Key Takeaways
- Every skipped meal means nutrients your body doesn't get, and one big evening meal can't make up for it.
- Many people don't eat enough vegetables, a major source of vitamins and minerals.
- Dr. Parsons recommends taking a multivitamin at least twice a day, not once.
It's a common belief that a multivitamin isn't really necessary. In this quick myth-versus-fact video, Dr. Parsons explains why she calls that a myth.
Skipped Meals Mean Missed Nutrients
Whether you're intermittent fasting or simply not hungry, every meal you skip means nutrients your body never gets. Dr. Parsons says you can't make up for it with one big meal in the evening. We're designed to eat several times a day, which helps keep blood sugar stable and gives the body a steady supply of nutrients.
Most People Don't Eat Enough Vegetables
Vegetables are where many of our nutrients come from, but plenty of people don't like them and don't eat them. Dr. Parsons also notes a separate question: whether today's produce even contains the nutrients it should, depending on the soil it's grown in.
Why Once a Day Isn't Enough
Dr. Parsons' advice: a one-a-day multivitamin can't give you everything you need. She recommends taking a multivitamin at least twice a day to cover what you're not getting from food.
Not sure which multivitamin is right for you? The Natural Path Health Center in Fresno can help. Learn more about our functional nutrition services.
Read the full video transcript
Fact versus myth: taking a multivitamin is not necessary. Well, that's a myth. Most of you are skipping meals. Whether you're doing intermittent fasting or you're just not hungry, each meal you miss means nutrients your body will never get, and you can't make it up with one big meal in the evening. We are designed to eat multiple times a day. That helps to stabilize our blood sugar and gives us a continual nutritional source of all those nutrients that we should, in theory, be getting from food. But the next part is, most of you aren't eating your veggie wedgies. You don't like them. You aren't going to eat them. They're mushy, they're gross, whatever the reason is. And that's where a lot of these nutrients come from. And we won't even get into whether the nutrients are actually in the plant because of the soil. That's a whole other video series. So you do need a multivitamin. If you're doing one a day, throw it away, because you can't get all you need in one multivitamin. You need to take it at least twice a day to supplement what you're not getting. No matter what the reason is, take your multi.
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB is a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, and brain wellness expert with 34+ years serving Fresno families at The Natural Path Health Center.
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