, if we choose well, without adding supplements, but we still do.
In addition, for the past several years, more and more studies are demonstrating that
there are additional substances in foods, particularly in plant foods, that may be
health promoting. In general, substances found in plants that are not identified
nutrients but may promote health and prevent diseases are called phytochemicals.
The phytochemical, or herbal, supplement market is among the fastest growing.
Some food manufacturers add phytochemicals, herbal supplements and/or vitamins
and minerals to foods and market them as functional foods, using the FDA
structure/function provisions.
At this time it will be useful to examine the entire area of supplementation from the
well-studied vitamin/mineral supplements to the ever-growing list of phytochemicals
with the associated health claims being made about herbal supplements and
phytochemicals. We will also touch on the subject of functional foods.
As discussed, when vitamins and minerals are consumed in fresh whole foods, it's rare
to get too much. Unfortunately, this is not true when we add supplements to our
daily intake. Agencies study nutrient intakes and have established guidelines for daily
upper levels, beyond which toxicity can occur. Few of us know these limits or pay
attention.
We disproportionately eat processed foods, more and more of which have added
supplements. And most of these foods that have added supplements boldly advertise
they have done so to promote health. In addition, we add one or more
vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements to our daily ingestion.
It's also useful to discuss a business on which we spend billions of dollars annually
for known vitamins and minerals, and increasingly, supplements not demonstrated to
be essential nutrients but promoted as health enhancing. Many of the supplements
are herbal supplements, used in some cultures for centuries, new to many.
Supplementation is a personal decision. We do not need to consult health care
providers for advice or recommendations. We consult ourselves, our friends, and/or
follow manufacturer's advertised recommendations. We know that many of us don't
get sufficient vitamins and minerals in the foods we choose to eat. We are
bombarded with advertising that promotes additional substances as health-enhancing,
and we want to be healthy. The products are on the shelves of groceries, pharmacies
and Costco. We think that if we can buy it, it cant hurt us. Dietary Supplements, Phytochemicals and Functional Foods - 2
Why do we take supplements?
Supplements may be recommended by health care professionals to correct identified
deficiencies.
A general multivitamin/mineral supplement is often recommended for:
People who have extended illnesses and need additional nutrients to fight off
disease and/or infection.
Women of childbearing age to ensure they get sufficient folic acid and vitamin
B
1 2
in particular, plus adequate iron. Pregnant and nursing women should
discuss supplementation with their physicians. Supplements are often
recommended during pregnancy and while nursing.
Older people absorb and utilize nutrients less well and should consider a general
multivitamin/mineral supplement. In particular, older people need sufficient
vitamins D, C, B6, B12 and folic acid plus zinc, calcium and magnesium.
Vegans may be deficient in vitamin B
1 2
, and possibly zinc, iron and calcium.
Supplements may also be recommended for:
People whose total calorie intake is too low to provide adequate
vitamins/minerals in food
People taking medications that interfere with vitamin/mineral absorption
Alcoholics and/or heavy smokers
Anyone who doesn't eat enough of foods that are good calcium sources
People who have medical problems that affect absorption, digestion or
regulation of nutrients
Anyone who fails to eat a balanced diet may benefit from a multivitamin/mineral
supplement, but supplementation does not take the place of a balanced diet!
Those who have extremes of metabolic activity (either very, very active or
completely sedentary)
Many people take supplements as "insurance". We eat well, but want to be sure
that we've gotten that mix of micronutrients needed. If you are taking a general
multivitamin supplement it won't hurt you. General multivitamin/mineral supplements
are often recommended by health professionals for this reason, particularly for the
elderly, who eat less, and have a harder time getting adequate amounts of some
nutrients. Our standards are set statistically, so if an individual is one who needs the
upper limits, the added supplementation helps prevent what might be a mild
deficiency.
