We look for miracle pills for nutrition pills, vitamin pills, dieting pills, and energy pills. Vitamins and pills are not the answer. Because there is much about nutrition we can't incorporate into a vitamin pill and because there is much about nutrition and vitamins that we are still learning, we must eat proper nutrients to get vitamins for health. Since vitamins and other pills can't do it all, a healthy, varied diet is still necessary.

Pill-Popping Nutrition.

We are a society of pill poppers. We keep looking for a miracle pill with our:

Nutrition and vitamin pills

Dieting pills

Energy pills

Other pills.

In reality, it is not possible for a vitamin supplement or any other pill or herb to take the place of a healthy diet.

For example, a general vitamin supplement will give you all the known vitamins you get by eating broccoli. But vitamins are not the whole story.

Broccoli  and other crucifiers vegetables such as cabbage,  Brussels  sprouts, kale, and mustard greens contain  compounds  which induce protective Phase 2 enzymes. These enzymes fight cancer  by detoxifying carcinogens, then eliminating them from your body.

Maybe you eat your broccoli in a tasty, but simple dish of pasta primavera, prepared with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and hot pepper.

1. The allylic sulfides from garlic increase the activity of immune agents that destroy tumor cells.

2. Olive oil supplies fatty acids your body needs.

3. Hot peppers contain capsaicin which prevents carcinogens from binding to DNA, where they trigger cancer.

4. Red tomatoes contain a pigment called lycopene, a scavenger of free radicals which destroy cells. Regularly eating tomatoes supplies an adequate intake of protective lycopene.

Taking  a  vitamin supplement or pill does not supply any  of  the  items above.  It  does make it easy to convince yourself that  you are promoting a  long life for your body when you might  be  missing many items needed for a healthy body and long life.

Even though there are known nutritional needs for your body, you can be absolutely certain we don't yet know everything needed for a healthy body. The best way to live a long life is to eat a healthy, varied diet to  obtain  the  known and unknown items our  bodies  need. Vitamin pills are fine unless you use them to justify a poor diet and poor nutritional habits.

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The goal of CyberParent is to bring you true, correct, and up-to-date nutritional information that is not influenced by the financial considerations of advertising and advertisers. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors. They are not medical advice and do not necessarily express the position of CyberParent. Please consult your medical professional.