When I was a kid, my mother gave me one of those chewable cartoon character vitamins every morning after breakfast. They tasted like candy to me, and we were never allowed a lot of candy, so I loved it.
Growing up I continued to take multivitamins to keep my body healthy. I graduated from candy flavored vitamins to popular store brand ones, and then eventually moved onto pricier options that promised to deliver the best quality.
Most people will agree that taking a daily multivitamin is the safest way to guarantee that you get all of your recommended vitamins and minerals even when you don’t have time to eat right.
From vitamin gummies and mints, to vitamins added to sugar water beverages, we can pop all of our vitamins in a flash these days. Who needs to sit down to a plate of real food when you can get every vitamin and mineral from a gummy that tastes like candy?
So I had to wonder: When it comes to getting the best nutrition possible, is it about which vitamins you can throw down the hatch, or is it about which foods you should be eating instead?
As someone who takes a daily multivitamin, this was something worth serious investigation.
What’s So Wrong About Multivitamins?
You can’t beat the ease and convenience of a multivitamin; in one fell swoop you can have 100% of every vitamin and mineral your body needs without eating a single calorie.
Sounds like a miracle pill from the future.
The problem is that getting all of your vitamins and minerals is only part of the equation for optimal health.
One cannot live on vitamins alone. You also need some energy, that’s where sustaining complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats come in.
You also don’t have fiber in a multivitamin.
We know that fiber is essential for a well-maintained body as it’s responsible for filling us up, moving waste out, reducing our risks of cardiovascular disease, and keeping our blood sugar levels stable.
Additionally, whole foods will give you a combination of antioxidants and phytochemicals that will protect you from cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
So as you can see, a multivitamin will never be a replacement for real meals prepared with whole foods.
And, according to one study, the nutrients in whole foods “may be more biologically active and able to survive digestion” than those found in pill form.
But some people need to take multivitamins and supplements to get extra nutrients that they’re deficient in.
For example, vegetarians and vegans need to make sure they’re getting vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, calcium, iron, and DHA.
Pregnant ladies or women wishing to become pregnant, you need to make sure you take your recommended allowance of folic acid/folate and a prenatal with iron. They’ll not only boost your chances of fertility, but will also protect your baby throughout pregnancy.
Healthy individuals who are not suffering from vitamin deficiencies may need to reevaluate why they’re taking multivitamins.
In an article published by Forbes, Steven Salzberg lists the top six vitamins you shouldn’t be wasting your money on. Do you take any of these?
Vitamin C
Vitamin A and beta-carotene
Vitamin E
Vitamin B6
Vitamin D
Multivitamins
Why should we forgo these vitamins we hear such glowing reviews about in the nutrition world?
Well, because we can find them plentifully in our diets. And unlike consuming these vitamins via whole foods, pills can have negative effects on our health.
For example:
“People almost never get too much vitamin B6 from food. But taking high levels of vitamin B6 from supplements for a year or longer can cause severe nerve damage, leading people to lose control of their bodily movements…[develop] painful, unsightly skin patches, extreme sensitivity to sunlight, nausea, and heartburn.”
As if that’s not scary enough, one study of 38,772 women over 25 years even discovered that the “overall risk of death increased with long-term use of multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper.”
Wow. I did not expect that.
While there are numerous studies about the great health benefits of multivitamins and supplements, you have to think about studies like the one I just mentioned too.
It makes me wonder if people are using multivitamins and supplements as a crutch for their bad dietary habits.
Thinking…’It’s ok if I eat a nutritionally devoid diet of pizza, cookies, and harmful fast food because I’m still getting all of my vitamins and minerals from my magic multivitamin.’
I wish there was a magic pill that could do this, but we don’t have one yet. Multivitamins cannot make up for an unhealthy diet. You can’t supplement a multivitamin with extra vitamin C for your fruit serving!
However, you can add more nutrient dense foods to your diet instead.
These whole foods have many, if not more, healthy benefits for your body than that chalky multivitamin could ever dream of having. Let’s check them out!
Nature’s Multivitamin: Kale
Of course you’d expect superfood all-star kale to be number one on a list of foods healthier than your multivitamin.
Kale is literally one of the healthiest foods on the planet because it’s so nutrient dense and high in vitamins.
Just one cup of fresh kale has:
Vitamin K: 547 mcg (684% RDV) / 1062 mcg (1328% RDV) when cooked
Vitamin A: 10302 IU (206% RDV) / 17709 IU (354% RDV) when cooked
Vitamin C: 80.4 mg (134% RDV)
Manganese: 0.5 mg (27% RDV)
Copper: 0.2 mg (10% RDV)
Vitamin B6: 0.2 mg (9% RDV)
Calcium: 90.5 mg (9% RDV)
Potassium: 299 mg (9% RDV)
Folate: 19.4 mcg (5% RDV)
You get all of those vitamins that exceed or help you reach your recommended daily value for just 33 calories!
What’s all that vitamin K good for?
Vitamin K triggers proteins in our body to activate cell production in our bones, lungs, and heart.