Sometimes supplements are recommended to reduce the risk of diseases. The
potential health-promoting role of some substances found in foods that are not
essential nutrients is an active area of research. The role of phytochemicals,
substances found in plant foods that may enhance health, (to be discussed in a bit), is
of special interest. Dietary Supplements, Phytochemicals and Functional Foods - 3
Reasons not to take supplements
No one should take supplements instead of wholesome nutritious food. Pills and
powders do not replace food. Whole food has more than just those things we know
to be essential; there may be additional things in food that are good for us, such as
those phytochemicals. Taking just supplements deprives us of the possible synergistic
benefits of substances in whole foods.
The risk of toxicity for some vitamins and minerals is real. Toxicity from food intake
is almost unheard of, yet when someone takes several supplements, he/she may be
getting too much of some. Toxicity in children is more common than in adults. Often
the "dose" is the same, but being smaller, their needs are less. More commonly,
children take "pills" they find and overdose accidentally. Iron overdose is second to
aspirin overdose for children's poisonings, but is the leading cause of death from
accidental ingestion of pills.
If you are considering taking additional supplements, it's important to analyze why.
If you are just insecure about your diet, it's better to improve your diet than to
spend money on supplements with the idea they can substitute for good food
choices.
If you think that taking supplements will make you stronger, or build better
muscles, they won't. Physical activity is required to maintain muscles and to
build better muscles, accompanied by a healthy diet.
Many supplements are expensive powdered extracts from real food sources.
Why take powdered parsley for nutrients when you can use fresh leafy greens?
Why take a powdered "food" mix when you can eat real foods? V-8 vegetable
juice may advertise that it's got all the nutrients of the real foods, but a
computer diet analysis of those foods compared to the V-8 would show many
additional nutrients and less salt.
Choosing a supplement
Adults who take one multi-vitamin/mineral supplement rarely risk toxicity. The same
is true for children's formulations given to children. Unfortunately, many children's
formulations are marketed to appeal to children, who then eat them like candy, or
chew them like gumballs. In addition, be aware of foods that are enriched and
fortified that are already adding some vitamins and minerals to your diet. For
example, if you eat lots of fortified cereal, taking even a general supplement may
bring your intake close to the recommended maximum.
Intakes of more than 100% of daily values of vitamins and minerals is not health
promoting, and in some cases too much of one substance interferes with absorption
and utilization of other nutrients. Dietary Supplements, Phytochemicals and Functional Foods - 4
Most name brand supplements and most well-known house brands are equivalent, and
often manufactured by the same company. It makes financial sense to choose a
house brand, but it's more a matter of personal choice. Organic brands have not been
demonstrated to be better or more pure. To be assured that the supplement
contains what it purports to contain, some companies voluntarily submit their
formulation and receive the USP standard of purity. Absent that standard, there is no
requirement that a supplement contain what it says or contains the amounts it says it
has.
The University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter (August, 2004) recommends one
look for following when choosing a multivitamin/mineral supplement:
100% daily value of: vitamin D, thiamin (B
1
), riboflavin (B
2
), niacin (B
3
), B
6
, B
1 2
,
folic acid, copper, zinc, iodine, selenium and chromium (not to exceed 200
micrograms of selenium or chromium)
20mg Vitamin K
No more than 5000 IU vitamin A, with at least 40% of that as beta-carotene
(Those over 50 who consume more than 6000 IU of vitamin A have an
increased risk of bone fractures.)
In addition, the UC Berkeley recommends a separate calcium supplement for
most.
Source of the supplement's ingredients
We absorb a certain chemical. The origin of that chemical makes no difference to the
body; it's the form of the chemical, or bioavailability, that counts, such as ferrous
iron versus ferric iron, or calcium bonded to organic acids, rather than as inorganic
carbonate.
Nutritionally, there is no difference between a "natural" and a synthetic vitamin.
Further, "natural" refers only to origin; a natural vitamin or mineral may be as highly
processed as a synthetic one. In some cases, the chemical best absorbed is the one
which is purer; some substances associa