Should I Be Taking Nutritional Supplements?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the supplement industry, at least from a nutritional standpoint. Do supplements really help? And are they safe to take, considering they don't have to approved by the FDA?

Here's how I view supplements: Go ahead and take them if you want, but don't let them replace fruits, vegetables, whole grains, light dairy, and lean meats in your diet. All of these foods contain essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, calcium, iron, protein) that you are far better off getting from food than from supplements.

Why is it better to get nutrients from food? The truth is, science hasn't quite figured that out yet. Tory Parker, a professor at Brigham Young University, has been doing research on this subject, and has found that for unknown reasons, eating a whole orange has healthier benefits than just taking vitamin C, the main vitamin in the orange. The conclusion reached at this point is that there must be other beneficial biomolecules in the whole foods we eat that science has not yet identified. We do not know what they are or how they specifically help, we just know that they do. From plant sources, we call these biomolecules phytochemicals, and it is agreed they work best when consumed from a whole food source.

So, if you are totally set on taking supplements just in case, there's no problem with that. Just be careful that you are taking safe amounts. You can double check this by reading the labels on the supplement. For vitamins, minerals, and some other essential nutrients, the % Daily Value, which is the percent of the total amount recommended each day, should be posted on the nutrition label. Check to see that none of these are over 200%, and most are equal to or under 100%. This precaution should be taken to insure you do not consume a toxic level of these nutrients.

Are there times when you definitely should take a supplement? If you are deficient in a certain nutrient, your doctor may prescribe supplements to help restore your health. If you are pregnant or could get pregnant, take prenatal vitamins, and make sure you are getting enough folic acid. For younger women, it could be beneficial to take iron and calcium supplements: iron to prevent anemia during menstruation, and calcium to build bone mass and thereby prevent osteoporosis in later life. However, a healthy diet and exercise are always most important and are irreplaceable in the health benefits that they give.

-Kamie