“I eat a good diet. Do I really need a nutritional supplement?”
As a nutrition-oriented doctor, I’m asked this question continually. Many people — even my own colleagues — believe diet is enough to maintain health. Sad to say, the evidence no longer supports diet alone for keeping us healthy. Forty years ago, when I began studying nutrition, I believed good, organic, whole food was all people needed. But the world has changed, and so has my opinion.Certainly, I encourage my patients to eat healthy meals and snacks. Medical research overwhelmingly supports good nutrition as one of the top three actions a person can take to live a longer and healthier life. The other two are regular exercise and not smoking. Nutrition is the bedrock on which your health is built. However, there’s compelling evidence that virtually everyone would be healthier if they supplemented their diet, even their “good diet,” with additional, concentrated nutrients.
Top picks in supplements
Individuals vary greatly in their dietary deficiencies. The supplements that I recommend most often are:
Multivitamin/mineral
Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 oils — Fish oils are the most effective, much more than flax oils.
Fresh or dehydrated fruit and vegetable juice — A concentrated powder that can be reconstituted into a drink is an excellent source of easily absorbed antioxidants. Choose a mix of many foods, not the latest hyped drink.
Vitamin D — Underexposure to sunlight makes this a frequent deficiency. Accurate blood testing should be done before supplementation.
Fiber — Stabilized (non-rancid) rice bran or freshly-ground flax seed are good choices.
Probiotics — Friendly bacteria essential for a healthy immune system.
Protein powder — For those unable to eat their requirement of protein. Note: protein is not stored and must be replenished daily. General recommendations are one-half to one gram of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight.
Supplement quality
Check the label for “other ingredients” and choose supplements without artificial binders, fillers, colors or other additives. All PCC supplements are labeled as meeting this standard. Sugars, fructose and artificial sweeteners are common contaminants. Be aware that children’s chewable vitamins typically contain fructose.Like other foods, supplements should be from organic sources but very few are. Fish oil labels should state the product is tested to be mercury-free. Regarding “natural” supplements: An increasing number of companies are advertising “natural” or “food-based” vitamin-mineral supplements.Manufacturing practices vary but these often are yeast-grown nutrients with synthetic vitamins added to a batch of yeast to make them “natural.”So far, there are no large-scale human studies and little other research supporting the health claims of these products.At this point, many patients give me a questioning look. It just doesn’t make sense to many people — especially those who are conscientious about what they eat — that diet isn’t good enough to meet their needs. After all, isn’t good old-fashioned food how humans survived and thrived? Supplements often are seen as “unnatural,” something our ancestors didn’t need, so why should we? The
Supplements fill a void
A “supplement” could be a daily multivitamin/mineral, the protein powder you mix for breakfast, the fish oil capsules you swallow with dinner, or that “immune booster” you take when you feel a virus knocking at your nose. Protein bars and fortified waters also increasingly are being relied upon to supplement our busy lives. To revisit our ancestors, remember they did eat dried, extracted and otherwise concentrated foods. What is a protein bar if not the modern equivalent of Native American pemmican? I think it’s incorrect to lump all supplements into a bin marked “unnatural,” although there certainly are plenty of unhealthy supplements on the market and a bad supplement can be worse than taking nothing at all.
The scientific literature on supplements
It’s a mixed bag. The evidence for consuming a multivitamin is strong — so strong that even the conservative American Medical Association endorses their use.Single vitamins, on the other hand, have not done as well. A number of studies have shown negative results. Extrapolating useful information from these studies is difficult because synthetic, incomplete forms of vitamins often are used and the studies are poorly designed (dosages are too low or too high). I caution patients against self-prescribing single vitamins or minerals. Anyone taking a prescription drug should consult a nutrition expert to counter-balance any negative impacts.Fiber commonly is deficient in industrial diets and is known to decrease cholesterol, the risk of diabetes and colon cancer, among other health benefits. Omega-3 oil intake has declined in our diet and is known to decrease inflammation and heart disease while improving mood and memory. Probiotics, the “good bacteria” critical for healthy gut function, often are low due to antibiotics (including those given to domestic animals), excess sugar and stress.
