multivitamin pills vs. real thing.....?

Question

is taking multivitamin pills instead of eating the real fruit and vegetable bad for you?
also, what's the best multivitamin pill out there?

Answer 1

Vitamins are not "bad" for you. What is bad is taking pills (of any kind) and thinking they are the magic bullet. There is no substitute for eating the real thing - which means including food choices with a lot of emphasis on FRESH raw, preferably organic or farm fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and purified water (NOT bottled). However, our North American diet is NOT the real thing. When we eat a diet high in unhealthy fats, with too many poor dietary choices and over-processed "foods", our bodies take on the characteristics of what we eat - plastic, genetically modified dead food.

The best vitamins I know of - and take daily - come with the advice of naturopathic health care providers. Drug store vitamins are "okay", but they too contain many extras we are best to avoid in our diets and their purity is questionable. I'd recommend passing on these, and if you are relatively healthy, then opting for:

Vitamin D - if you don't get 30 minutes of sun every day, 1000mg *minimum* of this vitamin is essential for a healthy immune system.

A green drink/food supplement - which includes as many phytonutrients as you can find in a readily available brand. I take "Vege Greens" and it is a near perfect addition to my own diet.

Hemp Hearts - 4 tablespoons each morning on cereal or fresh fruit provides your body with protein, calcium, the correct balance of Omega 3 and 6 unsaturated fats, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B 1,2, & 6, Vitamins A & C, Potassium and Phosphorous.

If you think your body needs vitamins of any kind, the best brand I know of is Genestra, which offers a wide range for whatever you are looking for.

Before you take anything, consider modifying your diet FIRST. For the benefits of your body to absorb nutrition, health begins in the gut where our immune system is strengthened - or weakened by our poor North American diet. It's ironic that we are all starving to death as we all grow fatter.

To properly absorb vitamins from whole foods or supplements, the gut cannot be compromised by Candida - which grows (in our colon) when we ingest processed foods such as white bread, all foods containing gluten, sugar, table salt, ALL meat and fish from processing plants that genetically modify and putrify our food, ALL dairy, ALL fast and convenience foods, cakes & cookies, deep fried and/or breaded foods, etc. You are best to avoid as many or all of these if you can.

A balance of a HEALTHY diet and lifestyle along with supplementation when you need it will help you keep your body well for your whole life.

Answer 2

Getting vitamins and minerals from regular food is preferable to getting it from a pill. Absorption is better with the former. However, if you can't manage to get enough through regular food, then the pill is better than nothing. Just take the multivitamin with a meal.

Centrum Complete is a fine multivitamin.

Answer 3

Multivitamins are more or less, a substitute. Getting the real thing is of course the better choice, but is not always as convenient. It's not bad for you to take the pill form, it's just more convenient.

I take Centrum.