What's The Need For Veggies and Fruit Anymore?

christine24t

It is proven it is better to get the nutrients from the actual project and not supplements!! Eat fruits and veggies!

Tiffanydepiano

Wow, people are really up in arms about this aren't they? lol

I guess in my opinion they are of course a good filler and if you don't eat some vegetable fiber well.......you would have to add it anyway with another supplement or things just wouldn't work right so to speak.

People are really defensive about their veggies huh?

it_be_asin

Because fruit and veggies have all sorts of phytonutrients and antioxidants which have beneficial effects for the body that haven't even been studied yet.

Because it is unwise to assume that the employees in a complementary healthcare company who formulate these vitamin and mineral products are experts in human nutrition who do nothing else in their jobs but keep up with the nutritional literature. I doubt very much this is the case for many products. And vitamin and mineral supplements are not evaluated for efficacy - in the US, the FDA does not evaluate them at all for safety, efficacy, anything.

Because even when experts formulate total parenteral nutrition products for registration with the FDA/MHRA/TGA/MEDSAFE/whatever which must be evaluated for safety and efficacy before use (unlike the supplements you take at home), they make mistakes which cause micronutrient deficiencies or overdoses, and the nutritional status of people using these products needs to be monitored to prevent this.

Because fruit and vegetables are very filling foods for very little calories, and managing satiety is one of the keys to managing weight.

Because fruit and vegetables taste yummy.

Need any other reasons?

egaal

One could say that about all food including meat I suppose. Why not just take some protein tablets instead of chewing on a steak or a chicken?


1) I think vegetables and fruits taste good. So I'd say that's probably the number one reason to keep eating them. Food is tasty. I don't want to live on tablets and shakes.

2) What if we haven't identified all the nutritional benefits of any given food? Sure, we know we all need Vitamin C, but until recently no one talked about needing omega 3s or antioxidants, so there were no supplements for them. However, if you were eating naturally, you probably consumed a good amount by eating fish, nuts, and fresh veggies/fruits.

So I'd keep eating natural foods as much as possible, in case there's stuff in there that science doesn't know about yet and hasn't reproduced.

And also, see point 1, they taste good

jarrettd

I think we (humans) only know about 1/10th of 1% of what we THINK we know.

Not very long ago, we "knew" the Humors of the body caused illness...Black Bile, Yellow Bile, Blood, and Phlegm. Physicians were taught that "bloodletting" would relieve the excess and cure the patient. We believed that night air caused mortal illness, as did bathing in wintertime. We had no knowledge of germs or viruses, or the means for dealing with them. Infection meant amputation or death. Period.

There could be literally millions of micro- vitamins and minerals and nutrients that we don't know about or understand. We identified some nutrients that we believe will keep us healthy. Does that mean we identified them all? How do we "know"?

It's nice to feel that we can use supplements to ensure at least an adequate intake of (what we believe to be) the most important nutrients. But I wouldn't stake my health on supplements alone.

EDesq

I don't think you can get the same nutrition from supplements as you get from the real thing. That is just my opinion.:happy:

Totally agree, we are by no means healthier than we used to be, humans are diseased and why do you think that is?? Um the food.

Is that "Myth" or "Truth?" Less than a hundred years ago the life expectancy was about 45 YEARS! We NOW have MORE ACCESS to FRESH Vegetable, Fruits and Fresh Meats than EVER BEFORE, in HISTORY! We have NEVER before in History been EXPOSED to the STUFF we are NOW Exposed to: Preservatives, Air Pollution, Water Pollutants, Carcinogens, in Everything from Plastics to Woods we place on our floors and toys...), FAST FOOD "JOINTS," Lack of needed activity because we live in a Technology and Service driven World/Country...

So, we ARE Healthier and Live Longer than in the past, AND that's the POINT of Eating and Living Healthy...QUANTITY and QUALITY Of LIFE! I know perfectly healthy people who eat veggies and/or fruit maybe twice a week. In fact the healthiest people/that have lived longest and had good quality to their lives/Health-wise, eat very LIMITED Veggies and Fruit. They eat/ate veggies/fruit IN SEASON, ate/eat grains and fresh meats.OH, and they eat 1 or 2 meals a day MAX, total (1500-1800 Cals per day.)

SixCatFaerie

Science cannot reproduce what nature does best.
It probably (wait, I'm going to go with definitely) makes your body work harder to chew, swallow and digest an orange than it does swallowing a pill with some water - so in the long run it'd be better for your body to keep working by eating the real deal.
Yeah?

YEAH. I kinda can't believe anyone is asking this. This reminds me of mid-(20th)century sci-fi modernism - like it's some kind of futuristic dream to get our nutrients from pills and gels, like the astronauts!! Oh, and a steak!!

There's actually scientific understanding about this, and you might look some of that up (on real sites like WebMD or National Institutes of Health, not just Google...). For one thing, and in brief, the beneficial phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals in produce often occur in complementary combinations and yes, they are actually better absorbed as whole foods.

THIS!!!

