous, hi-end brands are the one lacking or overdosing in some vitamins. Have you read that? Which brands do you recommend?
Great post, Erin! I’ve always thought of supplements as an “extra” needed only by people who maintain highly processed, nutrient-deficient diets. I’d never really considered that the soil itself is deficient of nutrients, and that even by eating a plethora of fruits and veggies, we might not be getting enough through our food! Even though I consider myself an extremely conscious eater, I still haven’t jumped on the supplement bandwagon. I think part of the problem is that I very much dislike taking pills (I used to refuse, now I just cringe and get it over with–but only if absolutely necessary!). That said, I think you may have convinced me to buck up and begin taking a few of the supplements you recommend.
(p.s. my URL just changed, so my posts are probably no longer showing up in Google reader. I’m trying to let people know, because several bloggers have written me about it. The new URL is http://www.nourish-and-flourish.net)
Happy 4th of July!
Hope you are having a great 4th of July weekend. I was wondering if you could post the brands of each supplement you take? There are sooooooo many that I was hoping you could give a little direction either by responding in the comments section or emailing me your answer. Thanks
happy 4th of july weekend, erin!
i agree with you – it’s a real challenge in this day and age to get all the nutrition we need strictly from real foods. it’s unfortunate but it’s the way it is.
weekend plans: attended a canada day bbq last eve, and i’m working a lot! the rest of my time will be spent outside!
I’m kind of a pill popper – but I swear it’s because I work in the Natural Food Industry and I’m surrounded by them!!! For serious ones, I take Vit D, Omega 3 and Calcium and then some other fun ones.
Erin, I was just thinking the other day about the fact that we are taught that people can get all the vitamins and minerals they need through diet alone. I still remember sitting in class and hearing the professor say that but feeling very confused. I totally agree with you on this issue and generally recommend the same supplements to my clients. The processed foods in our food supply are so full of empty calories!!
My plans include getting vitamin D at the beach. Woohoo!
I normally don’t do supplements unless I feel very horrible. I then take a multi-vitamin to see if that’s part of the issue.
I do prefer getting my nutrients from whole foods though!
[...] See the article here: Antioxidants. We Kinda Need Them. Part III | The Healthy Apron [...]
As a vegan eater, I take a vegan B-12 supplement. (Up til now) this is the only supplement I take because I eat whole, fresh produce everyday and I eat a wide variety too. But now you’ve got me thinking about the supplements issue again. Your point about today’s produce not containing all the nutrients they used to contain has me questioning my “I don’t need supplements” position. But if I do take supplements, like Vit C or a multi- I have to figure out which ones are bio-available and are actually absorbed into the body. It’s SUCH a confusing topic. What are your thoughts on this?
This is the hardest part for me to get on board with. I eat whole, natural foods all the time and it’s hard for me to realize that that isn’t enough. I have vitamins and supplements (forced on me from my mom
)but they make me nauseous unless I take them in the middle of a meal so I don’t end up taking them nearly enough!
Supplements??? Give me chocolate and berries, please. That’ll do.
Have a great weekend!