Do we need vitamins
This is a question I’ve been giving myself a lot of thought to.
Granted, a new vitamin shop opened a block from my house, which probably first spurred the attention, but there was also an article written by co-worker Joni Astrup that really got me thinking.
In Joni’s article, Dietician Terral Stoltz links a vitamin D deficiancy to muscle weekness and fatgiued.
And, according to a recent msnbc article, a vitamin D deficiancy has also been linked to multiple sclerosis.
This information, coupled with the fact that someone I know, who can’t be an older than 25, also just learned that she has MS. 25? MS? I didn’t even know this was possible. (read: I’m not saying whether this was a vitamin thing at all. More just a scary concept)
Before considering the vitamin route, I started to look in to where I can naturally get the “sunshine” vitamin.
Well, sunlight. Which, since we live in a northern climate, we can’t even possibly get enough of in one day. And, on that note, I must remind readers I also happen to sit under florescent lights in my office for about 8 hours a day. When I come in to work it’s dark, and when I leave it’s also dark. The only week day outside time comes in the form of walking to me car.
Then there’s also the foods we can eat. Well, there’s a bunch of fish option. Mackerel, salmon, tuna, etc. And there’s also fortified margarine, milks and cereals, as well as eggs, swiss cheese and liver.
OK. I’m a vegetarian, so fish and liver is out. I think margarine is a scary man made product that I don’t want in my body. Cold cereal is something I eat maybe once a month. Eggs, we’re OK there. And I prefer provolone or cheddar. So yep. It seems that I might need to up the vitamin D.
Then I started looking at other vitamins. Turns out there’s 13 essential vitamins and minerals our body needs. After carefully examining all of them, I’m in need of three, possibly four (iron). I noticed when going through the list, meat hits like every one, although I am not prepared, nor will probably ever be willing, to eat an animal, fish or any type of seafood ever again.
So it looks like my weekend might include a trip to that new vitamin shop. Who knows, maybe they have a section for vegetarian supplements.
Does anyone else out there take vitamins. I’m looking for some advice, which are some good ones. Do they have an after taste? (I used to take cod liver oil pills in high school…ugh!) Also, anyone try Adora disks? I love chocolate, so maybe this would work for the calcium and vitamin D.
