Vitamin Supplements

Vitamin tablets

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

•	List the 6 Essential Nutrients
•	Identify Who Benefits from Supplements
•	Identify Supplement Myths
•	List concerns of Taking Supplements

Please do not use ENTER to move through the fields, use the TAB key.

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Activity 1:

Your body requires 6 essential nutrients. Can you list one or more?

Your body requires 6 essential nutrients:
Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat, Vitamins, Mineral, and Water. You can receive all of these nutrients from eating a healthy diet following the Food Guide Pyramid. Some individuals choose to take supplements if they are not receiving some of the vitamins and minerals requirements from food alone. This lesson is designed to help you determine if your really need a multi-vitamin and which one is right for you! Remember, let your doctor know if you are taking any form of supplements.

Supplements?

Some people may need supplements or fortified foods if they cannot meet the recommended intake of

Dietary supplements include a broad range of products. Whether in tablet, capsule, or liquid form, they include vitamins, minerals, fiber, or even herbs. By law, these products must be labeled as a dietary supplement.

People take dietary supplements for many reasons - sometimes medically valid, sometimes not. In low or appropriate dosages, supplements can be beneficial for some people. However, other people may take supplements as a so-called easy road to health - a way that appears easier than making wise food choices. Good nutrition, however, depends on a healthful diet - not on dietary supplement. What then is an appropriate - and inappropriate - use of dietary supplements?

Who Benefits?

Women with heavy menstrual bleeding may need an iron supplement to replace iron from blood loss. To enhance absorption, iron supplements are best take with water or juice on an empty stomach. Iron supplements can be taken with food if nausea is a problem, but absorption may be decreased buy as much as 50%.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need more of some nutrients, especially iron, folate (folic acid), and calcium. Their doctor may recommend a dietary supplement to ensure they get adequate amounts.

Menopausal women may benefit from calcium supplements, in addition to a calcium-rich diet, to slow calcium loss from bones.

People on very low calorie diets may not consume enough food to meet all their nutrient needs. Their doctor may recommend a multi-vitamin supplement. Caution: Unless under a doctor's supervision

People with limited milk intake and sunlight exposure may be advised to take a vitamin D supplement.

Is More Better?

A little is good, but a lot may not be healthier. As with other nutrients, such as fat, sugars, and sodium, moderation is a smart guideline for vitamins and minerals: enough but not too much.

Most supplements are produced in dosages close to 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). RDAs are nutrient amounts recommended daily for healthy people.

Supplements carry nutrition labeling so you know the amounts of vitamins and minerals in a single dosage. If you're already eating a healthful diet, you probably don't need any more of the nutrients these supplements supply. But taking a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement with a low dose - no more than 100% of the nutrient recommendation - as a safety net is generally considered safe.

High-potency supplements - a much higher dosage than you need - also are sold. Either as single nutrient supplements or vitamin-mineral combinations, high-potency supplements often contain much greater amounts than the RDAs- which can be harmful.

If I choose to take a supplement, which one is right for me?

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Choose a vitamin-mineral combination: Limit the potency to 100% or less of the Daily Values (DV) for your age and gender. (Keep scrolling to check out the list of Daily Values.) A supplement with 100% of the DV is more than enough, especially if you're eating a healthful diet, too. Avoid large doses!

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Choose a supplement for your unique needs: Age, gender, and medical status are factors to consider.

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For economy, consider the generic brand. Paying more for the same product generally offers no additional benefits.

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Check the expiration date on the label. Over time, nutrient supplements lose some of their potency.

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Take the supplement in the recommended dosage. There's no need to double does on days when you've missed a meal. Rather than popping a pill, make up for foods you missed with your food choices on the next day.

•	You may have seen Stress B vitamins with anywhere from 75-150 mg of each in a multi-vitamin. There's no reason why you would need such large and equal amounts of those nutrients.

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Keep dietary supplements in a safe place - away from places where children may reach them! Iron supplements, meant for adults, are the most common cause of poisoning deaths among children in the United States.

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Remember, no dietary supplement provides the full complement of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients found in food that you need for health. It has only those listed on the label. If you rely on supplements, you miss out on the full variety of nutrients, as well as fiber and other substances supplied by food.

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In regular check-ups, advise your doctor about any dietary supplements you chose to take on your own. Caution: If you're taking medication, talk with your doctor before using dietary supplements. Supplements may interfere with the action of some medications.

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More tips...

•	Some companies throw in extra ingredients to make their products look better. It doesn't matter that some of those ingredient are worthless, at least according to current research. For example, there is little evidence the the gingko balboa, ginseng, alfalfa, cayenne, RNA, coenzyme Q-10, and bee pollen in some supplement do much of anything.
•	There are no DV's for herbs, carotenoids, flavonoids, iosflavones, and other phytochemcials. Supplement makers know that while many consumers check to see if an ingredient is listed, they have no idea if the quantity is enough to matter.
•	Most companies sell "specialized formulas" for men, women, seniors, etc. But those claims aren't regulated, so it's up to each company to decide what each group needs. Men and women's formulas are also not always based on science. Most women's formulas have extra calcium, BUT have only half the Daily Value for vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium.
•	Multi-vitamin labels don't usually make blatant promises to grow hair, curb the symptoms to menopause, control stress, or whatever But multi-vitamin names do! Unfortunately, most name claims aren't backed by good evidence. The bottom line: Companies are on their own when it comes to making name claims...and consumers are on their own when it comes to judging them.

