News Release Distributed 02/09/15
BATON ROUGE, La. – There can be too much of a good thing when it comes to vitamins. Experts say for those who eat a well-balanced diet and take a multivitamin, drinking vitamin water is not necessary.
According to the Mayo Clinic, vitamin water is water that’s been fortified with nutrients, such as vitamins and electrolytes. Some types of vitamin water also have flavorings, caffeine and sweeteners.
About one-third of Americans take some kind of daily multivitamin, and LSU AgCenter nutritionist Heli Roy said the average consumer doesn’t need vitamin water in addition to that.
“In many cases, vitamin water is consumed by people who least need it, and those who could benefit from it are not consuming due to cost,” Roy said.
There are 13 vitamins divided into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble, Roy said. Many of the foods people eat and drink already contain these vitamins. Vitamin water contains primarily water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C.
Water-soluble vitamins can easily enter through the bloodstream and are not stored in the body for a long time, which means they need to be consumed regularly.
“The presumption is that we flush the excess vitamins out of our system through urine, but overconsumption for a long period of time has potential to negatively affect kidney function,” Roy said.
Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K differ because they are absorbed together with fat from the intestine. They can only enter the bloodstream to carry out their functions if they are dissolved in dietary fat, like that found in a meal.
“Once absorbed, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver,” Roy said. “Excess can accumulate and cause toxicity.”
People drinking vitamin water may assume they’ve met their vitamin quota for the day. Thus, they may avoid eating the fruits and vegetables needed to fulfill daily nutritional requirements.
“It’s an excuse to skip the salad,” Roy said.
She recommends following the U.S. Department of Agriculture My Plate diet because half of the plate is fruits and vegetables. This is where people naturally obtain most of their vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting components.
Other natural food sources of vitamins such as niacin and B-12 can be found in fish and meat, Roy said. Some excellent sources of riboflavin are eggs and soybeans.
Brandy Orlando