Determining your need for supplements
Your supplemental need is best answered by analyzing your diet and lifestyle. The ideal way to do this is to keep a diet diary for a month, then calculate your daily intake of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants), and other food factors.Seek the services of a nutrition-oriented practitioner. If you live in a polluted environment or if your job places you in harm’s way, you want your body-burden of toxins measured.
Filed under: Commentary | Tags: diet, fiber, fish oil, multivitamin, nutrition, Supplements, vitamins
(As seen in PCC Sound Consumer May 2008)
“I eat a good diet. Do I really need a nutritional supplement?”
As a nutrition-oriented doctor, I’m asked this question continually. Many people — even my own colleagues — believe diet is enough to maintain health. Sad to say, the evidence no longer supports diet alone for keeping us healthy. Forty years ago, when I began studying nutrition, I believed good, organic, whole food was all people needed. But the world has changed, and so has my opinion. Certainly, I encourage my patients to eat healthy meals and snacks. Medical research overwhelmingly supports good nutrition as one of the top three actions a person can take to live a longer and healthier life. The other two are regular exercise and not smoking. Nutrition is the bedrock on which your health is built. However, there’s compelling evidence that virtually everyone would be healthier if they supplemented their diet, even their “good diet,” with additional, concentrated nutrients.
Top picks in supplements
Individuals vary greatly in their dietary deficiencies. The supplements that I recommend most often are:
Supplement quality
Check the label for “other ingredients” and choose supplements without artificial binders, fillers, colors or other additives. All PCC supplements are labeled as meeting this standard. Sugars, fructose and artificial sweeteners are common contaminants. Be aware that children’s chewable vitamins typically contain fructose. Like other foods, supplements should be from organic sources but very few are. Fish oil labels should state the product is tested to be mercury-free. Regarding “natural” supplements: An increasing number of companies are advertising “natural” or “food-based” vitamin-mineral supplements. Manufacturing practices vary but these often are yeast-grown nutrients with synthetic vitamins added to a batch of yeast to make them “natural.” So far, there are no large-scale human studies and little other research supporting the health claims of these products. At this point, many patients give me a questioning look. It just doesn’t make sense to many people — especially those who are conscientious about what they eat — that diet isn’t good enough to meet their needs. After all, isn’t good old-fashioned food how humans survived and thrived? Supplements often are seen as “unnatural,” something our ancestors didn’t need, so why should we? The
Supplements fill a void
A “supplement” could be a daily multivitamin/mineral, the protein powder you mix for breakfast, the fish oil capsules you swallow with dinner, or that “immune booster” you take when you feel a virus knocking at your nose. Protein bars and fortified waters also increasingly are being relied upon to supplement our busy lives. To revisit our ancestors, remember they did eat dried, extracted and otherwise concentrated foods. What is a protein bar if not the modern equivalent of Native American pemmican? I think it’s incorrect to lump all supplements into a bin marked “unnatural,” although there certainly are plenty of unhealthy supplements on the market and a bad supplement can be worse than taking nothing at all.
The scientific literature on supplements
It’s a mixed bag. The evidence for consuming a multivitamin is strong — so strong that even the conservative American Medical Association endorses their use. Single vitamins, on the other hand, have not done as well. A number of studies have shown negative results. Extrapolating useful information from these studies is difficult because synthetic, incomplete forms of vitamins often are used and the studies are poorly designed (dosages are too low or too high). I caution patients against self-prescribing single vitamins or minerals. Anyone taking a prescription drug should consult a nutrition expert to counter-balance any negative impacts. Fiber commonly is deficient in industrial diets and is known to decrease cholesterol, the risk of diabetes and colon cancer, among other health benefits. Omega-3 oil intake has declined in our diet and is known to decrease inflammation and heart disease while improving mood and memory. Probiotics, the “good bacteria” critical for healthy gut function, often are low due to antibiotics (including those given to domestic animals), excess sugar and stress.
Determining your need for supplements
Your supplemental need is best answered by analyzing your diet and lifestyle. The ideal way to do this is to keep a diet diary for a month, then calculate your daily intake of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants), and other food factors. Seek the services of a nutrition-oriented practitioner. If you live in a polluted environment or if your job places you in harm’s way, you want your body-burden of toxins measured.
Tom Ballard RN, ND
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