Recommended Daily Intakes (RDIs):

Age	Calcium mg	Phosphorus mg	Magnesium mg	Vit D mcg	Fluoride mg	Thiamin mg	Riboflavin mg	Niacin mg	Vit B6 mg	Folate mcg	Vit B12 mcg	Pathothenic Acid mg	Biotin mcg	Choline mg
0-5 months	210	100	30	5	0.01	0.2	0.3	2	0.1	65	0.4	1.7	5	125
6-11 months	270	275	75	5	0.5	0.3	0.4	3	0.3	80	0.5	1.8	6	150
1-3 years	500	460	80	5	0.7	0.5	0.5	6	0.5	150	0.9	2	8	200
4-8 years	800	500	130	5	1	0.6	0.6	8	0.6	200	1.2	3	12	250
Males
9-13	1300	1250	240	5	2	0.9	0.9	12	1.0	300	1.8	4	20	375
14-18	1300	1250	410	5	3	1.2	1.3	16	1.3	400	2.4	5	25	550
19-30	1000	700	400	5	4	1.2	1.3	16	1.3	400	2.4	5	30	550
31-50	1000	700	420	5	4	1.2	1.3	16	1.3	400	2.4	5	30	550
51-70	1200	700	420	10	4	1.2	1.3	16	1.7	400	2.4	5	30	550
>70	1200	700	420	15	4	1.2	1.3	16	1.7	400	2.4	5	30	550
Females
9-13	1300	1250	240	5	2	0.9	0.9	12	1.0	300	1.8	4	20	375
14-18	1300	1250	360	5	3	1.0	1.0	14	1.2	400	2.4	5	25	400
19-30	1000	700	310	5	3	1.1	1.1	14	1.3	400	2.4	5	30	425
31-50	1000	700	320	5	3	1.1	1.1	14	1.3	400	2.4	5	30	425
51-70	1200	700	320	10	3	1.1	1.1	14	1.5	400	2.4	5	30	425
>70	1200	700	320	15	3	1.1	1.1	14	1.5	400	2.4	5	30	425
Pregnancy
<18	1300	1250	400	5	3	1.4	1.4	18	1.9	600	2.6	6	30	450
19-30	1000	700	350	5	3	1.4	1.4	18	1.9	600	2.6	6	30	450
31-50	1000	700	360	5	3	1.4	1.4	18	1.9	600	2.6	6	30	450
Lactation
<18	1300	1250	360	5	3	1.5	1.6	17	2.0	500	2.8	7	35	550
19-30	1000	700	310	5	3	1.5	1.6	17	2.0	500	2.8	7	35	550
31-50	1000	700	320	5	3	1.5	1.6	17	2.0	500	2.8	7	35	550

mg= milligrams
mcg= micrograms

Activity 2:

Supplements -- Myth or Fact?

True	False	1. Vitamin and mineral supplements can make up for poor food choices.
True	False	2. Taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement ensures good nutrition.
True	False	3. Taking large quantities of vitamins A, C, and E prevents Cancer.
True	False	4. Vitamin pills give you extra energy.
True	False	5. People under a lot of emotional stress need "stress" vitamins.
True	False	6. Taking calcium supplements is the best way to prevent osteoporosis.
True	False	7. Physically active people and competitive athletes need to take extra vitamins or minerals.

(Be sure to check your answers found at the end of the lesson)

Click here for a listing of Vitamins and Minerals.

Remember, it is always best to get your nutrients from food!

Serving size examples:

Bread Group	Vegetable Group	Fruit Group	Dairy Group	Meat/Protein Group
1 slice bread	½ cup cooked	1 whole medium	1 cup (8 oz) milk	2 eggs
1 medium muffin	1 cup raw leafy	½ cup canned	2 slices cheese (2oz)	2-3 oz cooked meat
4 small crackers	½-¾ cup juice	¼ cup dried	1½ cups frozen yogurt	1 cup cooked beans

Now let's review!

Activity 3:

1. Which B vitamin can cause nerve damage if taken in large doses?

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

2. Vitamin D may help prevent or treat all but one of the following:
	High blood pressure
	Hip fracture
	Osteoporosis

3. Which is the best source of Vitamin E:
	Vitamin E supplement
	Bananas
	Nuts

4. List who might benefit from supplements.

5. List some concerns about taking supplements.

Which WIC Office do you go to?

AK Regional Hospital
Eagle River
L Street
Providence Hospital

Where are you taking today's lesson?

Answers:

Activity 1:	1. Protein, fat, carbohydrates, water, vitamins, and minerals.
Activity 2:	1. False. No dietary supplement can fix an ongoing pattern of poor food choices. 2. False. If you eat healthy, you most likely will not need a supplement. 3. False. There is no scientific evidence that proves taking a supplement will prevent cancer, although some vitamins may have a protective effect. 4. False. Supplements will not ensure extra energy. 5. False. Emotional stress doesn't increase nutrient needs. 6. False. Wise food choices and weight bearing activities are your best bet. 7. False. You can get all the nutrients your body needs from foods.
Activity 3:	1. B6 Niacin 2. High Blood Pressure 3. Nuts 4. Pregnant women, Menopausal women, individuals on low calories diets. 5. Potency is too high, may interfere with medications

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Revised: 06-13-2008