Are You Getting These Nutrients? - Part 10

The advice following is very specific and should be followed. Vitamin Pills Vs Food: “It's very tempting when reading a list like this to think, "I'll just take a vitamin pill". I don't think this is a good conclusion to leap to. Why? Because we are finding out there are many nutrients in foods that we either didn't know about before, or that work together with the vitamins we know about. For example, scientists have now discovered tens of thousands of phytonutrients in the plant foods we eat, and we don't begin to understand the complexities of how they all interact and work together. There's evidence that there could be a similar situation with animal foods, although there isn't as much science in that area.”

Deficiencies vs. Dietary Intake: “I'm aware that there is a difference between having a diagnosed condition from a nutrient deficiency (e.g. rickets) vs. having a low blood level of a nutrient vs. not getting the recommended amounts in your diet. This article is strictly talking about the latter.”

How Laura Dolson Drew up This List: “The general "inadequate intake data" is from various scientific sources, including a study which looked at the intake of certain nutrients people were consuming before and during weight-loss diets (the A-Z Diet Study). I found their "baseline data" (before the diets started) to be illuminating, as, for example, most people were not eating enough vitamin E even before embarking on a weight-loss diet. Also, I drew on my own experience in designing low-carb menus which cover all the daily nutrient needs.”

Less-Studied Nutrients: “There are micronutrients which have been getting study and attention more recently that there isn't a lot of data for, with respect to how prevalent inadequate intake is. These include vitamin K2 and choline. This doesn't mean they aren't important, just that I don't know how much of a problem they are. (Educated guess is that low-carb diets would not tend impact those two particular nutrients adversely in most people, as some of the main sources are animal foods, e.g. egg yolks for choline.) Also, we have less information about the phytonutrients.”

Tim asked to come over after reading through this information. He said that he had some learning to do and now understood why I liked my cousin for nutrition. He said that they take a look at the nutrients and food and then try to give us the suggestions for foods that will replenish what we might be missing. I said that I am tested for most of the vitamins and minerals on the list and except for vitamin B12; none of the rest is suggested for supplements. Several years prior, I had been told to take a B complex pill for four weeks and then stop. My cousin knows my history and looks over my VA lab results to suggest food changes.

Tim asked if it would be a good idea to discuss this will all the new members and review this with the long-term members. I agreed and added that we should list my blogs and the sources of information and email this to all members or have a printed list to hand out. Tim agreed and we need to discuss with the members that if they haven't been tested for some of the vitamins and minerals in the blogs, then they should consider this and have the lab results available to either Suzanne or Allison to aid them in suggesting foods they should add to their food plan.

I asked Tim if he had done this in the past and he said no, but he always had the list of foods eaten each day available for them. He added that have some tests done needs to be suggested after he discusses this with both Suzanne and Allison. I suggested that he send a list of my blogs and the sources for their consideration and possible addition to the list. Tim agreed and said he would do this because of my cataract problem. I thanked him and said we still have the list for vegetarians and vegans. He said he would make sure to add the items to the list, because he did not want to wait too much after this blog was posted.

I said that for a few of them I might have copies for him to email if he wanted. Tim added that several blogs were longer than normal, but he could understand with the information we both wanted in them. We had discussed several of them after he had copies.