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Theres something totally alluring about the vitamin aisle.
More energy!No more colds!
The pills seem to be just waiting to whip your insides into shape.
Of course, with the promises of a newer, shinier you, comes a big dose of confusion.
We should be focused on eating whole, plant-based foods, which already contain the nutrients we need.
We tend to pigeonhole them as being high in vitamin C, which they are.
They also have practically all the minerals our body uses, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Oranges even contain some protein, including all of the essential amino acids.
(Check out their nutrient profile onSELFs Nutrition Data.)
That includes the hundreds of health-improvingphytochemicalsfound in all plant foods.
And most phytochemicals tendnotto be found in supplement form.
The power of whole foodsis that you get a dazzling symphony of nutrients all in perfectly proportioned amounts.
Now, can you meet your daily nutrient needs with one orange?
And taking supplements hasn’t even been shown to help a person livelonger.
But if your diet is a bit on the crappy side, supplements could come in handy.
You dont need supplements if you eat well.
And even then, you might notsee clinical signs of a deficiencyunless its progressed quite far.
So physical indicators arent always reliable.
But some nutrient levels can be assessed with a blood testsuch as vitamins B12 and D and iron.
There are others you may not be able to test for at all, such as zinc.
Women who don’t have good year-round sun exposureusually need a supplement of vitamin D, says Messina.
And vegans who dont eat animal foodswhich is a good approach to eating healthfullywill benefit from taking vitamin B12.
But its not only vegans who might need B12, meat-eaters can have low B12 levels.
The only way to know is to get a blood test.
A user-friendly app is Cronometer.com.
(Consistent, regular eating can enhance how well you absorb the nutrients you eat.)
Do it for three to seven days to get a representative picture of what you eat.
And if your diet changes, do it again.
If you do spot areas of nutrient concern, dont go it alone.
Discuss what you might supplement with and how much to take with a registered dietitian or your doctor.
Its hard to overdose on most nutrients from food.
But the pharmacological doses you get from supplements are a whole different matter.
Thats where things start to get dicey.
You never need to megadose, warns Messina.
Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and so excess tends to be flushed out in urine.
That will help you avoid taking way more of something than the package claims is contained.
If youre already doing that, then youre probably golden (so preserve your money).
Photo Credit: Dwight Eschliman / Getty
