You Ask, I Answer: Pickling

I know most pickles have a high sodium content, but I'm wondering if the vinegar and processing destroys the nutrients in the veggies.

I know cucumbers don't have a whole lot going for them, but pickled green beans are yummy.

Do they have the same nutrients as unpickled green beans?

-- Jennifer Armstrong
Via the blog

This question doesn't have a clear cut answer.

Although storing vegetables in a jar of vinegar results in some nutrient losses, the amount actually lost is dependent on how long the vegetables sit in the pickling solution for.

The first nutrients to go are the water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the B complex).

However, unless these green beans are sitting in the solution for months, you are still getting a percentage of those vitamins.

The fat soluble vitamins (in green beans' case, K and A) remain untouched, as do the present minerals (phosphorus, potassium, manganese) and fiber.

You Ask, I Answer: Mushrooms

From a nutrition standpoint, are all varieties of mushrooms pretty much the same?

Sometimes I see portobello mushroom steak as a vegetarian option at restaurants.

Is it higher in protein than other types?

-- Linda Ahern
Santa Ana, CA

All mushrooms are good low-calorie sources of potassium, phosphorus, and two B vitamins (riboflavin and niacin.)

A cup of chopped mushrooms also offers approximately ten percent of the selenium daily value (although oyster mushrooms come up short in this mineral.)

Portobello mushrooms are not higher in protein than other varieties.

A five-ounce serving only delivers 5 grams of protein (that same amount of tofu offers 15 grams; five ounces of seitan contribute 30 grams; half a cup of black beans adds up to 10 grams.)

Portobello mushroom "steak" as a vegetarian option on a restaurant menu strikes me as rather uninspired, particularly when it is the only meat-free choice.

I can't tell you how many times I have been at events where that is the sole vegetarian dish, and it is literally nothing but a huge, grilled portobello mushroom inside a hamburger bun. Snore!

Many chefs love it, though, because it's very easy to prepare.

You Ask, I Answer/Quick & Easy Recipes: Vegan Alfredo Sauce

I became vegan about two months ago.

I don't really miss many things since I find perfectly tasty substitutes, but yesterday night I found myself craving alfredo sauce (maybe it's the cold weather).

Since I have seen some vegan recipes on the blog, I wondered if you had any ideas as to how I can have alfredo sauce without dairy?

-- Shannon Gibson
St. Paul, MN

You've come to the right place, Shannon!

Although I am not vegan, I enjoy vegan cooking -- it is creative, healthy, and always offers a new experience for the tastebuds.

After several experiments, I crafted a vegan alfredo sauce I have been enjoying for approximately two years.

YIELDS: 6 servings (1 serving: 1/2 cup)

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
4 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place cashews in food processor. Pulse for 20 - 30 seconds.

Add water and pulse until cashews and water are evenly mixed.

Combine rest of ingredients in food processor until blended.

NUTRITION INFORMATION (per serving)

150 calories
1.5 grams saturated fat
380 milligrams sodium
4 grams fiber
8.5 grams protein

Good source of: B vitamins (including B12!), magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, iron

You Ask, I Answer: Frozen/Cooked Vegetables

If I microwave my vegetables instead of steaming/boiling them, will this prevent some of the vitamin loss (to water)?

Also, I know a lot of vitamins are heat-sensitive. To save time, I've started preparing a lot of foods beforehand, and then storing them in the refrigerator for a few days.

I'm wondering if, in doing so, I'm losing out on a lot of nutrients through heating, cooling, and reheating, as well as having them exposed to air (and, thus, oxidation) through my dicing/cutting.

Similarly, are frozen vegetables less nutritious than fresh ones?

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

Steaming and boiling provide very different nutritional profiles.

Since steaming does not place vegetables in direct contact with water, water-soluble nutrients (like vitamin C and the B vitamins) do not leech out.

Boil potatoes for 20 minutes, though, and you are kissing a lot of vitamin C goodbye (unless, of course, you end up using that water for soup, which not many people do.)

Microwaving is one great way to steam foods, but it ultimately comes down to how much water you are using.

Cooking broccoli in the microwave by dunking it in a big bowl of water is just as nutrient-leeching as boiling!

Although vegetables offer the most nutrition when they are cut and diced right before consumption (some nutrients are sensitive to air), keeping chopped pieces in an airtight container for a day or two in the refrigerator isn't anything worth worrying about (they key there being airtight.)

