| Vitamins: you can't live without them, that's for sure. | | | | But now, for example, the value of folic acid in |
| The question, then, is: where do you get them from? In | | | | preventing some birth defects and heart disease is |
| the 'good old days' (which may have been in your | | | | recognized. |
| grandparents generation, but perhaps much further | | | | Who ever heard of folic acid 20 or 30 years ago? |
| back than that) we got our vitamins and other nutrition | | | | Of course it's not just that food has less nutrition |
| from totally natural sources: the sun, the water we | | | | nowadays, but also that we are not so aware of |
| drank, and the food we ate. | | | | caring about our own nutrition and how it relates to |
| Nowadays, and this is no secret, our food and | | | | health. The AMA says that almost 80 percent of |
| whatever we drink, just doesn't pack the same punch | | | | Americans do not eat the recommended five servings |
| as it did in the good old days. There are many reasons | | | | of fruits and vegetables a day to provide essential |
| for this, and I don't want to write a dissertation on it. | | | | nutrients. |
| But, for example, many of us get our food from soil | | | | If that is the case, then we need to get our vitamins |
| that is not as rich as it used to be. And the many | | | | and minerals from somewhere. And it seems that |
| chemicals that are used on most of the food we are | | | | vitamin supplements are now accepted by the |
| likely to eat may deplete the nutrition even further, or | | | | scientists and doctors who should know about these |
| at least add some unneeded poisons to our diet. And it | | | | things. |
| often comes from far away from where we live, so it | | | | Another thing that scientists are learning more about is |
| may have lost some more of its nutritional content on | | | | that our recommended daily allowances for vitamins |
| the way here. | | | | may need rethinking. |
| So, what should we do? Well, one common approach | | | | Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, of Tuft's University's Human |
| is to take vitamins. This view has both backers and | | | | Nutrition Research Center on Aging said that nutrition |
| detractors. | | | | experts are concerned that recommended daily |
| Recently, according to the Seattle Times, one former | | | | allowances for many vitamins are too low. RDAs |
| detractor of this approach has changed its viewpoint. | | | | were originally established to prevent symptoms of |
| They note that "the American Medical Association | | | | vitamin-deficiency disorders. But evidence is growing |
| (AMA) is advising all adults to take at least one | | | | that higher levels of many vitamins are necessary for |
| multi-vitamin per day -- a reversal of their long-standing | | | | optimum health. |
| anti-vitamin policy." | | | | And, as we know, if these vitamins don't come from |
| Their policy has changed it seems, because of | | | | our food, we need them from somewhere, such as |
| advances in research on the effects of vitamins. It | | | | vitamin supplements. |
| now appears that people who get enough vitamins | | | | Dr. Robert Fletcher of Harvard University agrees. He |
| may have a lower risk of some common chronic | | | | reflects that many of us thought while we were |
| illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and | | | | growing up that a reasonable diet would take care of |
| osteoporosis. | | | | our vitamin needs. "But," he says, "the new evidence... is |
| Perhaps their change of view is reflecting that of the | | | | that vitamins also prevent the usual diseases we deal |
| American public. For instance, 20 years ago the AMA | | | | with every day, (such as) heart disease, cancer, |
| only encouraged vitamin supplements for pregnant | | | | osteoporosis and birth defects." |
| women and those who are chronically sick. | | | | However, experts, and others of us with common |
| I remember, when I was younger, that there were | | | | sense, remember that vitamins are a "supplement" to |
| some multi-vitamins on the market and some other | | | | our diets. They don't replace a balanced diet. So, by all |
| vitamin and nutritional supplements also, but they were | | | | means eat a balanced diet, but if you want to lower |
| not your common fare. And when I started going to | | | | your risk of contracting the common chronic illnesses |
| health food stores, I ran into a whole barrage of | | | | of today it would also be wise to add a good |
| strange vitamins that I'd certainly never heard of in | | | | multi-vitamin supplement to your diet. |
| biology classes. | | | | |