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Harvard researchers are urging all Americans to take daily multivitamin to help prevent coronary heart disease and cancer. The new recommendation--based on a review of studies published between 1966 and 2002--appears in the June 19th issue of JAMA.
Drs. Kathleen Fairfield and Robert Fletcher say that most Americans do not get enough of certain vitamins in their diets. In addition, the elderly and those who avoid all animal products are at higher risk of vitamin deficiency. The investigators add that generic multivitamins offer substantial health benefits at a relatively low cost and with low risk of problems.
Heat, light, and air can strip vitamins from foods. A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reports that ready-to-drink orange juice may lose all its vitamin C content within weeks of opening the package. Food experts offer these tips to help you and your family get the most nutrition from vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables:
• Cut foods in larger pieces to limit contact with water.
• Steam instead of boil.
• Water used to cook vegetables is rich in nutrients. Reuse this water in soups and sauces.
• Use refrigerator crisper bins to reduce contact with light, air and moisture.
• Buy frozen if you don't plan to eat fresh foods within three or four days.
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