It prevents artery hardening and and even certain cancers. The results from one study showed that “K vitamins can inhibit the survival of some pancreatic cancer cell lines.”
Now I bet your multivitamin doesn’t contain 1328% of vitamin K like a cup of cooked kale does.
And let’s not forget about all the vitamin A in kale.
Most multivitamins just include vitamin A as beta-carotene. But kale also contains lutein and zeaxanthin – carotenoids that act like antioxidants to fight off free radicals that cause cancer.
According to one review, more than 70% of studies found links between cruciferous vegetables such as kale and protection against cancer. How many multivitamins do you know that have those same bragging rights?
This is just one example of how the antioxidants and phytonutrients found in real food will always be better than what you find in a multivitamin.
Don’t forget to check out these recipes for tasty kale meals in under 30 minutes!
Selenium + Magnesium: Brazil Nuts
You either love or hate Brazil nuts; thankfully, I’m in love with them.
I make it a point to eat at least 1 large or 2 smaller Brazil nuts every single day.
You could say I take a daily Brazil nut vitamin.
Why? Because they’re the absolute best dietary source of selenium. Just one Brazil nut may have as much as 95 mcg of selenium – that’s 774% of your daily value!
Most nutrition labels leave out selenium levels, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paying attention to how much you’re getting (or missing!).
While most people pop vitamin C to ward off colds during flu season, you may want to start crunching on Brazil nuts.
Selenium functions like an antioxidant to give your immune system a boost.
Take this study for example: when mice with low selenium levels were given the flu virus, they had higher rates of inflammation and their infections were more severe.
This is proof that good nutrition stops you from getting sick. Keeping your selenium levels up during cold and flu season may ensure a milder and more manageable infection if you do happen to get sick.
One ounce of Brazil nuts has 4 g of protein and 2 g of fiber – definitely more than a multivitamin will give you.
That same serving will also offer up 27% of your RDA for magnesium, 25% of your RDA for copper, and 20% of your RDA for phosphorus.
All of this means you’ll get help absorbing energy from food, promote healthy thyroid functioning, repair tissues, and support the health of your bones and teeth.
Don’t forget that magnesium’s also referred to as the “original chill pill” because it helps ease stress and ward off anxiety. Are you getting enough?
Just make sure to stick to your recommended daily value. Too much selenium puts your body at risk for certain diseases and health issues.
Inside that Shellfish: Vitamin B12, Zinc, & Manganese
I used to hate anything that came in a shell – I mean, who was the first person to open up an oyster and think it was safe to eat that slimy little creature inside raw?
However, like most things, I’ve become somewhat wiser with age and now I can’t get enough shellfish.
This includes oysters, clams, mussels, crab, shrimp, lobster, etc. Basically, any sea-dwelling creature with a shell.
And boy are these little guys healthy. They’re low in fat and high in protein and nutrients. And they’re one of the best sources of B12 we can find.
Check out the vitamin B12 in just 100 g of cooked:
Clams: 98.89 mcg (1648% DV)
Oysters: 28.8 mcg (480% DV)
Mussels: 24 mcg (400% DV)
These numbers may seem a bit excessive, but don’t worry; excess vitamin B12 is excreted by the body and can be stored in the liver for up to one year!
Shellfish is also an incredible source of minerals such as iron, zinc, selenium, choline, and manganese.
Zinc is “essential for growth and development, energy metabolism, and immune function.” So men should aim for 11 mg of zinc daily while women should consume 8 mg. Just 3 oz. of cooked oysters has 66.8 mg (445% DV) of zinc.
You’ll also find between 50–340% of your DV of manganese in those three shellfish, a mineral that helps our bodies:
Form connective tissues, bones, and sex hormones
Absorb calcium
Metabolize fat and carbs
Regulate blood sugar
Maintain normal brain and nerve function
That’s definitely a plus one for shellfish and a minus one for multivitamins – if you’re keeping score.
Seaweed for Iodine
We talked about seaweed in our post about 9 foods we should be eating, but don’t.
If you haven’t started eating from that list of amazingly healthy foods, what are you waiting for?!
Take seaweed for instance.
Most people only know seaweed as that dark stuff wrapped around their sushi rolls. But guess what?
Edible seaweed ranges in varieties of red, green, and brown marine plants and even includes algae found in our oceans.
They’re an outstanding source of fiber, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. Nori contains as much as 47% protein per 20 calorie cup.
Sea veggies like kelp may even help regulate hormones because they’re high in lignans.
Lignans “block the chemical estrogens that can predispose people to cancers such as breast cancer.” It may even be a reason why women in Japan, a seaweed loving country, have such low rates of breast cancer.
But one of the best reasons sea veggies such as as kelp, nori, kombu, and wakame are so healthy is because they offer up a rich source of iodine.
Iodine is naturally present in soil and seawater. With such an abundant source of iodine in our environment, it’s hard to believe that iodine deficiency plagues “nearly one-third of the global population.”