As far as frozen vegetables -- they can often be MORE nutritious than fresh vegetables.

The reason? They are, for the most part, flash frozen and packaged at their peak (when they contain the highest amount of nutrition), thereby retaining all these nutrients until you eat them at home.

Fresh vegetables -- particularly if they are not local -- can take a few days to be shipped long distances, and often sit for days at the supermarket, exposed to UV lights that can leach out certain light-sensitive nutrients (including B vitamins, vitamin C, as well as certain antioxidants).

As long as you are getting plain frozen vegetables (as opposed to the varieties that come drenched in sodium and saturated fat laden sauces), you are getting plenty of nutrition.

A Sprinkle of Health

As regular Small Bites readers know, I'm a huge fan of what I like to call "nutritional sprinkling".

A tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in a smoothie, a tablespoon of wheat germ with yogurt, and a few teaspoons of oat bran in your cereal are wonderful ways of gradually integrating substantial nutrition to your day.

Now I introduce you to another all-star on my sprinkling team -- nutritional yeast.

Many vegans are familiar with it -- for the right reason!

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast naturally loaded with B vitamins and usually fortified with vitamin B12 (the one vegans have the hardest time getting in their food.)

Even better -- two tablespoons of it provide a whopping 5 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, a practically non-existent 30 milligrams of sodium, and 375 milligrams of potassium (as much as a small banana)!

As if that weren't enough, it's also a great source of zinc and selenium.

If you have never tried nutritional yeast, I can best describe it as a delectable nutty/parmesan cheese-like flavor.

As far as initial experiences go, I recommend sprinkling it over popcorn, in soups and stir-fries, or over your favorite pasta dish.

Although most conventional supermarkets don't carry nutritional yeast, you can find it at Whole Foods, or your local health store.

It is by no means a wallet buster -- a 5 ounce (that's plenty!) container of Red Star Nutritional Yeast, for instance, retails for $5.19.

You Ask, I Answer: B Vitamins & Mental Health

What do you think about those TrueHope EMPower vitamins that make all kinds of claims about aiding mental health?

I know B-complexes aid mental functioning, but is all of that really even bioavailable?

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

What do I think? I think it is an extremely disturbing -- and dangerous -- product.

TrueHope advertises itself as “bringing hope, healing, and health through the research, development, and promotion of high effective nutritional supplements designed to correct mood disorders and other nutrient-depleted conditions.”

In essence, they claim that mental conditions caused by chemical imbalances (such as bipolar disorder and depression) can be cured by popping what is, in essence, a daily multivitamin.

This claim is based on "evidence" from very shoddy trials.

In fact, there are a grand total of three, none of which are randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (check out this Wikipedia link for "clinical trial 101" reading.)

Anyhow, their "mood-corrective" formula contains very high (sometimes above the upper tolerable intake) doses of a multitude of vitamins and minerals, plus a handful of other ingredients like grape seed extract and methionine.

One particularly disturbing included ingredient is vanadium, a trace mineral that people with bipolar disorder have been shown to actually have high levels of.

I am at a complete loss as to why this is present in EMPower.

Although it is true that the B vitamins play a role in mental function, that is very different from mood disorders.

The idea that B vitamins help with bipolar disorder is equivalent to someone claiming that since Vitamin C supports immune system function, megadoses could be effective in curing someone of AIDS.

If anyone ever attempts to tell you they can correct a mental disorder caused by a chemical imbalance through vitamins and minerals, be sure to run in the opposite direction and stay far, far away.

By the way, this product has been extremely controversial in its native Canada, where psychiatry and mental health organizations have warned patients of the dangers of relying on a combination of vitamins and minerals to control their mood disorders.

It has also been alleged that these pills "were supposedly designed to stop pigs from chewing each other's tails."

You Ask, I Answer: Pasteurization

Is it true that orange juice loses some of its micronutrient value through pasteurization?

If so, do these nutrients get added back into the juice following pasteurization?

And lastly, if pasteurization does effect the nutrient content, what does that mean for milk?

Please help me clear up this confusion.

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

Since pasteurization involves heat, some of the Vitamin C (a nutrient sensitive to heat) in orange juice is lost in the process – approximately fifteen to twenty percent.

