Now that it is getting darker and moder, people are more likely to reach for vitamin pills to boost their immunity. Experts explain what this yields.
For Almost Every Vitamin Deficiency, there is a pill. At Least, if we are to believe the manufacturers of food supplements. But there is no scientific evidence that food supplements increase your resistance.
The Idea of ”If It Doesn’tn’t Help, It Doesn’t Hurt” Certainly Doesn’t Always Apply, Says Ellen Kampman, Professor of Nutrition and Disease at Wageningen University & Research. Consider the Risk of Kidney Stones If you Exceed the Daily Amount of 75 Milligrams of Vitamin C.
And you can Easily Exceed a dose. The packaging does not always clearly state how much vitamin c is in the pills. “The Chance That You Will Unknowingly Exceed The Rommended Daily Amount is Great In This Way,” Says the Professor.
For so-called water-soluf vitamins, Such as vitamin C, you will also excrete must of what you take in excess. But Beware: so-called fat-solufe Vitamin’s are no longer excreted; These are stored in the fat tissue. Research is Still Being Conducted Into the Conthequences of This.
Or extra vitamins are only necessary if you really have deficiencies. Such as vitamin D in the Elderly and Vitamin K in Babies. Sometimes People Think they have deficiencies because they eat too few vegetables and fruit, but that is a myth. “A Pill Can Never Replace the Dietary Fiber in Fruit and Vegetables,” Says Kampman.
Varied Diet is Sufficient
Marjolein Visser, Nutritional Scientist and Professor of Healthy Aging at the VU University Amsterdam, is also not in favor of Vitamin C tablets. “There is no scientific evidence that thesis tablets help against getting sick.”
“Rather eat an orange or kiwi a day. Or maybe just two if you have a cold, because some studies show that more vitamin c helps you recover faster from, for example, a cold. MoreOover, you immediately get extra fiber and eather nutrients.”
If you eat a varied diet, you, as an average healthy Dutch person, will not quickly develop a vitamin c deficiency. What about vitamin d? For a Healthy (Young) Adult, The Recommended Daily Amount is 10 Micrograms, Writes The Nutrition Center. And you can Easily Achieve this with a Varied diet and a Daily Walk Outside. Visser: “It Doesn’t Necessarily have to be sunny. As long as your face, hands and forearms get to see daylight.”
Extra B12 Not Necessary with Varied Diet
For People about Seventy, The Amount is 20 micrograms per day. In contrast to the effect of vitamin c tablets, there is strong scientific evidence for the d variant. It is Therefore Wise for the Elderly to Take Supplements, Because It Reduces the Risk of Falls and Fractures, Says Visser. This also applies if you are pregnant or spend little time outside.
If you follow a vegetarian diet, it may be good to take b12. If there is sufficient dairy and eggs on the menu, this is not necessary accordance to fisherman. “Extra Vitamin B12 is only necessary if you do not eat any animal products; therefore for vegans.”
Can you Improve Your Resistance in Other Ways? Other than Eating a Varied Diet, Exercising and Getting Enough Sleep, No, Says Kampman. “I don’t have a magic trick. And no: A Healthy Diet is not always fun, but it is necessary if you want to stay fit.”