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Myths and truths about spring vitamin deficiency
In early spring, vitamin producers have a real holiday – it is at this time that we feel a lack of nutrients in the body. So which vitamins should you really drink, and which ones are just big advertising names? The editors asked about this from the general practitioner, leading the “Health” section of the “Mood” program on the TV Center channel Mansur Gilyazitdinov.
March 24 2014
Our body may only lack vitamin C
The insidious dirty trickster vitamin deficiency seems to be keeping a calendar and feeling the seasons. In winter and summer, it gains strength, and in spring and autumn it attacks our body and makes us sick.
True
Avitaminosis, that is, an absolute deficiency of one or another vitamin, does not threaten us at any time of the year. As a rule, a sufficient amount of vitamins enters the human body along with food. Moreover, most of them are synthesized in the body. The only exception is vitamin C. The gene for the synthesis of ascorbic acid in humans is present in the genome, but for some reason it is blocked. That does not prevent us from living in peace. Today, we can face extreme manifestations of ascorbic acid deficiency – vitamin deficiency only on the pages of books about seafarers. If you are not going to travel on a drifting ice floe, vitamin deficiency is not a problem for you.
In everyday life, another trouble lies in wait for a person – hypovitaminosis. That is, not a complete absence, but a slight deficiency of one or another vitamin.
In the spring, a parade of vitamins begins in the windows of pharmacies. Manufacturers advise to meet warm days fully armed and rather start strengthening the immune system with pills.
True
There are certain signs of a vitamin deficiency. For example, when vitamin A is deficient, vision function is impaired, the skin flakes, hair and nails become brittle. Lack of B vitamins is manifested by disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system. With a lack of vitamin C, capillary fragility occurs, a tendency to bruise, the hemoglobin level becomes lower, and skin problems appear. If you notice these symptoms, you should not run to the pharmacy for multivitamins, but to see a doctor. All these unpleasant sensations and signs can be symptoms of organic diseases that have nothing to do with hypovitaminosis.
A bad mood is also not a reason to prescribe multivitamins to yourself. After all, these are chemical substances. Therefore, rather than swallowing pills, it is better to adjust your diet. A person who eats traditionally, that is, eats the first, second, third and compote, or according to the folk recipe – cabbage soup and porridge – our food, practically does not encounter hypovitaminosis. Those at risk are supporters of various, sometimes very questionable diets. They should pay attention to the use of vitamin and mineral complexes. But you should definitely consult your doctor!
A glass of freshly squeezed juice a day is enough
Citrus fruits are the real leaders of the vitamin deficiency pore. Did you catch a cold? Kilograms of lemons will come to the rescue. If you don’t want to get sick, eat oranges greedily.
True
Ascorbic acid is truly the king of all vitamins. And our health and immunity in particular depends on its sufficient intake into the body. But this does not mean that oranges and lemons should be eaten in kilograms. The daily rate of ascorbic acid is from 50 to 100 mg per day. Lemons contain 40 mg of ascorbic acid per 100 g of edible portion. That is, to replenish the daily requirement, we need 1 lemon per day. Or one orange containing 60 mg of ascorbic acid. But not only citruses contain ascorbic acid. Oranges and lemons can be substituted for two medium apples or 100 grams of sauerkraut.
Myth 4: there is no benefit from winter vegetables.
You have to eat a ton of fruits and vegetables to get enough nutrients. And there is no point in buying vegetables and fruits in winter. They are all “plastic” anyway, they do not contain any vitamins.
True
If your daily diet includes five of any fist-sized vegetables and fruits, vitamin deficiency is not in danger. In fact, the main benefits of vegetables and fruits end on ascorbic acid, we can easily find other vitamins in staple foods. For example, vitamin A – in butter, beef liver, eggs, cheese, B vitamins – in wholemeal bread, whole grain products (oatmeal, buckwheat, barley).
In pursuit of a vitamin menu, one should not forget about constant physical activity and hardening procedures. Physical activity stimulates non-specific immunity and activates metabolism, which in turn promotes the synthesis of vitamins.