Dietary Supplements: Is there such a thing as nutrition in a bottle?
- posted: 26 June 2007
- scrolllifestyle@byui.edu
On a trip to the supermarket, the typical student’s grocery list might look something like this: Ramen Noodles, tortilla chips and Pasta-Roni, with the occasional box of Rice-A-Roni for health.
While surviving on this convenient-foods diet is an inexpensive, tasty, and well, convenient way to satisfy the palate, such a diet may counteract the entire purpose behind our survival instinct to eat.
n order for the human body to function optimally, it needs certain natural nutrients, nutrients that are more difficult to find in processed foods.
“It’s hard to get all your vitamins and minerals from food, because we don’t put as much into the soil as we take out. Some people live off of totally de-natured foods, such as processed foods and soda, which are really toxic to the body,” said Mary Jensen, co-owner of Rexburg’s Nature’s Nook, a health and nature store. Jensen has also worked for five years as an aide for two different naturopathic medical doctors.
Making conscientious decisions at the grocery store about the nutritional values of potential food purchases may be the foundation of a healthy and complete diet, and, if successful, may make additional supplement consumption unnecessary.
In some cases, vitamin/mineral supplements or fortified foods may be useful for providing nutrients that may otherwise be eaten in less than recommended amounts. If you are already eating the recommended amount of a nutrient, you may not get any further health benefit from taking a supplement. In some cases, supplements and fortified foods may actually cause you to exceed safe levels of intake of nutrients,” according to www.nutrition.gov, a Web site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Before determining whether a dietary supplement would be beneficial, it is also important to consult with a medical expert, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
When selecting a dietary supplement, it may be important to look at a person’s specific dietary needs.
It can be important for people either of a certain age or with a certain condition to be particularly mindful of specific dietary needs.
According to www.nutrition.gov, people over the age of 50 need more vitamin B12, while women who may become pregnant, those that are pregnant and adolescent females need to make sure they’re getting enough heme iron, vitamin C and folic acid.
“Among the people who especially need to make sure they’re getting enough vitamins are girls, pre-pregnant women and nursing mothers, so that they have healthy children,” Jensen said.
It is because of women’s needs for extra iron that many multi-vitamins on the market today give the option of added iron. “The extra iron is for girls having their menses. Most men don’t need the extra iron,” Jensen said.
If a person determines that a dietary supplement might be beneficial after consulting with a medical expert, it may be wise for him or her to carefully read the instruction label and not exceed the recommended dosage.
“Just take the recommended dosage. Even water we can get too much of. We need to maintain a balance,” Jensen said. When selecting a dietary supplement, it may also be important not to depend solely on a product’s label.
“Drug manufacturers may claim that their product will diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent a disease. Such claims may not legally be made for dietary supplements. The lack of a cautionary statement does not mean no adverse effects are associated with the product,” according to the National Institute of Health. Jensen recommended the Nature’s Way Alive! vitamin, a whole-food multi-vitamin that includes 25 different vitamins and minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 digestive enzymes.
Jensen recommends a whole-food vitamin over a chemical vitamin supplement. “Whole-food vitamins are more efficient than chemical vitamins. Whole-food vitamins are used at a cellular level rather than the body just excreting them. Vitamins are vitamins, but if they’ve been through a plant they’re more usable to the body,” Jensen said.
After a person determines a course of action concerning dietary supplements, it may be easier to ensure a healthy diet; however, “It is important to note that vitamin/mineral supplements are not a replacement for a healthful diet,” according to the U.S. department of Agriculture.
