Dear Dr. Feigenbaum,
Can someone get the same nutritional benefits for their micronutrient requirements by taking vitamin pills instead of eating fruits and vegetables?
Who would you recommend taking vitamin supplements?
Sincerely,
Eddie
Eddie,
It’s not really possible to make a blanket statement here about vitamin and food equivalency. However, the body doesn’t really know the difference between a micronutrient from a vitamin or a food- though the presence (or absence) of other vitamins, co-factors, etc. make this a bit more complicated in some situations.
That said, I would not recommend anyone use a vitamin supplement unless specifically advised by their physician to do so after testing or situations where there is a marked risk of vitamin deficiency and subsequent testing will be done.
-Jordan