Vitamins: Introduction The human body needs a multitude of vitamins for a variety of essential biological processes, including but not limited to growth, digestion, hormone function, and nerve function. Most vitamins cannot be made by the body and must be consumed either as part of a balanced diet or as part of a dietary supplement. Eating a diet rich in vitamins may have a protective effect against the development of certain diseases.1 Additionally, eating a well balanced, nutrient-dense diet typically... read more

Sugar vs Fat: Which is Worse? In trying to manage weight, which is better to cut out, sugar or fat? As our society has become “fat phobic” in recent decades, the food market has become littered with low-fat and fat-free alternatives. However, in trying to manage weight and assuming calorie content is the same, it is better to choose fat over sugar whenever possible. Sugar is instantly absorbed into the bloodstream. This produces a rapid increase in blood sugar followed... read more

Diet Type: Low Carb Diets Low carb diets, most notably the Atkins diet, restrict or eliminate almost all carbohydrates in the primary phase of the diet and only gradually incorporate limited types and quantities of carbohydrates in subsequent phases. Pros: One of the major pitfalls of the average male diet is the overconsumption of sugars (from foods such as sodas and pre-packaged baked goods) and refined starches (from foods such as white bread, white rice, and white pasta) (See Stay... read more

Types of Vitamins There are two types of vitamins: Fat soluble vitamins [vitamins A, D, E, K] Water soluble vitamins [vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), niacin, pantothenic acid, bioton, and folic acid among many others] Fat-Soluble Vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve and remain in the body’s fatty tissues. Fat-soluble vitamins should not be consumed in excess of the daily-recommended intake because fat-soluble vitamins are not easily eliminated from the body. Instead, they build up in fatty tissues.... read more

Vitamin Overdose More is not necessarily better when it comes to vitamins, especially fat-soluble vitamins. The American Academy of Family Physicians lists the following vitamin overdose side effects sometimes associated with taking too much of a particular vitamin. Fat-soluble Vitamins  Vitamin A – Nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, clumsiness, birth defects, liver problems, and possible risk of osteoporosis. You may be at greater risk of these effects if you drink high amounts of alcohol or if you have liver... read more

Sensible Vitamin Supplementation Strategy The council for responsible nutrition offers the following sensible vitamin supplementation strategy. Notice that only a few vitamin supplements are recommended and they are recommended in relatively small quantities. Larger quantities of vitamin supplements are not necessary and can sometimes even be detrimental to overall health and longevity. Multivitamin A multivitamin forms the base of any vitamin supplementation strategy. A multivitamin will fill most nutrient gaps in a typical diet. Many multivitamins come in formulations specifically... read more

Chicken vs Beef: Which is Healthier? With all things being equal, skinless white meat chicken is normally considerably lower in calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat than most cuts of beef. On the other hand, beef normally contains more potassium, zinc, and choline than chicken. The American Heart Association recommends eating more chicken than meat based on the fact that excessive red meat consumption has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. The Way... read more

Daily Sodium Intake: How Much Is Too Much? Sodium, a component of table salt (sodium chloride), is an essential nutrient for the body. However, for certain individuals, consuming excess salt can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Several meta-analysis involving over 177,000 men and women who were followed for 3 ½ years to 19 years showed that higher salt intake was associated with a 23 percent increase in stroke... read more

Diet Types: Point System Diets Point system diets, most notably Weight Watchers, assign every food a point value (higher equals more calories; lower equals less calories.) The goal is simply to stay under the number of points allocated each day. In the new Weight Watchers Point Plus program, calories still count toward points. However, foods rich in protein and fiber are allocated fewer points than foods low in protein and fiber with the same number of calories. Calorie-dense foods that... read more

Vitamin Deficiency Compared to women, men undergo a greater decrease in food intake over their lifespans.1 In fact, by their seventieth birthday most men consume nearly 1000 kcal to 1200 kcal less than they did during their period of peak consumption (typically late teens to early twenties).2 This decrease in food intake can lead to vitamin deficiency. Additionally, there are many other potential causes of vitamin deficiencies in men of all ages. Vitamin deficiency can increase an individual’s risk of... read more