Use the Latest News About Multivitamins to Recharge the Company Catering Plan!

It seems as though the experts have (mostly) agreed: multivitamins aren’t doing us any favors. An editorial in the latest Annals of Internal Medicine, efficiently titled “Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements”, argues that evidence is clear enough to conclude vitamin supplements have no benefit on our health.

“The message is simple: Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided,” the editorial states. Its closing line is even more clear-cut: “[W]e believe that the case is closed— supplementing the diet of well-nourished adults with (most) mineral or vitamin supplements has no clear benefit and might even be harmful. These vitamins should not be used for chronic disease prevention. Enough is enough.” Written by Dr. Eliseo Guallar and his colleagues, the editorial was prompted by three independent studies published in the journal that month. All of them pointed to insufficient evidence that multivitamins and other supplements led to any positive impact on health or prevention of disease.

What does this mean for the everyday American? Essentially, researchers are telling us that we need to get our vitamins and minerals from our diet, instead of pills. There are certainly exceptions (pregnant women should still take their prenatal vitamins, and people in rainy climates may benefit from vitamin D supplements); there are also several high-profile detractors who argue that supplements can still play a role in our overall health. These detractors claim that multivitamins can act as an insurance policy for people who won’t eat a proper diet. Still, you’re hard-pressed to find an expert who would claim that vitamins from a bottle are equal to or better than vitamins from food.

In the workplace, attention-grabbing headlines like the aforementioned editorial (and others, including “Vitamin D’oh: Your Multivitamins Aren’t Doing a D**n Thing”) offer a unique opportunity to start conversations about diet and health, but without the stigma of weight loss and obesity that can make some employees uncomfortable. The expert recommendation that we should be getting our vitamins and minerals from our food offers a natural opening to discuss eating habits, especially within the office and the company catering plan.

If your employees are paying attention to health news and studies, they may be ready to replace their multivitamins by focusing on cultivating a healthier, more naturally nutrient-rich diet. And this is great news, because employee nutrition should be a priority to all companies. What your staff members eat can impact their engagement and productivity, absenteeism, and your health care costs. All of this dramatic vitamin news is a great way to start focusing on creating a more nutritious company catering plan and a healthier workforce!

Start a conversation in the break room about the latest multivitamin news, and use it as a catalyst to order healthy takeout and request more nutrient-dense superfoods on the catering table. Here are just a few specific foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and will easily find a place in your company’s dining routine:

• Red bell peppers: calcium, B-vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A
• Almonds: vitamin E, B-vitamins, magnesium
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas): folate, vitamin B6, manganese
• Lentils: iron, fiber, calcium, zinc
• Oranges: calcium, vitamin C, folate, carotenoids
• Salmon: vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, potassium, selenium, omega-3’s
• Leafy dark greens, like kale & spinach: vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, iron

When it comes to feeding your employees right, Waiter.com may be your strongest ally! Our customizable ordering and wide variety of delivery options makes it easy to satisfy all the requirements of a healthy diet — no multivitamins needed.