It’s actually not a big deal, since 8 ounces of pasteurized orange juice still deliver more than a day’s worth of Vitamin C.

Unlike the Enrichment Act of 1942 (which mandates that nutrients originally found in grain products but lost in the milling process be added back in), there is no such law for fruit juices.

Regardless, I am a proponent of opting for a whole fruit over a juice. Not only do you get slightly higher vitamin and mineral values -- you also get more fiber!

As far as milk is concerned, nutrient losses as a result of pasteurization (simply heating it at 161.5 Degrees Fahrenheit for a 15 seconds) are not very significant.

Since the B vitamins present in milk (riboflavin and niacin) are heat sensitive, there are some small losses, but these vitamins are enriched in grain products and otherwise easily accessible in the diet.

It would take a VERY limited diet to be deficient in either of those two nutrients.

I do not think of pasteurization as a process that is majorly depriving us of nutrients.

Many raw milk enthusiasts will spout off statistics about pasteurized milk offering less absorbable calcium, although I have yet to see any of this information published in any respectable journals.

They will also talk about valuable enzymes "being destroyed" by pasteurization, not realizing we don't need to get digestive enzymes from food -- our bodies naturally produce them.

Back to the absorption issue.

Research has demonstrated that we absorb approximately one third of calcium in milk -- raw or pasteurized.

If high-quality, "junk-free" milk is on your mind, I would be more concerned with getting it from non-hormone-treated, grass-fed cows rather than worry about pasteurization.

I can't think of any particular health benefits associated with raw milk.

In The News: What's Next? Genetically Modified Bananas With Extra Potassium?

Desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures.

Currently experiencing a lull in revenue, coffee giant Starbucks jumps on the energy drink bandwagon 5 years after everyone else.

That's right -- you can now amp any Starbucks beverage -- hot or iced -- by simply saying "plus energy" at the end of your order (dare you to order a "grande sugarfree vanilla decaf carameal macchiatto with breve plus energy" without stopping to take a breath!).

The "plus energy" concoction -- created by Starbucks' "research and development team, a group of culinary experts, food scientists and product designers" -- includes the usual suspects: ginseng, guarana, taurine, L-carnitine, and B vitamins.

FYI: Guarana is a berry native to South America containing four times as much caffeine as coffee beans. It's extremely popular in Brazil, where it is mainly consumed as a soda, in both regular and diet varieties.

Is all this really necessary in a coffee-based drink? I vote "no."

Why are "energy mixes" billed as the only solution for a drop in energy levels? Is healthy eating and getting enough shut eye not "cool" enough?

And why are we increasingly encouraging people to walk around like the Energizer bunny on crack?

And The Most Unnecessary New Product Award Goes To...

Snickers Charged.

A "limited edition" Snickers bar sprinkled with caffeine, B vitamins, and taurine "to help get you through the day."

Snore.

Okay, let’s break this down.

A regular Snickers bar adds up to 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 5 grams (25% of a day’s worth) of saturated fat, and 30 grams (7.5 teaspoons) of sugar.

Snickers Charged comes in at 250 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 25 grams of sugar.

The lower values are simply because Charged is smaller in size than its regular counterpart. The folks at Mars Inc. have not gotten more health conscious.

Anyhow, Charged tacks on 60 milligrams of caffeine, 250 milligrams of taurine, and 10 percent of the daily value Vitamins B6 and B12.

Can you say underwhelming?

That same amount of B6 can be obtained from half a cup of avocado, one can of tuna, a single ounce of sunflower seeds, one quarter of a chicken breast, a quarter cup of fortified cereal, or half a banana.

As for B12? Ten percent of the daily value can be found in 1 egg, ¾ cup of milk, 1/6 cup of fortified soymilk, 1 ounce of cheddar chese, 1/5 cup of Cherrios, 1/12 cup of Total cereal, 3 ounces of chicken breast, an ounce of shrimp, or HALF an ounce of lean hamburger meat (remember, a serving is three ounces).

Snickers Charged is not providing hard-to-come by nutrition.

Besides, B vitamins in and of themselves do not provide energy.

The amount of caffeine in this product is also nothing spectacular. A tall latte at Starbucks offers more.

Drinking a cup of coffee with a regular Snickers basically provides the same caffeine total.

Now let’s talk taurine.

