Brittany Byron takes hers twice a day — when she remembers. Josh Steiger gets his from a homemade smoothie.

BYU-Idaho students are finding new ways to get their daily dose of nutrients.

According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, a comparison of the nutrient content in soil and plants from 43 different gardens over a 50-year span showed significant decreases in nutrients.

The nutrients showing the greatest decline were riboflavin and calcium.

With the decline of nutrients in food, students are looking elsewhere for the vitamins and minerals they need.

“I take my vitamins as often as I remember. They’re prenatal vitamins, and although I’m not pregnant I take them to ensure I have enough folic acid in my body when I do get pregnant,” said Brittany Byron, a senior from Boise. “They’re supposed to be taken twice a day, but sometimes I only remember once a day.”

Byron still feels good about remembering her vitamins once a day. She feels assured she is increasing her health by taking the extra minerals.

Josh Steiger, a junior from Kalamazoo, Mich., doesn’t get his daily nutrients from a pill.

“I drink a couple of homemade smoothies every day. There’s tons of fresh fruit I load into them, so I feel good about that. They provide me with energy and I consider them to be my source of nutrients,” he said.

Due to the nutrient loss in food, students should consider taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement to compensate, said Kimberly Beauchamp, a co-founder and practicing physician at South County Naturopaths, Inc.

Another way besides a multivitamin to get important nutrients is to eat unprocessed, whole foods. These are less likely to have been refined and stripped of their nutritional value.

Whether through a fresh fruit smoothie or a pill, students should take care of their health and ensure their bodies receive the proper nutrients to provide energy through a full day of classes.