Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

Many people in the United States self medicate with over-the-counter drugs. Many also self prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements. The most frequently given reasons for using supplements were "to prevent colds and other illnesses" and "to make up for what is not in food."

When first designed, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamins and minerals were intended to be consumed as part of a normal diet. Vitamins and minerals are a part of every function or process that takes place in your body. A larger dose than the body needs may not make you more healthy.

There is danger in taking too much of one vitamin or mineral supplement. Almost all supplements are potentially toxic when ingested in large amounts. Overdosing can also create a nutrient imbalance in the body. This can happen when large amounts of one nutrient actually block the body's ability to use another nutrient.

People rarely overdose from nutrients in food. One exception is in eating bear liver or the liver of some large fish. Vitamin A concentrations are sometimes so high illness and/or deaths have occurred in humans who ate these foods. But these cases are rare, since most of us do not dine on polar bear liver. Overdoses in this country usually occur with supplements.

Supplements are large concentrations of one or more nutrient. The concentration is more than is naturally found in foods. Some supplements leave the body when you have taken too much, but some accumulate and cause major problems.

In addition, large amounts of one nutrient can interfere with the effects of certain drugs. If you are taking medication of any kind, consult your doctor or dietitian before taking a vitamin or mineral supplement.

For instance, high doses of Vitamin E supplements can block Vitamin K action. Vitamin K is responsible for the normal clotting of your blood. This blockage can enhance the effect of blood thinning medicines and cause hemorrhagic strokes.

The people who work in shops selling vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanical concoctions are salesmen. If they were licensed doctors, nutritionists, or dietitians, they would not be working in low-paying sales positions. Most are not a reliable source of nutrition information. Many will say almost anything to "make a sale."

Fortunately the Food and Drug Administration is about to draw the line. As of February 1999, the FDA will implement the National Dietary Supplement Law which was passed in 1995. Under the new regulations, manufacturers will have to list supplement facts on the label. Until then there are no penalties for false messages or lack of label information. You must rely on reputable manufacturers for truth-in-labeling for vitamin/mineral supplements.

Scurvy, which killed many sailors, was cured when lemons and limes were added to the diet, which is why British sailors were called "limeys." Actually Vitamin C was lacking in their diets and citrus fruits contain large amounts of Vitamin C.

Night blindness was cured when patients were given foods high in Vitamin A such as chicken liver and carrots. Cod liver oil prevented rickets in children. Now we know it was the Vitamin D in the cod liver oil that protected them. The list goes on and on. Notice that each time the original cure was food. And many times the problem was in not eating a well-balanced diet.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are team players. They do not act alone. Each nutrient affects the other. There are many nutrients in foods that have not been isolated and put into vitamin/mineral supplement form. If your doctor or dietitian has recommended a supplement for you, always take it with food. Vitamin and mineral supplements do not take the place of foods. That is why they are called supplements. Supplements are routinely recommended under some circumstances. These may include certain disorders or diseases, during pregnancy and lactation, for people who consume a very low calorie diet, for some vegetarians and newborns as well. Taking a supplement to make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals can sometimes do more harm than good.

Food is still the answer. The best way to ensure getting adequate nutrients for day to day health is by eating a variety of foods. Eat 2-3 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 servings of meat, 6-11 servings of whole grain breads and cereals and 2-3 servings of milk, cheese or yogurt. Eat fats, sugar and salt in moderation. All of these foods make up a well-balanced diet. It is never too late to improve your health by eating right.

Spring 1998
University of Illinois Booksale | Zoysiagrass! Can You Believe the Ads? | Crabgrass Control | Choosing Home Lawn Care Services | Selecting a Tree Service or Arborist | All America Selections 1998 | All Tomato Varieties Certainly Not the Same | Some Noteworthy Perennial Combinations | Bug Bites | Lawn Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Healthy Eating: Butter vs. Margarine | Health Update: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements | Food Safety: Eggs | Health & Household Update | Did You Know?

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