SixCatFaerie

Back in the day when people ate fruits, veggies less processed food were not OBESE!!!

EXACTLY!!!

I wish so much that I had listened to my Mom who wanted me to eat healthy, instead of my Dad you wanted to give me a Snickers!!!

Pebble321

Wow, people are really up in arms about this aren't they? lol

I guess in my opinion they are of course a good filler and if you don't eat some vegetable fiber well.......you would have to add it anyway with another supplement or things just wouldn't work right so to speak.

People are really defensive about their veggies huh?

Not so much defensive... as incredulous!

SixCatFaerie

Personally I prefer to get my antioxidants etc fresh, which is why i grow my own fruit and veg as much as possible. I'd much rather go cut a fresh lettuce and some tomatoes and pick some cherries or strawberries in my own back yard than go down to the supermarket or healthstore and buy 3 day old produce or a bottle of synthesized nutrients - where's the enjoyment in that?

My insides prefer natural foods to processed ones, they are so much easier to digest. Half the reason I"m the size I am is because of my former addiction to processed carbs and salt, so by eating as close to natural as I can works for me. Give me a baked sweet potato and a couple of slices of wholemeal bread - I'll choose the sweet potato every time.

Also, supplements are freakin' expensive! For the cost of a bottle of mutivitamins I can grow a whole garden bed full of fresh produce, and get a lot more enjoyment out of it. Did our ancestors have access to bottles of supplements? No. They had to live on roots, leaves, grains and berries and whatever meat they could catch. They were stronger than we are today and more active, and diabetes, hypertension, allergies etc all didn't exist.

Sorry about the lengthy diatribe, but this is a touchy subject for me )

Ok, rant over xx

Oh, my! You said it perfectly! Thank you!

ninerbuff

Because supplements aren't regulated. Any fool can put a label on a bottle and sell it as a supplement even if it didn't have the ingredients listed on the label. Unless confronted by the FDA, they'll continue to do it. This is why I know as a trainer that many supplements are not what they claim and don't really endorse or recommend any that haven't been clinically peer review tested or studied. Protein and creatine work. The rest to me is debatable.

supermom1114

Read the book "Food Synergy" by Elaine Magee. In just the intro alone she answers your questions. Basically we will never know everything that is in food and how it all works together. Nutrition science is a fairly new science and has made many mistakes in the past by trying to simplify what we need to stay healthy. Its very reductionist to a fault. Anyways, you will always get better nutrition from real foods, not to mention most supplements on drug store shelves aren't worth the money because they don't deliver the nutrients they say they do due to processing and breakdown over time. You'd have to buy expensive supplements to be getting true values but it still wouldn't be better than real foods.

EDesq

Back in the day when people ate fruits, veggies less processed food were not OBESE!!!

BUT THEY were NOT HEALTHIER and DID NOT LIVE LONGER! NO one wants to be Obese, but it will take MUCH more than Fruit and Veggies and an Exercise Routine to solve that problem.

The reason I bring this subject up is because I have not been able to get My "Typical" amount of Fresh/Frozen Veggies and Fruit over the last 8 weeks. I have actually LOST weight, have EASIER BM, feel LESS HUNGRY, no stomach cramps or problems, drink MORE water, AND find Myself maintaining lower calories easier. I NOW am eating about 3 servings of Fresh or Fresh Cooked Veggies a week, rice, whole grain breads, oats, fresh meats, drink 6-10 cups of water per day (EASILY), take my Supplements...I FEEL great and My check-ups are great.

EDesq

Read the book "Food Synergy" by Elaine Magee. In just the intro alone she answers your questions. Basically we will never know everything that is in food and how it all works together. Nutrition science is a fairly new science and has made many mistakes in the past by trying to simplify what we need to stay healthy. Its very reductionist to a fault. Anyways, you will always get better nutrition from real foods, not to mention most supplements on drug store shelves aren't worth the money because they don't deliver the nutrients they say they do due to processing and breakdown over time. You'd have to buy expensive supplements to be getting true values but it still wouldn't be better than real foods.

Then the REAL Question is: HOW much IS enough? I am beginning to believe that 2/3/4 Servings per week, coupled with a "Normal" eating plan (NOT over 1400-2000 cals per day) is sufficient for "normal weight maintenance.

Keep in Mind that "Vegetarians" are also OBESE and Unhealthy!

supermom1114

I don't think you can get the same nutrition from supplements as you get from the real thing. That is just my opinion.:happy:

Totally agree, we are by no means healthier than we used to be, humans are diseased and why do you think that is?? Um the food.

Is that "Myth" or "Truth?" Less than a hundred years ago the life expectancy was about 45 YEARS! We NOW have MORE ACCESS to FRESH Vegetable, Fruits and Fresh Meats than EVER BEFORE, in HISTORY! We have NEVER before in History been EXPOSED to the STUFF we are NOW Exposed to: Preservatives, Air Pollution, Water Pollutants, Carcinogens, in Everything from Plastics to Woods we place on our floors and toys...), FAST FOOD "JOINTS," Lack of needed activity because we live in a Technology and Service driven World/Country...

