Choosing and Using Supplements
At least half of American adults a daily dietary supplement—vitamins, minerals, or herbs, with annual sales approaching $23 billion. Although such dietary insurance can be a benefit, many people take
them without knowing enough to ensure optimum results. To assess how much you know about dietary
supplements, answer the following statements true or false.
1. People who eat a balanced, varied diet that includes 2 cups of fruits and 2-1/2 cups of vegetables per day can get many of the vitamins and minerals their bodies need from food.
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But on average, fewer than 10 percent of Americans regularly meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for most of the 18 vitamins and minerals for which RDAs have been established.
2. Taking a supplement can protect you against cancer more effectively than eating foods with the same nutrients.
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The evidence that eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and other fresh foods can protect against chronic diseases is overwhelming; food contains hundreds of nutrients supplements don't contain.
3. It's best to buy a name-brand supplement.
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Generic brands are usually cheaper and just as effective, experts say.
4. Natural supplements are superior to synthetic supplements and worth the extra cost.
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There's no general difference between synthetic and natural supplements, except the price. "Natural" supplements generally cost more.
5. Check the expiration date before buying a supplement.
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Look for supplements with an expiration date that's at least one year away.
6. When buying supplements, choose those with the USP or NSF symbol on their labels, or choose products that have passed ConsumerLab testing.
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A product approved by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), NSF International, and ConsumerLab indicates that the supplement has passed tests for purity, meaning it is free of contaminants; potency, meaning that it meets the label claim for the strength of the product; and availability, meaning that it dissolves properly in the body.
7. Choose a vitamin-mineral combination limited to 100% of the Daily Value of each nutrient and take no more than the recommended dose.
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The higher the dosage of certain vitamins and minerals, the more likely you are to have side effects or interactions with other medications you might be taking.
8. Vegetarians who eliminate all animal products from their diets may need additional vitamin B12 and other nutrients.
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Fortified cereals are also a good source of vitamin B12 for vegetarians who consume no meats, eggs or dairy products.
9. It's safe to take a dietary supplement without your doctor's approval.
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Vitamins and especially herbal supplements can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications, so telling your doctor what you intend to take can help him or her check for such interactions.
10. Multivitamins should contain no more than 100 percent of the RDAs for vitamin A, C, D, E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, and selenium.
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Experts say you should avoid multivitamins that offer huge doses of one vitamin or mineral and a smaller percentage of another.
11. Most adults can get all the calcium they need to prevent osteoporosis from their diets alone.
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Because of the diet they choose, most adults need to take a calcium supplement to get the recommended 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium daily.
12. If you're older than 65, you may need to increase your intake of vitamins B6, B12, and D because your body may not absorb vitamins B6 and B12 nutrients as well as the bodies of younger people and older peoples' bodies do not manufacture as much vitamin D.
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Older people may need to increase their calcium, too.
13. Don't self-prescribe vitamins if you have a chronic or serious health problem.
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In general, it's best to check with your doctor before taking any supplement, but especially true if you have a chronic health problem.
14. Store supplements out of the reach of children.
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Supplements that contain iron are the most common cause of poisoning deaths among children.
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