Fruit and veg are good, but vitamin pills make little difference

[watervole]

A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, fruit, vegetables and fish has been proved repeatedly to be good for people's health.

It protects against a range of illnesses from cancer to diabetes.  However, one point I was particularly interested to note was: "The researchers, led by Dr Raphaelle Varraso, say in the journal Thorax that there is "no clear association between one particular food and COPD (lung disease)". They add that trials of vitamin supplements had no effect, and it may be the cumulative effect of anti-oxidants in a range of foods that provides protection.

I've long suspected that many dietary supplements are massively over-hyped.  There are certainly some cases where they make a difference, but people eating a proper diet shouldn't need them.  (and I recally one study where anti-oxidents in tablet form actually had a negative effect)

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

There was actually a health scare that scared me, yesterday. The one that said dairy products could contribute to Alzheimer's, because they clotted up the brain, or something. Of course, any story about Alzheimer's scares me (unless it's "we're going to have a cure ready in the next ten years"), but I immediately heard my father's voice saying that if he could eat only one food it would be cheese. I'm not sure I could bear life without cheese, either.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Looks like calcium rather than milk per se.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

[Scratches head] My local deli does plenty of rennet-free cheeses, but I'm not sure I can ask them to drop the calcium...

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

That will be this report (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/14/nmilk14.xml)

While this one (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2001/08/20/hmilk20.xml) says consume more dairy reduce obesity.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Yes, there's probably no foodstuff on the market that hasn't been presented as having pluses and minuses. And most of the reports don't worry me much; I eat pretty much what I enjoy. I have just one panic button, and that's labelled Alzheimer's. So that's the one thing that might wean me off cheese... though they'd have to produce a lot more evidence first.

[kerravonsen]

Don't forget osteoporosis; my aunt got that, and I think it was partly due to her obsession with staying thin and refusing to eat dairy products (especially cheese) for many years.

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

As long as you don't boil them (the veg, not the vitamin pills). I saw this story (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070515102538.htm) on the Science Daily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/) blog. The key quote was "If you want to get the maximum benefit from your five portions-a-day vegetable consumption, if you are cooking your vegetables, boiling is out. You need to consider stir frying, steaming or micro-waving them."
I wonder about getting one of those small electric steamers. Steaming on a gas hob seems to involve a lot of time, energy usage and later washing up for one persons-worth of vegetables.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

I see they think -85 is higher than +4 (that must be auto-correct overriding them, surely)

And does anyone really boil their broccoli for 30mins, 5 is enough.

[johnrw.livejournal.com]

Simple answer; drink the water you cook the vegetables in. To be healthy don't add salt to the cooking water.

This is what a great uncle used to do - he'd drink the cabbage/leek/carrot/etc water while the rest of the family ate the vegetables.

[kerravonsen]

A microwave is probably better worth saving up for: it's more versatile than an electric steamer, very convenient, and the veggies taste great.

[emmzzi.livejournal.com]

steamers are generally fab. You can do your rice at the same time as your veggies and fish/quorn/whatever all in one 'thing', and you can also walk off and leave them to get on with it safe in the knowledge it'll switch itself off and your house will not be burnt down...

And if you keep it nice and claen you can use the steamed water for soup stock.

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

I like to fall back on the old Woody Allen movie "Sleeper," in which they discover the ultimate keys to long life are hot fudge and other such modern culinary sins. :)

Anyway, a vitamin for those of us not eating a complete diet (and that is most of us) can't hurt.

I should also add that living people have a 100% greater chance of dying than the dead.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Anyway, a vitamin for those of us not eating a complete diet (and that is most of us) can't hurt.

CAbbage would probably do more for you, or brocolli, etc.

Most vitamins will do no harm, but some can be dangerous if you go too much over the RDA.