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Learn who should take supplements, criteria for safety, and guidelines for selecting the best vitamins and minerals. Discover the importance of a diverse diet in reducing chronic disease risk.
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Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation Choosing A Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
Objectives Identify who should take supplements Describe criteria for safe supplement Discuss guidelines for selecting appropriate supplements
Perspective “…. the best nutrition-based strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of foods. Additional nutrients from supplements can help some people meet their nutritional needs…..” American Dietetic Association, Dec. 2009
Food vs. Supplements The body absorbs nutrients best from foods in which nutrients are diluted and dispersed among other substances. Taken in concentrated forms nutrients interfere more with one another’s absorption. Whitney and Rolfes, 2008
Who Should Take Supplements? • People with elevated nutrient needs • People who have decreased nutrient intake
Who Should Take Supplements? • Pregnant and breast feeding women • Women with heavy menstrual bleeding
Who Should Take Supplements? • Infants and children who have narrow food preferences • “Picky” eaters
Who Should Take Supplements? • People with severe food restrictions • Strict vegetarians • Elderly
Guarantee Safety Take Vitamins that are “SAFE” And Display the “U.S.P. Verified” Logo on the label
USP Logo Guarantees: What’s on the label is in the bottle – no more no less It doesn’t contain harmful levels of contaminants It will break down properly in your body It has been made under “good” manufacturing processes
Delivery Systems Liquid: Easily assimilated by the body faster; but not many available. Capsules: Loosely packed in gelatin containers that dissolve quickly. Tablets: Most common; mix organic & inorganic material and compress them into the desired shape.
Guidelines for Selecting Supplements Select a supplement that contains at least 20 vitamins/minerals Dosage no more than 150% of Daily Value (DV) of each nutrient Avoid unbalanced supplements with less than 10% of DV of some nutrients and more than 1000% of others
SUMMARY Who should take supplements? How do I know if a supplement is safe? What are the guidelines for selecting appropriate supplements?