Sunny Health

Back in the day, there were no such things as pills. People lived off their environment. They ate the reddest apples fresh from their gardens, succulent oranges and mangoes from the tress in their backyards, delightful bananas which they grew abundantly along roads and the juiciest strawberries which they plucked from the fields. Like their fruits, they lived till a ripe old age.

These days, however, pills in all shapes and colours are taking over nature’s gift. And they are fast becoming as popular as rice. Like the latter, people pop them into their mouths, (sometimes even spoonfuls!) one for their daily dose of vitamin c, another for their vitamin b intake, another for their vitamin d, and the list goes on - a never-ending routine. Do we really need all these pills? And yet, we hear more and more cases of people contracting diseases and illnesses these days.

Vitamins are an essential part of our diet, no doubt about that. They are needed to help our bodies’ work the way they ought to, and can easily be found in most of our dietary sources. But why spend a bomb on a bottle of expensive packaging and heavily advertised pills, when you can get the same amount, or even more, for half the price?

Well, here’s the breakdown of what actually goes on in there, once you pop that pill. Do you notice how sometimes after taking a few vitamin pills, your pee turns a greenish-yellow colour, instead of the crystal-clear colour you get after eating a bowl of fruits? That’s because, some of the vitamins are being lost. You see, when vitamins are packaged into pills, they are isolated, and are thus poorly absorbed by the body. In certain cases, it may even cause imbalances in body chemistry. Whole foods on the other hand, contain nutrients like fiber and phytochemicals which together, help prevent cancer and heart diseases. Our bodies operate in a way that require these compounds to work together to enhance our health. Alone, it is hardly as effective.

In fact, studies have been done on people who take vitamin supplements and those who don’t. And guess what, there’s really no difference in mortality rates whether you pop that pill or not. So we go full circle again, to pop or not to pop, that is the question.

Supplements and vitamin pills will continue flourishing in the market. Companies and the pharmaceutical industry will keep on bombarding our TV screens, mailboxes, and newspapers with “pill propaganda”. No, these supplements are not bad. Don’t get mistaken, because they are handy and they are vital for those sick, allergic, or pregnant who can’t get their daily dosage of vitamins through whole foods. It has even become a blessing for those who despise the taste of fruits and vegetables, or those who have no time to crunch heartily on an apple. But if you have the luxury of variety, why not try tasting and smelling the fruit as it is? It will stimulate your senses as much as your health. Whichever your preference, remember that ultimately, some sort of vitamin is better than none at all. So the answer to the popping question? The choice is yours.