Nature has done an amazing job of providing us with the tools to truly benefit from the foods that we eat. The argument for a whole food diet in favour of one based on supplementation is a strong one.
The advantages of taking a vitamin C supplement, as opposed to eating some fruits and veggies, are not always equal. As an example, popping a 500 mg vitamin C tablet may not be as efficient as simply eating some sweet red pepper. In a 1/2 cup of chopped, raw red pepper, there's 142 mg of vitamin C as well as a ton of bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids are a group of compounds found in plants. They are found in high concentrations in the pith (the spongy white stuff) under the rind of citrus fruits and in vegetables like peppers. As well as having a plethora of their own uses (such as serving as antioxidants), these bioflavonoids play a huge role in the absorption and utilization of vitamin C.
Next time you're cutting up some peppers, consider tossing the pith in the salad too!
---
Nutritional & Nutraceutical Sciences
President of Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences Student Association
HHNS Symposium Coordinator 2012/2013
University of Guelph
No comments:
Post a Comment