Tag: vitamins

More Is NOT Always Better

When it comes to supplements, more is not always better. Vitamins and minerals are essential to health, but that doesn’t mean that megadoses will keep you out of the hospital or make you live longer. Some, in fact, may be harmful.

Reader’s Digest reminds us that in most cases it’s preferable to get these nutrients from a balanced diet. High doses of certain vitamins and minerals may be appropriate for certain people, though. Talk to your doctor about supplements if you are a woman of childbearing age, are a vegetarian or vegan, have limited exposure to the sun, are an athlete in training or suspect for any reason you may be malnourished.

Here’s the lowdown on eight common supplements – most of which are vitamins you probably don’t need.

Beta-Carotene
For most healthy adults, the recommended daily allowance of beta-carotone (in the form of vitamin A) is 3,000 IU for males and 2,130 IU for females. Some of its highest food sources include carrots, spinach, kale and cantaloupe. Some people take is as an anti-cancer antioxidant, but the supplements can actually increase risk of lung cancer in smokers and hasn’t been shown to prevent any other form of cancer.
Recommendation: Don’t take it.

Folic Acid
Aim to get 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. It’s found in fortified bread and breakfast cereal, legumes and asparagus. Because it’s been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in newborns, some women take it while pregnant. But some doctors warn supplementation of food with folic acid could be fueling rising rates of colon cancer.
Recommendation: Only women who are pregnant or may become pregnant are advised to take it.

Selenium
Aim to get 55 micrograms of selenium from natural sources like Brazil nuts, tuna and beef. Some people take selenium to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer. But those good intentions could actually be working against you – one major study found that taking selenium could actually increase risk of high-grade prostate cancer in men who were already high in the mineral. Selenium could also be one of the worst supplements for diabetes. Another 2007 study found a 50% increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people who took 200 micrograms a day.
Recommendation: Don’t take it.

Vitamin B6
Adults between 19 and 50 should aim to get 1.4 milligrams of vitamin B6 from baked potatoes, bananas and chickpeas daily. After age 50, you should aim for 1.5 milligrams. Some use it to prevent mental decline and lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid associated with heart disease), but the studies are mixed. Two studies failed to show cognitive benefits, and while B6 does reduce homocysteine, it’s not clear whether this prevents heart attacks.
Recommendation: Take it only if your doctor recommends it.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12-rich foods include fish and shellfish, lean beef and fortified breakfast cereal. It’s a vitamin vegetarians and vegans tend to be low in. Aim to get 2.4 micrograms from those sources every day. Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause anemia and dementia, is a problem for some seniors, so supplements can help. However, high doses of B12 have not been proven to prevent cognitive loss, and they don’t boost energy.
Recommendation: Take it only take if your doctor recommends it.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, melons and tomatoes. Adult males should get 90 milligrams a day, while women should aim for 75 milligrams. Some people take it to protect against the common cold, but a review of 30 clinical trials found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds. There are some exceptions though. It may reduce the risk in people who live in cold climates or experience extreme physical stress, such as running marathons. Smokers may need extra vitamin C. Studies haven’t backed up claims that high doses of vitamin C can fight cancer and heart disease.
Recommendation: Most people don’t need C supplements.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E – found in vegetable oil, nuts and leafy green vegetables – has been thought to prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Try to get 15 milligrams a day from food. Not only have studies failed to show that vitamin E supplements prevent heart attacks or cancer, but high doses may increase the risk of strokes. One study found that vitamin E from food – but not from supplements – helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Recommendation: Don’t take it.

Zinc
The daily recommended allowance for zinc – found in oysters, lean beef and breakfast cereal – is 11 milligrams for males and 8 milligrams for females. There are claims that the mineral can prevent and treat symptoms of the common cold, but the evidence doesn’t hold up. A few studies suggest that cold symptoms are less severe and resolve sooner in zinc users, but others show no benefit. High doses can actually weaken the immune system.
Recommendation: Don’t take it except for occasional use of zinc lozenges or sprays for colds.

Dino’s Storage offers “EATING HEALTHY” tips!

Several polls and studies show one of the most common new year resolutions are to eat healthier (another common one is loosing weight).  Unfortunately, these are also two resolutions most commonly not kept. So if your resolution is to eat healthier, this may help you keep it and make sure you are doing it right.

5 FOODS YOU ARE EATING WRONG

(How to cut, cook & sip for the most health benefits)

Choosing whole foods over supplements or fresh produce instead of processed potato chips is a no-brainer. But how to cook those foods to get the most bang for your buck isn’t always as obvious. Should you make enough salad for the whole week? Is it better to blend fresh or frozen fruit in a smoothie? Which is ideal: steaming or boiling your vegetables?

The short answer is that the healthiest cooking and prep methods change from food to food. “Heat, water, storage and exposure to air can all cause certain foods to lose their nutrients”, says Mary Cluskey, Ph.D, R.D., associate professor of nutrition at Oregon State University.

Vegetables

Your mistake: Microwaving or boiling them

The fix: Steaming

Why it works: Steaming helps retain cancer-fighting nutrients in broccoli better than other cooking methods, reports a new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Sulforaphane (a plant compound with strong anti-cancer properties) is abundant in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and arugula. The enzyme myrosinase is necessary to release the compound, but most cooking methods destroy it. Steaming is a slower, gentler heat, and isn’t intense enough to kill myrosinase, explains study author Elizabeth Jeffery, Ph.D. – Cook broccoli in a steaming basket for 3 to 4 minutes for the biggest cancer-fighting boost.

Strawberries

Your mistake: Slicing them before eating

The fix: Eating them whole

Why it works: Whole strawberries contain 8 to 12 percent more vitamin C than the cut fruits, according to a 2011 Brazilian study. That’s because vitamin C begins to break down when it’s exposed to light and oxygen. For the biggest C boost, store whole strawberries in the fridge – cool temperatures help retain vitamin C, too, finds the same study.

Wine

Your mistake: Letting a bottle “breathe”

The fix: Sipping a freshly opened bottle

Why it works: When red wine is decanted for long periods of time (up to 12 hours) the organic acids and polyphenols begin to break down, according to a 2012 Chinese study. Leaving the bottle open overnight nixes the usual benefits of a glass of red, including decreased depression, increased testosterone and a healthier heart.

Tomatoes

Your mistake: Eating them raw

The fix: Heating them up

Why it works: Tomatoes have been linked to lowering men’s risk of stroke, helping fight prostate cancer and preserving brain power with age. Heating tomatoes significantly increases their levels of lycopene, the chemical that can up antioxidant levels. In fact, a recent study in The British Journal of Nutrition found that raw foodists (people who eat mostly uncooked produce) were deficient in lycopene. Cook tomatoes in olive oil for the biggest nutritional boost: Lycopene is fat-soluble, meaning you need fat in your diet for your body to absorb it properly.

Frozen produce

Your mistake:Skipping the frozen food section when shopping

The fix: Hit the freezers

Why it works:  “Most people think only fresh is healthy, but this is a huge misconception,” says Cluskey. In fact, U.K. scientists found that in two out of three cases, frozen fruits and vegetables packed higher levels of antioxidants (including polyphenols, vitamin C and beta-carotene) than the fresh kind. As produce ages, nutrients begin to change and break down, says Cluskey. It’s therefore better to eat food that was frozen at prime ripeness with its nutrients intact than week-old produce that no longer has the same beneficial chemical makeup.