The big to-do about vitamins
Vitamin companies don't support big lobbyists or politicians. And why would they? They don't have the big money necessary to help fund large-scale government studies. They don't make corporate America rich. So they aren't taken seriously.
And the consequence of all these things is that they'll never get as much attention as the pharmaceutical drugs bringing in all the big bucks. But when they do, it usually results in confusing, conflicting advice.
Through the years, there have been dozens -- possibly hundreds -- of studies to measure the effectiveness of vitamins in promoting better health. But scientists just can't seem to come to an agreement about how much supplements help.
This year -- once again -- the government launched a large-scale review of every study ever done on vitamins to determine how much good they do for your body. And -- once again -- they came back with the same results: Vitamins might help. But they might not (something I would never tell my readers or patients).
Well, maybe that's because vitamin-takers just aren't getting as sick to begin with. And it doesn't help that most of these studies have been set up to fail: They're too small and flawed to turn up any useful information.
Of COURSE taking vitamins helps. If those vitamins weren't important, the FDA wouldn't go about setting nutritional guidelines and daily allowances and recommendations for vitamins and nutrients. And without supplements, most people won't get the amounts they need just from their daily diets.
I'm not saying that you can completely replace healthy food with supplements. The fact is, nutrients from food are more natural to our bodies, and as a result our bodies absorb and use them better. But even the healthiest eater probably doesn't get all the vitamin D or zeaxanthin they need to get the best results.
So regardless of what the bog government studies say, don't be too quick to toss your supplements -- they're doing more good than any of us (even the experts) probably realize.
Overweight? Think about the two Fs
I've always said that the most important, most common-sense weight loss tips are rarely found in fad diets.
In a recent study, researchers monitored the eating habits of 52 overweight people and 52 normal weight people. In the end, they found that, as you might expect, the overweight people ate less fruit and fiber than the healthy-weight people.
Of course, increasing your intake of fruits and fiber-rich veggies is easier said than done. Eating a healthy diet can be especially hard for people who are accustomed to eating packaged "convenience" (i.e. junk) foods. But it can be done.
Fruit is pretty self-explanatory: Pick your favorites and eat more of them. Good foods for upping your fiber intake include beans, lentils, whole grains, and vegetables like broccoli, corn, carrots, and cabbage. You should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day anyway. (A serving is about a fistful.)
Of course, it's important to keep in mind that the study didn't show that eating fruit or fiber would actually help you shed pounds. But the researchers believe is that since fiber-rich foods fill you up more, it might slow you from overindulging in other foods, which is an important part of the overall weight-loss process.
Until next time,
Dr. Alan Inglis
House Calls
