Hello beautiful humans! * In my best Morgan Freeman voice*. Welcome to another blogpost. I hope all is well with you. Today we will be talking about nutritional supplements. According to Hopkins Medicine, half of American Adults consume nutritional supplements. (1) If you turn to the person next to you and ask if they take supplements, their answer will probably be yes. So it is a very common thing. Even children are given supplements by their parents. I remember as a kid my mom would give me those gummy vitamins (which I took great pleasure in lol), or fish oil tablets (didn't like those much). Before we get into it lets first establish what nutrients are. Nutrients refer to substances derived from the digestion of food by the body and are used by the body to carry out biological processes. There are six classes of nutrients. Let's list them together, ready?
1. Carbohydrate
2. Protein
3. Fat
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Water
There are macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) which the body requires in large amounts and micronutrients (Vitamins and minerals) which the body requires in small amounts. We've heard it over and over again that a healthy lifestyle requires consumption of a balanced diet. A balanced diet is one that is comprised of foods that provide all of the previously mentioned nutrients. According to the National Institute of Health, federal law defines Nutritional Supplements as products that contain certain nutritional ingredients like enzymes, vitamins and minerals etc. ; and as the name suggests, these are supposed to be supplemental to the food that we eat and should not be a replacement. (2)
Should you take supplements?
If you are healthy person (not ill) who consumes a balanced diet regularly then taking supplements will not benefit you. In fact it proves to be very expensive because you are spending money on nutrients that your body is not absorbing. Think about it, if you try to fill a cup beyond its rim, it will start to spill over. This is what happens when your body is given excess nutrients. It is excreted (removed through urine or feces). Additionally, if you have access to food that will provide you with the necessary nutrients then opting for food instead of supplements is the better option. Food is superior to supplements. There are things that food provides that supplements cannot. These include protective substances such as antioxidants. Currently the science is unclear as to whether the benefits from antioxidants provided by food can be equated to that from supplements. In fact, the Mayo Clinic reports that high dose antioxidants are linked to harmful side effects. (3)
Situations that require you to take supplements (3) :
- If you follow a vegan lifestyle them certain nutrients will be lacking such as vitamin B12 and so the supplement form is essential.
- If your religion requires elimination of a particular food group.
- If you've had surgery and your digestive system is not able to digest food.
- If you are pregnant then supplements such as folic acid will be necessary.
- If you are of the elderly population, you may need to take vitamin D to protect your bones from falls, and vitamin B12.
- If you experience a heavy flow during your menstrual cycle.
Important things to know about supplements:
They are not as strictly regulated as prescription drugs are. The FDA only regulates supplements after they have been released to the market. Basically, companies are responsible to ensure that their product is safe before releasing it to the market. If it is causing harmful effects once released, the FDA will intervene. (2)
Supplements can contain ingredients that are questionable which may not be specified in the ingredients. According to the NIH prescription drugs have been found in certain supplements. (2) Since supplements are not strictly regulated Companies can mislead consumers by not including certain substances present in their product in their ingredient list.
Nutrients in food are more bioavailable than nutrients in supplement form. This means your body absorbs nutrients from food easier than supplements.
There is risk of toxicity. According to the dietary guidelines there is something known as a tolerable upper limit. This is essentially the maximum amount of a nutrient the body can take before the nutrient gets to toxic levels. (4) Since supplements can be purchased over the counter a person can buy one that is not an appropriate dosage, take the supplement and in turn consume too much of this nutrient (toxic level). This could result in side effects such as liver damage. Therefore, if you must take supplements, please talk to your doctor first. They will let you know which ones you need (if getting it from food is impossible for whatever reason) and the dosage that is suitable for you.
To conclude...
Try to get all your nutrients from food. Planning your meals before you go shopping can help with this as you can include foods that will provide all the different nutrients. If you are still falling short, ask your doctor first before purchasing supplements.
I hope all of this information was helpful. If you have questions reach out to me and I will try my best to help. Don't forget to share our posts with your friends and family and SUBSCRIBE if you aren't already and follow us on IG @theholistichealthnut.
Blessings :)
References:
1. Is There Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/is-there-really-any-benefit-to-multivitamins
2. Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. (2019, January 15). Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm#hed2
3. Supplements: Nutrition in a pill? (2017, October 25). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/supplements/art-20044894
4. Webb, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2020). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Boston, MA: Cengage.
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