Food vs. Supplements Are supplements necessary if good nutrition is in place?
In an ideal world, we would be able to get all the nutrients we need from our food. Unfortunately, there are situations which make this hard to achieve.
They include:
- Certain populations like pregnant and lactating women and adults over 50 are recommended to take supplements. For pregnant women, the risk of being deficient in certain vitamins and minerals can affect the growth of the fetus. In lactating women, the increased need for milk production may exceed what it taken in through the diet. For older adults, there are many factors that can affect their nutrient status including malnutrition and poor absorption [1].
- Women with heavy menstrual bleeding that can lead to excessive loss of iron [1] .
- Certain disease conditions affect nutrient absorption and warrant supplementation. These conditions include chronic diarrhea, food allergies, food intolerance, or liver, gallbladder, intestine, and pancreas disease [1].
- Those who have had surgery on their digestive tract may also have reduced nutrient absorption [1].
- When a cell needs a constituent not normally needed or a higher concentration of a constituent, a supplement can be thought of as medication. Use of supplements during these times can be terribly therapeutic [2].
What about people who don't fall into these categories? Should they use supplements?
- Even if we are able to achieve the recommended intake of a vitamin or mineral in our diet, there is evidence that some nutrients provide more benefit at higher therapeutic levels [2].
- In many cases today, the soil used to grow our food is depleted of important minerals like selenium and iodine. This is something to consider when choosing whether or not to use supplements [1].
- As much as 42% of the US population is thought to be vitamin D deficient [1].
- Those following a very low-calorie diet are also recommended to use a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement [1].
Where should I begin?
- Always start with a whole food based diet that includes all the colors of the rainbow, and for those who eat animal products, wild caught fish and pastured meats.
- If you fall into any of the categories listed above, work with a doctor or a nutrition professional to determine which supplements are right for you.
- Consider including functional foods in your diet. Functional foods are foods where "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts." Basically, their benefit exceeds the face value of their nutrients [2]. Examples of functional foods include flax seeds, blueberries, cacao, coconut, and fermented foods.
- If you doubt that your diet contains all you need, consider using a food-based multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to avoid deficiencies.
- Supplements that are therapeutic for most of the population include a high quality multi-vitamin and mineral, vitamin D (if not adequately represented in the multi), and a probiotic supplement.
Created by:
Jennifer Murata
American College of Healthcare Sciences
Nutrition 510 Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
References
[1] ACHS. (2016). Module 1: Supplements or food. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1qIyZmp
[2] Jamison, J. (2003). Clinical Guide to Nutrition and Dietary Supplements in Disease Management(1 edition). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
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