Healthy Lifestyle Tip ~ Vitamin Supplements Versus Healthy Foods: Who Wins?

Eating a Balance Diet of Healthy Foods Wins

Vitamin and mineral supplements from a bottle simply can’t match all the biologically active compounds teeming in a well-stocked pantry. By focusing on the big picture, it’s easy to get plenty of the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients you need to keep you healthy and prevent disease.

Vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are organic substances found in plants and animals. Minerals are inorganic elements from the earth (soil and water). Both are essential for normal growth and optimal health.

Here’s a list of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for good health, plus the best food sources of each:

• • • • iron — meat, poultry, fish, and beans
      • vitamin A — carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale
      • vitamin B₁₂ — meat, poultry, fish
      • vitamin E — nuts, seeds, vegetable oils

Phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemicals made by plants. They are not essential to life, but they do have a positive effect on health. Diets rich in phytochemicals have been associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. They are found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains.

The following is a list of key phytochemicals, plus the best food sources of each.

• • • • flavonoids — blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
      • carotenoids — orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash
      • lycopene — tomatoes
      • isoflavones — soy foods, such as soybeans (or edamame)
      • resveratrol — red grapes
      • catechins — teas

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