Although it is found in seafood, dairy, and meat, it is a non-essential amino acid. In other words, our bodies naturally produce it. There is no need to seek it out in the diet.

One of its main roles is regulating the cellular transport of sodium and potassium ions.

There is no scientific body of evidence linking it with central nervous system stimulation.

Frankly, I'm more than ready for this whole "energy" functional food fad to burn out.

You Ask, I Answer: Sports & Fitness Beer (!)

I’ve stumbled onto a Bavarian non-alcoholic beer that the brewer calls “The Sports and Fitness Drink “

I’d be very interested to hear what you think about their claims.

Is it all a crock or might they truly be onto something?

-- Kevin L. Mickle
Las Cruces, NM

PS: Over the last 2 1⁄2 months, I’ve lost over 15 lbs fat, 4.5% body fat, 3” off my waist, and gained about 6 lbs muscle (a guess) all from daily exercise and eating right.

A good portion of “eating right” comes from following your recommendations. Thank you again!

First of all -- congratulations on achieving your health and nutrition goals.

I know it takes a lot of effort, commitment, and hard work -- especially achieving it in a healthy way.

Onto your question.

Wow, what a bizarre -- and funny -- product.

Erdinger's "lively, tasty, healthy fitness drink" is a 125 calorie alcohol-free beer that “contains all B-group vitamins and offers high levels of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus” along with all nine essential amino acids and soluble fiber.

Hmmmm...

The manufacturer is very skimpy on details.

The only numbers the website mentions are the 2 grams of protein and 25 percent of the daily folic acid requirement.in each half liter bottle.

The fiber claim strikes me as particularly odd for two reasons. Firstly, I doubt the fiber content in this beverage is high; wheat beers -- regardless of their alcohol content -- are not good sources.

Besides, whatever amount is present is most definitely not in the form soluble fiber. Remember, wheat fiber is exclusively insoluble.

Lastly, fiber is not something that needs to be replenished after strenuous exercise. It is irrelevant to muscle recovery.

Verdict? This drink has nothing to do with sports or fitness.

It’s just a regular non-alcoholic beer with a few vitamins and minerals sprinkled on top for gimmick purposes.

Feel free to drink it with a meal if you enjoy the taste and can afford the calories, but consider it just another alcohol-free beer.

You "Ask", I Answer: Evaporated Cane Juice

Evaporated cane juice has more minerals [than sugar].

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

Wow, the evaporated cane juice lovers have been out in full force lately.

They appear to be offended by the fact that I referred to it as sugar under a fancier name.

I clarified that it undergoes less processing than sugar.

However, for all intents and purposes, from a caloric and metabolic standpoint, it is standard table sugar.

So what about the claim that evaporated cane juice has more minerals?

Let me start off by saying that one of the many reasons why high intakes of sugar are discouraged is that, in order to convert it to glucose, our bodies need B vitamins.

Since sugar is entire lacking them, our body must take B vitamins away from our cells in order to metabolize it.

Advocates of evaporated cane juice are quick to point out that their sweetener one-ups sugar since it contains vitamin B2.

Fair enough, but what they are forgetting to mention is that in order to get even a small fraction of nutrients from it, you need the equivalent of seven teaspoons -- roughly 100 calories!

Seven teaspoons provide 9% of the B2 daily requirement, 3% of our daily calcium needs, 3% of the iron recommended daily vale, and 4.5% of our manganese needs.

What's always funny to me is that all the B vitamins (apart from B12, which vegans need to specifically seek out) are very easy to get, as they are present in most foods.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, dairy, meats, and fortified soy products are good sources.

Remember, too, that, by law, enriched grains must contain some of the B vitamins (including riboflavin, also known as B2). So, even something as nutritionally insignificant as Wonder Bread is a source!

Therefore, the presence of vitamin B2 does not make evaporated cane juice all that special.

A cookie, brownie, or any candy made with evaporated cane juice is not nutritious; it should be considered discretionary calories.

You could munch on a handful of cereal, eat a quarter of a banana, or have a few almonds to get that much riboflavin.

This concept that evaporated cane juice is far superior to sugar because it contains trace amounts of certain vitamins and minerals (unless consumed in large quantities) seems faulty to me.

It's equivalent to someone defending their choice to eat nothing but vegetables because lettuce contains protein.

Yes, at a mere 0.6 grams per cup. You would need six cups to get a pretty irrelevant 3.6 grams.

