multivitamin and fibre

[OLD FORUM ARCHIVE]

if you are taking a good multivitamin do you still need to eat 5 pieces of fruit and veg per day ?



i take a high strengh multivitamin and mineral formula, a super antioxidant formula , and a vitnmin c tablets



do i still need fruit and veg ?



the problem is i hate veg. seriously i hate it all. i cant stomach it.

and fruit is so expensive

[OLD FORUM ARCHIVE]

kk - In an ideal world you should eat lots of fibrous veg, you get all sorts from it, vitamins and minerals yes, but you also get fibre, fibre is well documented for keeping the digestive tract working.

About fibre:-

Our bodies need fibre to properly digest food and eliminate waste because the bulky substance cleans the colon as it makes its way through our digestive tract. Dietary fibre comes from vegetables, fruit, grain, and legumes.
The two types of dietary fibre are soluble (digestible) and insoluble (un-digestible).
Soluble fibre (digestible) dissolves in water, like the pectin found in fruit. Soluble fibre comes from vegetables, barley, oatmeal, rye, and fruits like peaches, grapes, berries, and pears. It’s important to eat the skin of fruits like apples, since that is where most of the fibre resides.
Insoluble fibre (un-digestible) doesn’t dissolve in water. Insoluble fibre comes from whole grains, pasta, bran, brown rice, seeds, beans and a few vegetables like carrots and celery.
There are a number of health benefits fibre offers:
1. Helps regulate blood sugar levels
2. Helps lower blood cholesterol levels
3. It adds bulk to your diet and are slow to digest. This in turn helps people to stay fuller and thus curb appetite.
4. You can eat larger quantities without adding too many calories to a diet.
Fibre is not technically a nutrient and there is no recommended daily allowance (RDA). Health care experts have declared we need 20 - 35 grams of fibre per day.

Fibre’s other benefit is to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. Example: Complex carbohydrates (low glycemic index) become even lower glycemic (slower release) and simple carbohydrates (high glycemic index) become lower (slower release).

Having said all, if you physically cannot eat the fruit and veg, go to the chemist and buy fibre gel, this is made for people who don't eat enough fibre but I've got to still say you should be eating the veg.

A lot of athletes that I work with use the Pro Vital and fibre gel.