Interesting piece in the Seattle Times about a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report saying that despite the plethora of products and supplements available on the market today and the sometimes massive amounts of food that people ingest, “Americans typically lack calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, C and E. In addition, certain populations have low intakes of other critical nutrients, such as iron and vitamins B12 and D.”
How come?
Dr. David Katz, of the Yale School of Public Health tells the Times, "We actually eat less than our ancestors, despite the fact that we eat more than we should. Since we expend so much less energy than prior generations, we need fewer calories. And when you take in fewer calories, you usually take in fewer nutrients. We also eat more high-calorie foods with poor nutritional value.”
Katz also says that Americans cannot depend on supplements to replace the nutrients they are not getting from food: “It's vital to remember the following: supplement, not substitute. There is no substitute for a healthful dietary pattern.”
How come?
Dr. David Katz, of the Yale School of Public Health tells the Times, "We actually eat less than our ancestors, despite the fact that we eat more than we should. Since we expend so much less energy than prior generations, we need fewer calories. And when you take in fewer calories, you usually take in fewer nutrients. We also eat more high-calorie foods with poor nutritional value.”
Katz also says that Americans cannot depend on supplements to replace the nutrients they are not getting from food: “It's vital to remember the following: supplement, not substitute. There is no substitute for a healthful dietary pattern.”
- KC's View:
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Somehow it is extraordinary that as much as we eat, so many of us don’t eat right.
Extraordinary. But hardly a surprise.
