Using Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Carefully
A summary of an article produced by the Mayo Clinic titled “Vitamin and mineral supplements: Use with care”Many people believe that dietary supplements can be used to replacement healthy foods as a source of nutrition. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Whole foods, including grains, vegetables and many fruits, provide a unique combination of minerals, vitamins and fiber not easily duplicated in most nutritional supplements.
While vitamin and mineral supplements shouldn’t be used as replacement for a health diet they can be used to compliment your diet. If you suffer from a deficiency, have a poor diet, or have trouble getting enough nutrients, you could benefit from taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.
The ABCS of Vitamins and Minerals
For small yet consistent amounts of normal function, growth and health your body requires the right amount of essential vitamins and minerals. When taken together vitamins and minerals are referred to as micronutrients. Your body is unable to product most micronutrients on its own so you must obtain these nutrients from the foods you eat, or in some instances from supplements.
Vitamins: Help Regulate Body Functions
Vitamins are required by the body for a variety of important biologic processes, including growth, digestion, alertness, to fight away infections, and for proper health. Vitamins also allow your body to effectively process, store and use carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and they serve as biological catalysts — starting or speeding up biochemical reactions in the body. Even though vitamins are involved in converting food into energy, it is important to remember that most vitamins supply no calories.Vitamins fall in to two general categories.
There are water-soluble vitamins or fat-soluble vitamins.
- Water-soluble vitamins include biotin, Vitamin C, and
the seven B vitamins including thiamin (B-1), riboflavin (B-2),
niacin (B-3), pantothenic acid (B-5), pyridoxine (B-6), folic acid
(B-9) and cobalamin (B-12). Water-soluble vitamins easily dissolve
in and are not stored by the body in any significant amounts.
Water-soluble vitamins that are not used by your body are expelled
in your urine.
- Fat-soluble vitamins including vitamin A, D, E or K when not used by your body after ingestion are stored in your liver and in your body fat. Many people don’t realize that excess fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in your body and become toxic. The human body is especially sensitive to excessive amounts of vitamins A and D. And because vitamins E and K affect blood clotting, any one taking a blood thinner, such as warfarin and who wants to supplement with either of these vitamins should consult with their doctor first.
Minerals are the main ingredient that make of your teeth and bones, and are the building blocks for other cells and enzymes. Minerals help to regulate the balance of fluids in your body and control the function of nerve impulses. There are even some minerals that aide the body in delivering oxygen to cells and carrying away harmful carbon dioxide.Minerals fall into one of two general categories:
- Major minerals which include calcium, phosphorus,
magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur and chloride are classified
as major minerals because most adults require them in large
amounts — in excess of 250 milligrams (mg) per day.
- Trace minerals including chromium, copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc are referred to as trace minerals because the human body needs them in smaller amounts — less than 20 mg a day.
Most professionals now agree that whole foods are the best source of vitamins and minerals. There are three reasons you should consider eating whole foods instead of just supplementing:
- Whole foods are complex – they can provide the body
with a variety of micronutrients not just one or two. For example,
an orange not only provides the body vitamin C but also beta
carotene, calcium and other important nutrients. A basic vitamin C
supplement may lack many of the nutrients obtained by simply
eating an orange.
- Whole foods provided dietary fiber – Fibers is a very
important nutrient that aides in digestion and helps to prevent
many diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease. And as
many of us know only too well fiber helps to prevent
constipation.
- Whole foods contact other substances essential for proper health – many whole foods include phytochemicals, which are believed to help protect against a variety of diseases, among them cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc., etc. Whole foods are also a good source of antioxidants.
A lot of people should still take vitamin and mineral supplements. Many people, especially those in Western society, don’t receive all of the nutrients they require from their diet because they can’t or simply don’t eat enough health foods. For these individuals multivitamin-mineral supplements can provide the vitamins and minerals that their bodies are not receiving via their diet. It is quite common for pregnant women and older adults to benefit from a supplementation.
Choosing and using supplements
Supplements are intended to “supplement” not replace. They can’t replace the many hundreds of nutrients found in whole foods. However, if you are going to take a supplement we suggest you do the following:
- Check the label – Read the label on the supplement you
are going to purchase very carefully. Find out what the active
ingredient(s) are, which essential nutrients are included, the
serving size, and the amount of nutrients per serving. The label
should also include directions for use and storage, the
manufacturer, distributor and company contact information.
- Don’t buy supplements that offer “megadoses” – Only
purchase a supplement that provides 100% Daily Value (%DV) of all
the vitamins and minerals the body requires. You don’t need a
supplement that provided 500% DV of one vitamin or mineral and
only 20% DV of others.· Beware of gimmicks – Synthetic vitamins
are usually the same as most natural vitamins. Most natural
vitamins only cost more.
- Look for expiration dates – Many supplement can lose
potency given enough time, especially when stored in hot humid
climates. If a supplement doesn’t have an expiration date don’t
buy it.
- Store all supplements safely – Make sure to store
supplements in a dry, cool location, away from children. We
recommend keeping all supplements in a locked cabinet. Be
especially careful with any supplements containing iron. Iron
overdose in children often caused death.
- Be safe – Before starting a serious supplementation
regiment check with your doctor. Careless supplementation can do
more harm than good.
