Summary: A never-ending debate about supplementing our daily food and beverage intake with vitamins or not. Read about two essential vitamins: Vitamin C and Multivitamins.

Why do we not get enough vitamins in our daily diet?

On my daily commute to work, I was listening to a podcast about Dr. Andrew Saul, who calls himself the Megavitamin Man. It was a fascinating story about how he incorporates unusually high amounts of Vitamin C in his and his family’s daily diet. The outcome is an impressive track record of good health and vitality for an extended period.

I regularly take vitamins, and Dr. Saul’s podcast made me re-think my approach to vitamins. My belief is to keep a balance, supplement the body with additional vitamins but never “overdo” it. We need to let our bodies do some work too and extract these vitamins and minerals from the food and beverages we consume.

The quality and quantity of vitamins and minerals our body can access through our diets depend not only on how smart we eat but also on the actual quality of the food. In today’s world where pesticides, growth hormones, and other nasties are added to almost everything, it is not easy to navigate. There is always an option to buy premium, organic produce but that is not equally available to everyone. Why? First of all, because real organic food costs more than mass-produced goods.

I am also a bit of a cynic about organic produce. I think as far as the vegetables are grown in dirty soil, being watered by polluted rain, there is no such thing as genuinely organic produce. Hence indeed I do supplement my daily diet with vitamins. Here is a short Guide to the two most common vitamins: Vitamin C and Multivitamin.

Multivitamin & Vitamin C

Multivitamins:

Dietary supplements containing an array of essential vitamins and minerals. Widely used, widely available, mostly in the form of tablets and pills. By taking a multivitamin every day, you guarantee your body a level of vitamin and mineral supply. I firmly believe that it is worth balancing the multivitamin intake with your daily diet and ensure that you don’t overload on multivitamins and have crisps and chocolate for breakfast – just because you have done your 5-a-day through your vitamins.

The principal reason to take multivitamins is to support a healthy aging process. As we get older (and here I don’t talk about old-old age, just as we age) our nutritional need increases while our body absorbs fewer nutrients.

Vitamin C:

Is a widely popular, water-soluble vitamin that does a World of good to us. Vitamin C is not only a strong antioxidant but also plays an important role in maintaining the health of the connective tissues in our bodies.

There are plenty of benefits of consuming foods that are rich in vitamin C:

• Boosts immunity
• Vital for circulation
• Supports a healthy heart
• Fights free radical damage
• Encourages healthy and glowing skin
• Promotes collagen formation
• Improves mineral absorption
• Fights colds and flu
• Improves the health of teeth and gums

How do you know that you have vitamin C deficiency?

The symptoms are fairly easy to recognize, but of course, it is always best to reach out to your docrot before you jump to conclusions. The RDA for vitamin C is 90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women.

• Tiredness, fatigue and irritability
• Back ache and other body pains
• Bleeding gums and nosebleeds
• Wounds healing slowly
• Dry, matte, splitting hair
• Discolouration of the skin

 Top 8 Natural Vitamin C Sources:

Vitamin C is found in various fruits and vegetables and it is not difficult to maintain the regular intake through a healthy, green diet. Here are some natural sources that are delicious, easy to find and there are many ways to consume them.

1. Guava: 1 fruit: 125 mg (over 100% DV)
2. Red peppers: about ½ cup, raw: 95 mg (over 100% DV)
3. Oranges: 1 large size fruit: 82 mg (over 100% DV)
4. Kale: 1 cup: 80 mg (132% DV)
5. Broccoli: ½ cup cooked: 50 mg (107% DV)
6. Brussels sprouts: ½ cup cooked: 48 mg (80% DV)
7. Grapefruit: ½ cup: 42 mg (71% DV)
8. Strawberries: ½ cup: 40 mg (70% DV)