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Tag: UC Davis

Many kids do not need vitamin supplements

Many children do not need the vitamin supplements we push at them: they are healthy enough without them

Children who were reported to be the healthiest and most active with a balanced diet, greater access to health care and higher family income were more likely to take vitamin supplements, a new study notes.

Researchers at the University of Davis in California studied more than 10,000 kids aged 1-17. The lead physician on the project said many of the children who take vitamin supplements do not appear to need them because they are receiving adequate nutrition from the foods they eat. This is great news that lots of children are eating healthy foods and not living on a diet of fast or fake foods.

Unfortunately for those children on the other end of the spectrum, those without access to healthy food choices, adequate health care, and other factors of a healthy lifestyle, the story looks different. These are the ones who could actually use vitamins to help supplement what they’re missing. But these aren’t the kids who are taking them.

One charity that is trying to ease this gap is Nourish America. Nourish America is committed to provide the daily essential nutrition that impoverished American children, families, pregnant moms, and seniors and others in need require to live productive, successful lives.

For those of us adults with a healthy diet, however, we might want to consider carefully any supplements and see if we are already getting the nutrients through our foods before we add anything processed or synthetic to our bodies.

Organic vegetables really are better for you

15 years ago, food scientists at University of California in Davis planted 10 adjacent fields to compare farming methods. The results? Definitive proof that organic growing methods result in distinct nutritional benefits.

In the August 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine, James Beard award winning food writer Peter Jaret reports that the UC Davis researchers have found organically grown vegetables to contain “consistently higher levels of vitamin C and other antioxidants, including flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables linked to reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.”

Plant biologists call these substances “secondary metabolites,” and they are what make carrots orange and tomoatoes red as well as affect flavor and nutritional content.

Not to mention the reduced impact on the environment, our planet as a whole, and our own bodies. As I’ve said before, in America we vote with our dollars. If we want to be healthier and live in a healthier world, it’s up to us to step up to the literal plate and make our choices wisely and vocally.