I have no problem with people buying or using evaporated cane juice for sweetening purposes. Basing that purchase on nutrition, however, is not accurate or informed.

Say What?: Fred Flintstone Wasn't a Dietitian

According to Star Magazine, American Beauty star Mena Suvari has taken to popping three Flintstone vitamins a day in order to grow her hair (sources claim she has grown tried of her short 'do).

A source claims Mena does this since zinc and biotin promote hair growth.

While true, biotin (a vitamin belonging to the B-complex) sometimes referred to as "Vitamin H" or "Vitamin B7") is water-soluble.

In other words, excesses of it are simply excreted in the urine, not held in a special “hair growth” reserve.

In the case of zinc, extra supplementation only works if your body is deficient. Otherwise, you are at risk of developing toxicity.

Apart from interfering with the metabolism of iron and copper, too much zinc (the result of consistently high doses) can also result in nausea and vomiting.

As important as vitamins and minerals are, meeting the daily requirements of each is sufficient.

Excess amounts go unused and, if taken is unusually large quantities, can cause more harm than good.

You Ask, I Answer: Whole Grains/Diabetes

Why are whole grains regarded as good? Sure, they break down into sugar more slowly than white bread, but they do break down to the exact same sugar which provokes the exact same insulin reaction, just over a slightly longer period of time.

Yes, there are more nutrients in whole grains than refined, but you can get these same nutrients in higher quantities in meats and other non-grain foods. Even when whole, grains appear to be foods deficient in necessary nutrients and full of risk.

I consume mostly plant-based foods, and a large portion of my diet consists of whole grain and sprouted grain breads, whole grain cereals (Nature's Path Heritage Flakes and Nature's Path Raisin Bran), oatmeal, etc.

I don't know if there's any scientific validity to low-glycemic diets, but is there any cause for concern that insulin resistance could increase if a diet relies "too heavily" on whole grains?

-- Steve W.
Boston, MA

Whole grains are a healthy choice because they contain higher levels of fiber, vitamins, and minerals than products made with refined white flour.

Fiber is of significance here, as it helps regulate -- and stabilize -- blood sugar levels. Whereas munching on pretzels while watching television will spike blood sugar very quickly, replacing that with a high-fiber snack like whole grain crackers or almonds will prevent a sharp increase -- and subsequent decrease.

As far as them breaking down to glucose ("the exact same sugar which provokes the exact same insulin reaction") that is irrelevant to whether or not a food is healthy or not.

Why? Anytime we eat -- no matter what it is -- our pancreas secretes insulin. There is no way to have a meal or snack and NOT have this occur.

You could completely shun any kind of grains and your body would still need to release insulin after a meal to control blood sugar levels.

Also, I am not sure what you are referring to when you say whole grains are deficient in necessary nutrients. Which ones? They are a great source of B vitamins, fiber, protein, iron, and phytonutrients.

Additionally, studies have shown a correlation between diets rich in whole grains and lowered risks of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

As for them being "full of risk", I don't see how or why. They don't pose a threat to human health in any way (unless someone has a wheat allergy and is eating wheat products).

Insulin resistance is not going to be developed as a result of too many whole grains because, quite simply, your blood glucose levels are being more controlled than when you eat heavily processed grains. There is no need for you to be concerned.

One of the main risk factors for type-2 diabetes is being overweight, NOT eating a certain food group. The main theory is that fat cells are less receptive to the insulin being secreted by the pancreas. In turn, the pancreas keeps producing more and more, until it finally wears itself out.

This is why weight management -- not "carb" management -- should be everyone's focus.

You Ask, I Answer: B Vitamins

How much energy do B vitamins provide?
-- Michael Gardner
Buffalo, NY

Ah, yes, the "vitamins give energy" myth. I can understand why many people would think so, given the misleading advertising witnessed in vitamin and energy drink advertisements.

Centrum Performance multivitamins, for example, state that they use "higher levels of five essential B vitamins" to help create a blend for "the vitality of your mind and body." Monster Energy drinks boast about their high B vitamin level content.

From a metabolic standpoint, energy is exclusively derived from the three calorie-containing nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Vitamins (and minerals) do not contain calories, and therefore can not be used to produce energy.

So what's all the B vitamin hype about?

Well, the B vitamins play a major role in energy metabolism. Without them, our bodies wouldn't be able to get sufficient energy from our food.