So, we ARE Healthier and Live Longer than in the past, AND that's the POINT of Eating and Living Healthy...QUANTITY and QUALITY Of LIFE! I know perfectly healthy people who eat veggies and/or fruit maybe twice a week. In fact the healthiest people/that have lived longest and had good quality to their lives/Health-wise, eat very LIMITED Veggies and Fruit. They eat/ate veggies/fruit IN SEASON, ate/eat grains and fresh meats.OH, and they eat 1 or 2 meals a day MAX, total (1500-1800 Cals per day.)

A majority of the reasons we live longer now are due to advances in health care and medicine, the control of the spread of infectious diseases, and advances in pediatric and geriatric care? The life expectancy was fairly short for humans for hundreds and thousands of years until these relatively recent advances came about. The effects of the chemicals and processed foods we have begun to be exposed to in the last 50 years are just being discovered and recorded because they are so new. Heck the UN just met to discuss the top 4 noncommunicable diseases (3 of which cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers can be and usually are linked to diet and lifestyle) because 63% of deaths worldwide are caused by these diseases! Thats almost two thirds of all deaths! The proportion of deaths coming from these diseases was much much less back when our life expectancy was 45 years because more people were dying from communicable(ie contagious) diseases and lack of medicine to treat them. Thats the reason our lifespans have improved not because of more access to fresh foods. Also, MANY americans do not have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh meats. I don't count an orange thats been shipped from Chile to North Dakota or even from Florida to Oregon to be fresh. And you have to consider income levels, location, access to a supermarket period, neighborhood environment, and housing arrangements in to account before you say that everyone is better off than 100 years ago. Many are not and are facing maybe not identical but similar problems when it comes to access to food as people of 100 or more years ago faced.

As for quantity and quality of life... again yes we do live longer but more and more aging adults end up living in nursing homes or retirement facilities away from family members and most depending on a handful of rainbow colored pills to keep themselves functioning properly as well as other devices like oxygen machines, insulin injections, walkers/wheelchairs etc to keep them alive and moving. Does that really sound like a great quality of life?

supermom1114

Read the book "Food Synergy" by Elaine Magee. In just the intro alone she answers your questions. Basically we will never know everything that is in food and how it all works together. Nutrition science is a fairly new science and has made many mistakes in the past by trying to simplify what we need to stay healthy. Its very reductionist to a fault. Anyways, you will always get better nutrition from real foods, not to mention most supplements on drug store shelves aren't worth the money because they don't deliver the nutrients they say they do due to processing and breakdown over time. You'd have to buy expensive supplements to be getting true values but it still wouldn't be better than real foods.

Then the REAL Question is: HOW much IS enough? I am beginning to believe that 2/3/4 Servings per week, coupled with a "Normal" eating plan (NOT over 1400-2000 cals per day) is sufficient for "normal weight maintenance.

Keep in Mind that "Vegetarians" are also OBESE and Unhealthy!

It depends on the nutrient you are looking at. For example a fat soluble nutrient like Vitamin A can be covered for about a week with one proper serving of a vitamin A rich food, like carrots or sweet potatoes. Water soluble vitamins like Vitamin C need to be eaten every day.

it_be_asin

Because supplements aren't regulated. Any fool can put a label on a bottle and sell it as a supplement even if it didn't have the ingredients listed on the label. Unless confronted by the FDA, they'll continue to do it. This is why I know as a trainer that many supplements are not what they claim and don't really endorse or recommend any that haven't been clinically peer review tested or studied. Protein and creatine work. The rest to me is debatable.

THIS. If I was in the US I would never take a supplement due to the very lax FDA oversight of supplements.

As it stands in Australia, I take supplements for zinc and iron (as a nutritional backstop cause I'm vegetarian). I know that the TGA regulates our supplements for good manufacturing practices and safety, but not for efficacy; so i figure if I stick to supplements which have a lot of research data in the public domain I am probably fine.

YepLilly

Nutrients from fruits and veggies are supposed to be absorbed better than those coming form supplements. Supplements need to be used as a backup, not as a substitute.

Pebble321

Humans are omnivores... you can find studies on healthy "traditional" diets from all around the world that are vary different (some high in carbs, some high in proteins, some high in fat, some contain lots of olive oil and fresh veggies, others are based around meat or animal products). I don't have references here, but I highly recommend "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan.

For the OP - if you are feeling good and are healthy, then go for it, eating is a personal choice and if you feel that your handful of tablets are working for you, I can't argue with that. It wouldn't be my chosen way to eat or live, but we are each free to chose what works for us.

bllowry

I have to take some supplements because I lack several enzymes in my stomach to properly break down certain foods; I'm also allergic to most citrus. Both conditions are the result of being a premie born in the 50s. I would love to not have to take a handful of vitamins each morning, but since I dislike being covered in hives or having debilitaiting stomach pains, I avoid the foods that cause me trouble and eat as healthily as I can with my circumstances.