I often get questions from friends, families, and clients about dietary supplements. Should I take multivitamin, fish oil, glucosamine, etc.? The FACT is it is possible to get all of the nutrients you need by eating a variety of healthy food. But the REALITY is people don’t eat a perfect diet so supplements can be useful for filling in the gap.
Helpful Tips:
Besides asking yourself if you eat a balanced diet, another point to consider is nutrient DEFICIENCY itself. Nutrient deficiencies can alter bodily function such as water balance, metabolism, nerve signaling, and digestion. Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which is government’s ongoing effort trying to assess the health and nutrition status of the U.S. population, less than 10% of the U.S. population had the actual “diagnosed” deficiencies. In addition, many deficiencies are based on age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Certain population may also experience increased risk, such as children, pregnant women, vegans, and elderly. People with certain medical conditions like lactose intolerance, chronic renal failure or short bowl syndrome can also experience certain deficiencies as well. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to other diseases. The most well documented conditions are osteoporosis for Vitamin D and calcium deficiencies, and anemia for inadequate intake of iron, B12, and B6. In general, the most common nutrient deficiencies in the US population are Vitamin D, iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Magnesium, and Potassium. There are many foods that are rich in these vitamins & minerals, and I will go over them at another time.
Bottom Line:
If you belong to a special population ( e.g. children, pregnant women, vegans, and elderly), it is a good idea to get some blood work done to find out if you are truly deficient; and if you are, then it is better to take a single source of vitamin than the multivitamin type. If you are healthy and have good energy, I would encourage eating a nutrient-rich diet with a variety of food to maintain status quo. But if you can’t be sure that you eat a balanced diet, then you may benefit from taking a multivitamin once a day. In my next few wellness postings, I will talk about how to get vitamins and minerals through foods and the quality of different dietary supplements.
