[TRIVIA] Most Common Vitamin Deficiency in the US

Trivia Question: What is the most common vitamin deficiency in the US? Answer: If you guessed Vitamin D…you’re wrong! According to the Center for Disease Control’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (CDC/NHANES for short), Vitamin B6 deficiency was the most common deficiency seen in the samples collected between 1999 and 2006! That being said Vitamin […]

[GUEST BLOGGER] What is Vitamin B17 and is it safe?

Apricots and a cutting board

What is vitamin B17? First things first, vitamin B17 isn’t actually a vitamin according to the Committee on Nomenclature of the American Institute of Nutrition, and there is no evidence to support that this substance is needed by the body. Second, you will also see vitamin B17, amygdalin, and Laetrile used interchangeably, but these are not […]

[GUIDE] Shifting to Nutrient Dense Foods

Shifting to nutrient dense foods means moving towards incorporating more foods that are nutrient dense. This is the recommendation of the USDA 2015 Dietary Guidelines: “Choose nutrient dense foods and beverages across and within all food groups.” But what are nutrient dense foods? The nutrient density of a food is determined by the nutrients it provides compared […]

Vitamin FAQ – Vitamin E

Nuts on a wooden board near a decorated bowl.

What is Vitamin E? Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that has antioxidant properties. Vitamin E also has a role in maintaining cell membranes (cell walls). What is an antioxidant? Antioxidants protect the body from free radicals that are released via the different metabolic processes the body performs to break down food and release energy. […]

Vitamin FAQ – Vitamin D

Sunset over the water

What is Vitamin D? Vitamin D or Calciferol is a fat soluble vitamin which means it is absorbed via fat absorption pathways. It is often called the sunshine vitamin because it’s the only vitamin that we can get from direct exposure to sunlight. What does Vitamin D do? Vitamin D plays a vital role in […]

Vitamin FAQ – Vitamin A

Carrots

What does Vitamin A do? Vitamin A plays important roles in multiple body functions. It maintains the integrity of the cornea (in the eye); plays a role in skin, bone, and teeth growth; has immune functions and also helps regulate the production of reproductive hormones. Basically, Vitamin A plays a role in a lot of […]

Vitamin FAQ – Introduction

Fresh fruits in baskets at a market.

The word vitamin is thrown around a lot these days. So and so causes this vitamin deficiency or that disease is caused by too much of that vitamin. Some of the references we hear are not even related to food and nutrition at all; at times it’s in a pop culture reference. For example, a […]