In the United States, though (and other developed nations), deficiency of the B vitamins is practically unheard of.

Remember, the Enrichment Act of 1942 mandates that thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3) be added to bread products, while a 1996 ruling by the Food and Drug Administration resulted in the required fortification of folic acid (B9) in enriched bread products.

Additionally, B vitamins are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, meats, and dairy products. They are certainly not hard to come by!

The one group of people who are at risk for a vitamin B12 deficiency are vegans.

This deficiency results in a condition known as pernicious anemia (in which the body is unable to produce enough red blood cells, thereby causing fatigue), but can be prevented through adequate supplementation.

If your B vitamin intake already meets the recommended values, extra B vitamins will not provide more energy. Since they are water soluble (like Vitamin C), they will simply be excreted in your urine.

If you are eating sufficient amounts of food and lethargy and lack of energy have been a problem for several weeks, be sure to get a blood test. Chugging energy drinks loaded with B vitamins will do nothing but provide empty sugar-laden calories to your day.

You Ask, I Answer: Multivitamins

What is your response to Dr. Willett, who suggests a multi-vitamin as an inexpensive form of insurance in his book Eat Drink & Be Healthy? My understanding is that a multi-vitamin is a good idea regardless of diet since aside from providing the daily minimum amounts of vitamins it also provides certain things like minerals which even for a smart eater can sometimes be overlooked?

-- Guy Betterbid
New York, NY

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Walter Willett is a professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health as well as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

A renowned medical researcher, Dr. Willett is perhaps most famous for his revised dietary pyramid, which places exercise and weight management at the base, plant oils and whole grains on the second level, and red meat, butter, and refined grains as neighbors at the tip.

Along the side, Willett borrows from the Mediterranean food pyramid by including alcohol (in moderation) but then adds his own touch by including multi-vitamin supplements.

I'm not quite as gung-ho as Dr. Willett on the thought of people popping a Centrum once a day.

First off, there is so much fortification in today's food that getting most vitamins and minerals is not too difficult. Even the sweetest and least nutritious of children's cereals provides 100% of many of these nutrients.

On top of that, we have beverages -- such as Vitamin Water and even Diet Coke Plus -- as well as "energy bars" that also throw in a day's worth of vitamins and minerals.

It's crucial to realize that it does not take extreme amounts of food to get a daily supply of certain vitamins and minerals. As I recently posted, just half a cup of red peppers provides 100% of our vitamin C needs.

Meanwhile, half a cup of baby carrots provides 300% of our vitamin A requirements, one cup of raw spinach packs in 181% of the Vitamin K we need each day, and a sandwich made with two slices of whole wheat bread contains 60% of our daily manganese needs.

It is true that the recommended intakes for minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium are only achieved by having a combination of foods rich in them.

That being said, I believe it is important to recommend people get as much of their vitamins and minerals from real food as possible.

When you eat a carrot, you aren't just getting Vitamin A. You are also getting fiber, phytonutrients, carotenoids, and antioxidants that are not available in pill form.

Additionally, increasing dietary potassium often correlates with a reduction in sodium intake. That's two birds killed with one stone if vitamin and mineral consumption is first tackled via diet.

I also believe that relying on supplements tends to give people false security, thinking that popping a multi-vitamin in the morning is a free pass for going through the rest of the day without paying attention to the food they are eating.

I think it is much wiser to take a look at what vitamins and minerals one tends to be deficient in and then tackle that problem specifically (ideally by altering one's diet first).

Vitamin D is not readily available in many foods (and most people in the world do not get enough from the sun during winter months), so I do not see anything wrong with supplementation. I also think calcium supplementation is important if the diet does not provide sufficient coverage.

Additionally, people on restricted diets often need to supplement their diets appropriately (i.e.: vegans and vitamin B12).

While we're at it, I would like to clarify that vitamins do NOT provide energy. Calories provide energy. Vitamins do not contain calories.

Yes, the B vitamins are necessary for energy pathways to work properly, but they do not give a boost of energy in and of themselves.

Back to the original question: people eating balanced diets do not need to pop a multi-vitamin every day.

They are better off seeing what nutrients they are actually deficient of, see if they can get them by altering their diet, and, if that's not possible, look to supplement that specific vitamin or mineral by means of a pill.