Vitamins?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 01/20/2003 11:02:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, daveo writes:

 

 

I posted the following info on "Vegetarianslimmer" another last

week about the decline of vitamins in our veggies. Check it out to access

the problem for yourself and your own circumstances.

 

 

 

I think the nutrients are being lost in many of our fruits and veggies because of poor soil/growing conditions. The amount of chemicals used

(if organic is not an option) is certainly cause for concern. One of the many reasons I supplement is to help with what I can't control in my daily events.

[Guest guest]

Jess,

 

I've been a veggie for over 20 yrs. During that time, I've seen the debates

rage off and on about taking supplements or not. IMHO, there are several

factor which need to be considered.

 

First, consider the quality of your diet. If you get lots of fresh fruit

and veggies in a wide variety, you will get most, if not all, of the

vitamins you need.

 

I posted the following info on " Vegetarianslimmer " another last

week about the decline of vitamins in our veggies. Check it out to access

the problem for yourself and your own circumstances.

 

>> " Vegetables Without Vitamins "

>> " Imagine the surprise of going online and discovering that the vitamin

>>and mineral content of vegetables has drastically dropped. That's

>>what happened to nutritionist, Alex Jack, when... " << Here's the link

>>to the full article:

>>http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/mar2001_report_vegetables.html

 

Second, the kind of veggie diet you practice is also an issue. Assuming the

strictest veggie diet, which is probably vegan, you would only have to worry

about unique sources for b-12. The good news is that they are easily

available from certain plant sources. Here's a link to explore it further:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm

 

Third, your age is also a factor to be considered. As we all age, we tend

to put on extra weight and age-related diseases seem to appear. One reason

behind these changes is our diet, and while veggies often gain less and

remain healthier over time, the real factor to be considered is the decline

of hormones.

 

This subject matter usually freaks health conscious people out, but it's a

simple reality of aging that can also be handled with plant based

supplements as well.

 

Lastly, I consider how I feel in my own skin. So, if you are highly

stressed on your job or in life in general, then considering and responding

to that situation is equally important to your diet because your

diet/supplements regiment can resolve many issues that surface.

 

I won't go into the details here, but stress appears to deplete a number of

vitamins/nutrients from our system storehouse, and the onset of certain

age-related diseases seem to occur sooner as a result. If you're interested

in this aspect, we can discuss it in more detail later.

 

 

So, the bottomline for me is that I now use supplements to maintain and

enhance my health. For the first 15 years I didn't. When I turned 50 or

so, I started feeling the aches and pains of aging. I'm in excellent

health, but my energy level seemed to be dropping and I did not have the

physical endurance of only a few years earlier.

 

I began a program of supplements that has taken me back 15-20 years in my

overall sense of health and emotional well-being. Here's one of the

supplements I take. Check out this multivitamin at

http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00585.html and see what's in it here

http://www.lef.org/prod_desc/lifemixb.htm

 

I hope this info helps you in making your decision, Jess.

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've heard that because we're vegetarians, there are various micronutrients

that we don't get and can't get. Does anyone know of vitamins that work,

that cover this micronutrients. I've never been inside a health food store,

where I assume I'd find them. Are there any particular brands to buy or

avoid? Any favorite store to buy them?

 

Thanks!

Jess

[Guest guest]

>>>I posted the following info...about the decline of vitamins in our

veggies<<<

 

>>I think the nutrients are being lost in many of our fruits and veggies

because of poor soil/growing conditions. The amount of chemicals used (if

organic is not an option) is certainly cause for concern. One of the many

reasons I supplement is to help with what I can't control in my daily

events. <<

 

 

Since most people may not have the time to read the lenghty article

referenced above,

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/mar2001_report_vegetables.html, here

are a few quotes from it that might be of real interest to the group.

 

" ...a 50% drop in the amount of calcium in broccoli, for example. Watercress

down 88% in iron content; cauliflower down 40% in vitamin C content-all

since 1975 ... "

 

" ...USDA employee, Phyllis E. Johnson...suggested to Organic Gardening that

the nutrient drain should be put in context...the 78% decrease in calcium

content of corn is not significant because no one eats corn for calcium. She

further explains...back when the old food tables were made up, people may

have been eating the cobb too, so they got more nutrients. "

 

I don't know about you, but eating the cobb was never an option for me, and

I was 15 years old when the 1960 study she's referring to was done. That

attitude is laughable! Don't forget, these people at the FDA work for us.

 

" ...amount of vitamin C in sweet peppers has plummeted from 128 mg to 89

mg.= The vitamin A in apples has dropped from 90 mg to 53 mg. The fall-offs

seem to be limited mostly to vegetables, and some fruits. "

 

" ...Collards are not the greens they used to be...vitamin A content has

fallen from 6500 IUs to 3800 IUs...potassium has dropped from from 400 mg to

170 mg. Magnesium has fallen sharply-57 mg to 9. Cauliflower has lost almost

half its vitamin C, along with its thiamin and riboflavin. Most of the

calcium in pineapple is gone-from 17 mg (per 100 grams raw) to 7. And the

list goes on and on. "

 

" ...preferred American meal is one-dish, already prepared. Unless a

vegetable can be squirted out of a bottle, it's a nonentity. Why? We're in a

hurry. Vegetables are considered side dishes, and Americans don't have time

for such frivolity. The decline is relentless. Within the last 15 years, the

percentage of all dinners including a vegetable (other than salad or

potatoes) dropped 10%. It's now 41%. "

 

" According to one study, less than one-third of Americans get the minimum

five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, let alone the recommended

nine. "

 

Like Robin says above, this is also part of the reason why I supplement.

 

Dave