The Fruit Factor: The Truth About Multivitamins and Fruit

Is it OK if I don’t eat enough fruits if I am taking multivitamin and mineral supplements?

People often ask me, “It’s OK if I don’t eat enough fruits because I am taking multivitamin and mineral supplements anyway.”

My usual response is:

“Multivitamin Supplements are NOT a substitute to healthy eating.”

This is because there are compounds and associated health benefits in fruits beyond vitamins and minerals that we cannot find in nutrition supplements.

Have you noticed that ripe fruits come in an array of greens, yellows, oranges, browns, reds, and purples? The bright colors of edible fruits are caused by the presence of pigment molecules that represent the phytonutrients in fruits.  

For example, the dark bluish-purple color of blueberries is produced by anthocyanin pigment molecules. In fact, blueberries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins among common fruits (1). Anthocyanins doesn’t only give blueberries their beautiful color – they are also associated with certain health benefits.

In a double-blind, parallel randomized clinical trial that examined the effect of 6-month blueberry intake on insulin resistance and cardiometabolic function in 115 adults with metabolic syndrome, researchers concluded that daily consumption of 1 cup of blueberries resulted in clinically relevant improvements in endothelial function and systemic arterial stiffness in an at-risk population with metabolic syndrome (2).

Beyond Multivitamin Supplements! - Aside from antioxidants, blueberries also contain four essential nutrients:

• Fiber for heart health, feeling full, and keeping cholesterol in check.  Low fat diets rich in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables including blueberries may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.
• Vitamin C for a healthy immune system
• Vitamin K for bone metabolism and regular blood clotting
• Manganese for converting carbs, protein, and fats into energy

Unfortunately, nutrition supplements cannot mimic the beneficial effects of nutrients and antioxidants from fruits.

So I say again:

Multivitamin supplements are NOT a substitute for healthy eating.

Do you have questions about your eating habits and the supplements you are taking? Speak to Grace about it during your first consultation. It's a FREE assessment on Hati Health:

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This is why, as a nutritionist-dietitian, I always encourage my family, friends, and sometimes strangers lol to eat at least 3-5 servings of fruits a day.

So, here are my

3 T’s to help you make a habit of eating fruits:

Table

Always have fruits on the table – dining table, study table, coffee table, kitchen table, living room table – whatever table you have! Seeing fruits and having them within reach will surely keep you snacking on fruits and not on the salty-sugary kind of stuff.

Try

Don’t be afraid of trying fruits you haven’t tried before. Try different fruits of different colors, textures, and flavors. You’ll never know – your new favorite fruit might be around the supermarket corner. Also, different fruits have different nutrient profiles so trying out every kind that nature offers is a good way of making sure that you’re not getting too much or too little of these nutrients.

Toast

Incorporate fruits into your breakfast and snack items. Here is an easy breakfast and snack idea that you will surely love.

Move over Avocado toast, here comes:

Roasted Blueberry Toasts

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1⁄4 cup honey, divided
•  2 tablespoons olive oil
•  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
•  1 teaspoon lemon zest
•  1 tablespoon lemon juice
•  4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
•  4 slices sourdough bread, toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a 2-quart baking dish, toss together blueberries, 3 tablespoons of honey, olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until blueberries start to burst and juices are bubbly and slightly thickened.
2. Spread cream cheese over toast. Top with roasted blueberries and drizzle with remaining honey.

Try this, and if you do, please be warned that you will want more! I suggest you double the serving size and set aside some for snacking later in the day.

Blueberries are indeed delicious, beautiful, healthy, simple, and versatile. Whether you’re cooking, snacking, or pursuing healthy habits, blueberries bring back the pleasure and ease that help us to eat well and enjoy our food. Indeed, blueberries are infinitely snackable!

Nagutom ka ano??

Fresh blueberries from the U.S. are available in stores near you and are also offered by online fruit sellers. Get yours now while they’re in season!

Kain po!

Grace Barnal is a nutritionist-dietitian, who offers personalized nutrition plans to help you achieve your health and wellness goals. Whether you're looking to manage your weight, address specific health issues like PCOS, high blood sugar or cholesterol levels, improve your diet, boost fitness and body composition, or enhance overall wellness, Grace is here to provide specific nutrition recommendations and coaching.

Let's work together to create a sustainable plan tailored to your needs. Book your first consultation for FREE on Hati Health here:

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All opinions are mine, and references are indicated below:

References:

1. Wu X, Beecher GR, Holden JM , Haytowitz DB, Gebhardt SE, Prior RL. Concentrations of anthocyanins in common foods in the United States and estimation of normal consumption. J Agric Food Chem. 2006;54:4069–75. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf060300l
2. Curtis PJ, van der Velpen V, Berends L, Jennings A, Feelisch M, Umpleby AM, Evans M, Fernandez BO, Meiss MS, Minnion Met al. . Blueberries improve biomarkers of cardiometabolic function in participants with metabolic syndrome—results from a 6-month, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;108:1535–45. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/109/6/1535/5499342?login=true

For more information about blueberries:

https://blueberry.org/recipes/

https://www.blueberry.org/https://blueberry.org/health-benefits/nutrition-facts/

​https://blueberry.org/health-benefits/heart-check-certification/

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