Can Multivitamins Replace Vegetables?
When trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet, few things are as simple, nutritionally dense, and adaptable as vegetables. But, can multivitamins replace vegetables in one’s diet? The answer is poor, at best, as multivitamins lack many of the health benefits found in fresh, unprocessed vegetables.
Nutrient Loss
One of the main issues with taking multivitamin supplements to replace vegetables in one’s diet is the loss of vital nutrients. Multivitamins are made from processed ingredients and chemicals, combined in a laboratory in an attempt to replicate the beneficial compounds found in fresh vegetables. However, in the process of production, many of the vital compounds found in fresh vegetables are lost.
Additional Nutrients
A second issue with replacing fresh vegetables with multivitamins is that a great deal of additional nutrients are simply not found in the multivitamins. Though multivitamins often include the vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain basic wellness, they lack many important compounds found in vegetables, namely phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are natural compounds found in plants, and are extremely beneficial for overall health.
Other Benefits
Beyond the aforementioned, there are many other documented benefits that come with eating fresh vegetables, benefits that simply cannot be replicated with multivitamin supplements. Vegetables are often considered natural energy sources, as they are a rich source of carbohydrates, and are known to improve digestion, reduce cardiovascular risk, and prevent certain types of cancer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, multivitamins cannot replace vegetables in a healthy diet. Though multivitamin supplements offer many essential vitamins and minerals, they cannot replicate all the potential benefits of fresh vegetables. Replacing fresh vegetables with multivitamins can lead to nutrient loss, and will also cause one to miss out on many additional nutrients, such as phytonutrients, and other potentially beneficial compounds.
For maximum dietary benefits, it is recommended to include fresh, unprocessed vegetables on the menu.
- Nutrient loss
- Additional Nutrients
- Other Benefits
