Why take a mysterious pill when you can eat a handful of sunflower seeds?

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According to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1990 to 2006, the number of Americans taking some sort of supplement increased from 40 to 53 percent. However, studies show that, with a few specific exceptions, most Americans already get an adequate amount of nutrients, through fortified and whole foods.

Fruits and vegetables offer fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants that cant be replicated by a handful of pills, and nutrients, like vitamin A, E, and calcium are better absorbed by the body when derived from whole foods.

That said, supplements do sometimes serve a purpose. People over the age of 50 have trouble retaining vitamin B-12 naturally through food, for instance, and for vegetarians, iron derived from spinach and other plant-based sources is not as easily absorbed by the body. Please consult your doctor, then, before eliminating any supplements from your diet.

If there are no medical concerns, however, you might want to start weaning yourself off supplements today by eating these 10 foods instead.

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Stop Taking These 10 Vitamins and Supplements and Eat These Foods Instead - Huffington Post