Get savvy about vitamin supplements
Walk down the supplement aisle at your drugstore and you can’t miss the claims on labels: “melts pounds,” “lowers stress,” “cures heart disease,” “boosts energy,” “restores youth.” But do vitamin and mineral supplements really ward off disease and make us look and feel better? Popping a pill may sound like the perfect way to get the nutrients you need, but experts say supplements don’t take the place of a variety of foods.
“Supplements are meant to enhance, not replace, an already healthy diet,” said Sonya Angelone, MS, RDN, CLT, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “If someone has nutrients missing from their diet or has increased needs based on pregnancy, athletics or a medical condition that alters nutrient needs, then I would recommend supplements. But I would stay clear of anything that makes too many claims.”
So how do you know which vitamins and minerals you absolutely need and which are a waste of money?
Start with a multivitamin
Each year, Americans spend billions of dollars on vitamin and mineral supplements. Although taking supplements has never been proven to help people live longer by preventing heart disease and cancer, they can fill gaps in your diet and help prevent nutritional deficiencies. Some of the most common vitamins and minerals that people tend to be deficient in include calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and D.
To avoid shortfalls in your diet, experts recommend taking a quality multivitamin. A multivitamin is especially helpful for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, vegetarians and vegans, people with a medical condition that limits their absorption of nutrients, people with food allergies and intolerances or people who eat a limited variety of foods.
“The bottom line is it’s worth taking a multivitamin especially if it’s supplying vitamin D, B12 and magnesium and potassium which people don’t get enough of in some foods,” said Angelone.
Get more of these
In addition to a multivitamin, Angelone recommends
individual supplements
when needed. Ask your health-care provider which supplements may be right for you and how much you
need for health benefits.
Here are some common
missing nutrients:
• Vitamin D. This nutrient can benefit heart health, strengthen the immune system and slash your risk of colon and breast cancer. It also promotes calcium absorption. The recommend daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D is 600 IU daily up to age 70, and up to 800 IU over age 70. also recommends pairing vitamin D
with vitamin K2.
• Magnesium. This mineral helps maintain normal muscle and nerve
function and bone growth. The RDA for magnesium is 310-320 milligrams for women over age 30; for men the RDA is 400-420.
• Potassium. Many
people are deficient in this blood pressure regulator,
said Angelone, who
recommends up to 4,700 milligrams a day.
• Calcium. The National Institute of Health says aim
for 1,000 milligrams of
calcium if you’re 50 or
younger, and 1,200 milligrams if you’re over 51.
• Vitamin B-12.
This important nutrient
helps maintain the body’s nerve and blood cells
and helps make DNA.
The RDAfor adults is 2.4
micrograms daily.
Safety Tips
If you think you need additional supplements beyond the daily multivitamin, visit with your doctor or a registered dietitian. Here are some steps to take when shopping supplements:
• Skip brands that boast mega-doses. Too much of a good thing can be harmful and often taking supplements in addition to dietary sources such as cereals or protein bars fortified with nutrients can result in overload. “In general, you shouldn’t take a supplement with more than 100 percent of most nutrients unless recommended by your health care provider,” said Angelone.
• Be supplement smart. Be sure you’re not overdoing vitamin A, E, iron and folic acid. To learn about the recommended daily allowances for each vitamin and mineral, visit www.nutrition.gov.
• Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor about any supplements you may be taking, since they can interact with prescription medications.This rule holds true if you’re having surgery since some supplements can interfere with anesthesia.