Just who benefits most from Food Supplements?

Grow your own vegetables and use lots of compost

The latest ‘warning’ that low levels of selenium in British soil* are having a damaging effect on our health as we are not getting enough of the mineral through the food we eat, is yet another spur to buy yet more supplements.

Most people I talk to about this find the whole subject confusing. Many friends say they take a multi vitamin tablet every day just to be on the safe side. And yet we hear from scientists that our diet is quite adequate and multi vitamin tablets are unnecessary and natural sources are far easier for our bodies to digest.

So this latest selenium information is I feel just adding to the confusion and for  manufacturers to benefit from our anxiety.

A nutritionist has pointed out that natural sources of selenium include sardines, sunflower seeds, prawns, eggs, wholemeal flour and lean meat. Brazil nuts are an especially concentrated source of selenium.

So as brazil nuts, sardines and prawns don’t grow in British soil I’ll be eating some of each every week.

PS Brazils are high in fat – 10g = 6.8g fat, 68kCal and even higher if surrounded by chocolate!

Val Reynolds Brown, Editor

*With so much fruit and veg imported from abroad I wonder just how valid this ‘warning’ is.