Iodine deficiency results in:
Goiters
Thyroid problems
Intellectual impairments
Growth / mental retardation
Developmental abnormalities
Neonatal hypothyroidism
Increased pregnancy loss and infant mortality
Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism, which manifests with symptoms such as:
Tiredness, fatigue, and sluggishness
Difficulty losing weight
Dry skin
Hair loss
Constipation
Sensitivity to cold
To combat this global deficiency that spans industrialized and underdeveloped countries, iodine was added to salt to create iodized salt.
“One teaspoon of iodized salt contains approximately 400 μg iodine. Most iodine-containing multivitamins have at least 150 μg iodine, but only about half of the types of multivitamins in the U.S. contain iodine.”
The daily recommended intake of iodine is 150 micrograms.
But check out the iodine levels in just 1 gram of sea veggies:
Kelp: 700–1500 micrograms
Wakame: 30–110 micrograms
Pretty good numbers, right?
However, you don’t want to go overboard with a good thing; too much iodine can also lead to health issues. Spread your sea veggie consumption out over the course of a month to make sure you’re not overloading your body with too much iodine.
Oily Fish for Omega-3s
Sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, trout, and tuna are all delightfully healthy oily fish that pack way more health benefits than a standard multivitamin.
Oily fish are mega rich in the essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
This is music to your heart because these fatty acids:
Prevent cardiovascular disease
Decrease blood pressure
Reduce inflammation
Prevent blood clotting
According to one review, when participants across several studies consumed 200–400 g of oily fish twice per week, they prevented cardiac arrhythmia and reduced their chances of sudden death due to heart attacks.
“Arrhythmic deaths, including sudden cardiac death…annually causes some 300,000 deaths in the United States and millions more worldwide,” researchers noted.
But this number may drop if more people started eating food from the sea instead of the ranch.
Scientists from one study followed 1,674 elderly participants for seven years and monitored their consumption of meat and seafood. Researchers discovered that those who ate oily fish or seafood at least once a week had “lower [risks] of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.”
Even the American Heart Association recommends that everyone eat a serving of oily fish at least twice a week.
While most people just pop a few fish oil pills and call it a day, the side effects such as nausea, fishy burps, and loose stools make this a rather unpleasant chore.
Instead, stick to dietary sources of omegas that taste mouthwatering when prepared correctly (see ya, fish breath!).
How many omegas do you need?
“The amount of omega-3 your body needs to reduce the risk of chronic disease has not been fully determined. That is why a recommended daily allowance, or RDA, has not yet been established for omega-3.”
Any of these fish deliver a wealth of omega-3s per 3 oz.:
Mackerel: 2506 mg
Salmon: 2151 mg
Anchovies: 1303 mg
Tuna: 1136 mg
These fish are not only heart-healthy, but they pack some seriously lean, healthy protein too. Half a salmon fillet will serve up 39 g of protein!
Some say fish is the healthiest food in the world, outside of the fruit and veggie realm of course.
So don’t let the calories in fatty fish deter you; these fish are part of the surprisingly healthy fatty foods group that you should be eating more of.
Yellow Bell Peppers: Vitamin C City
Skip those 1,000 mg vitamins and packets of emergency vitamin C.
Marian Neuhouser, PhD, explains:
“The vitamin C in a multivitamin is likely just not as effective as the vitamin C in a citrus fruit [or vegetable], where it’s also surrounded by fiber and flavonoids and carotenoids. All these nutrients working together is what really keeps you healthy”.
While most of us consider citrus fruits the go-to for our vitamin C fix, did you know that sweet red and yellow peppers have more vitamin C than any other citrus fruit?
You’ll find 100 mg of vitamin C in a large orange, but 341 mg of vitamin C in one large yellow pepper. That’s 569% of your DV!
Red peppers and green peppers are also stellar substitutes, coming in at 209 mg (349% of your DV) and 132 mg (220% of your DV) respectively.
Our bodies don’t store vitamin C so we need to give it adequate amounts every day, around 70–90 mg (depending on age and gender).
So no matter if you choose citrus fruits one day and sweet peppers the next, your body will be thanking you regardless.
When we’re low on vitamin C, we have “reduced resistance against certain pathogens,” which means it will be easy for harmful attackers to get in our bodies and compromise our health.
And unlike megadoses of vitamin C pills and packets, delicious sweet peppers won’t make your tummy hurt, which is a major benefit of getting all of your vitamins and minerals from whole foods instead.
Final Notes
Is Steven Salzberg right about wasting money on vitamins?
Sure, it’s true that you can get all of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients you need from a healthy diet of whole foods, and you may even feel better doing so. We know that whole foods help you live longer after all.
But it’s really up to you and your doctor to decide if cutting out supplements is right for you.
You may want to look up dietary sources of the vitamins you’re currently taking to see if you can make the switch to whole foods one baby step at a time.
Once you start maximizing the nutritional value of your food, the vitamins and minerals in your diet may actually kick your multivitamin’s butt.
Which vitamins and supplements do you take? Are you going to make the switch to dietary sources instead? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
The post How to Get All The Nutrition You Need Without Expensive Vitamins appeared first on Nutrition Secrets.