How we consume vitamins can affect how we absorb them
Vitamins are an essential need for our bodies, and there are so many of them too! Research suggests there are 13 key vitamins that are most important for our bodies and the top 7 are:
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin D
Zinc
Calcium
Folate
Magnesium
Iron
But this is really only the tip of the iceberg! For example, Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that helps our immunity (among a good many other things). With so many vitamins needed, it’s hard to know how to ensure we’re getting enough.
Because of this, vitamin supplements have been a popular option, particularly over the last few decades, as they offer a convenient option for vitamin deficiencies. Iron deficiencies are a common problem, particularly for women, and iron supplements can be a great help to those who need to increase their iron levels.
However, not all vitamin supplements are created equal, and some aren’t absorbing the way you might want them to. Just because a vitamin supplement claims to have Xmg of a vitamin, there is no way to predict just how much of that vitamin your body will absorb. This is because vitamins can be contextual. For instance iron is best absorbed alongside Vitamin C, but not all iron supplements contain Vitamin C, meaning your absorption can vary. Another example by Scientic American is lycopene, “For example, lycopene—the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue—has been associated with a lower risk for prostate cancer, causing many supplement makers to rush to market pills bearing this healthy stuff. But research suggests that taking it in supplement form does not confer the same benefit as eating tomatoes or tomato products, such as pasta sauce and ketchup, that preserve some of the tomatos chemical integrity.”
This isn’t to knock supplements - science has done so much for us all, and the fact we can get our iron from a pill is amazing! We’re just advising you to be cautious when emptying the pharmacy shelves of all their vitamins.
If you are hoping to get more vitamins, or you feel like you’re not getting enough of a certain vitamin then your diet can be a safe and fun way to get it! The original way for our bodies to get vitamins was through our diet and it’s just as effective today, and it’s a lot of fun too! Sauerkraut for instance, is an amazing source of Vitamin C, as well as many other vitamins (depending on which vegetables are fermented in the kraut). Fruits are high in vitamins as well, and there’s nothing quite like pineapple and watermelon on a hot day!
We’re not here to discourage vitamin pills, but simply to encourage everyone to look at all the options first, and if you have real concerns you might be deficient in something please speak to your doctor.