Do You Need Vitamin Supplements?

Even people with the best intentions sometimes fall short on their nutrient intake. For some people health supplement offers benefits that are both safe and effective. Health supplement may help when:

FOR WOMEN:

You're pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
During this time, you need more of certain nutrients, especially calcium, folate and iron. Folate is needed very early in pregnancy to help protect your baby against neural tube birth defects, such as incomplete closure of the spine (spina bifida). Iron helps prevent fatigue by helping you make the red blood cells necessary to deliver oxygen to you and your baby. Your doctor can recommend a dietary supplement. It's important to start taking a supplement before becoming pregnant.

You’re always on a diet.
If you're restricting your caloric intake significantly, there's a good chance that you're undernourished. Consider supplementing your diet with a general multivitamin with added calcium to ensure you're meeting your daily nutritional needs. Although vitamin supplementation isn't a substitute for healthy eating, it can serve a purpose in certain groups of people who don't get an adequate intake of fruits, vegetables, meat, or dairy based products. If you fit into one of these categories, ask your doctor if vitamin supplements would be right for you. In the meantime work on getting more vitamins and nutrients from your diet so you can stay healthy and strong.

You're a woman who has heavy menstrual bleeding. If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, you may need additional iron to replace the iron depleted by blood loss. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition in which blood is low in hemoglobin, the substance which carries oxygen to tissues. You're a postmenopausal woman. After menopause, women experience a sudden drop in estrogen levels, which increases bone loss. To keep bones strong and to decrease bone loss, you need calcium as well as vitamin D — the vitamin essential for absorbing calcium. Women who don't obtain enough calcium and vitamin D through foods could benefit from taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D.

FOR MEN & WOMEN:

You’re primarily a fast food eater.
If you eat on the run and frequent the notoriously unhealthy fast food restaurants, you may want to consider supplementing with a multivitamin. Many fast foods and convenience foods are notably lacking in nutritional value. A multivitamin is an inexpensive way for you to make sure you're meeting your daily requirements. Keep in mind that getting your nutrient requirements from supplements is not ideal since we don't know whether supplementation is as effective as getting your vitamins through food.

You have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs, uses or excretes nutrients.
If your diet has limited variety because of food allergies or intolerance to certain foods, such as dairy products, you may benefit from a dietary supplement. Also, if you have a disease of your liver, gallbladder, intestines or pancreas, or if you've had surgery on your digestive tract, you may not be able to digest and absorb nutrients properly. In such cases, your doctor may recommend that you take dietary supplements. You consume less than 1,200 calories a day. Low-calorie diets limit the types and amounts of foods you eat and, in turn, the types and amounts of nutrients you receive. Unless monitored by a doctor, a low-calorie diet isn't usually recommended.

You smoke.
Tobacco decreases the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folate, magnesium and calcium. But dietary supplements won't make up for the major health risks caused by smoking. The safest option is to avoid all tobacco products. You're a vegetarian. If you're a vegetarian, you may not consume enough calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins B-12 and D. You can get these nutrients naturally from non-meat sources, such as fortified soy products, green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole-grain products and nuts. If you aren't able to regularly consume these foods, dietary supplements may be necessary.

You can’t drink milk or eat cheese and yogurt.
Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are the biggest dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D. The greatest health risk associated with a lack of calcium and vitamin D is osteoporosis, a disease characterized by fragile bones that are more susceptible to fractures. This is especially important for adolescent and young adult women.

You drink excessively.
Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can impair the digestion and absorption of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B-1, iron, zinc, magnesium and folate. In addition, you may substitute alcohol for food, resulting in a diet lacking in essential nutrients. Excessive drinking is defined as more than two drinks a day for men under age 65 and more than one drink a day for men over 65 and women. Taking dietary supplements, however, won't make up for the major health risks caused by excessive alcohol consumption You don't eat well. If you eat less than five total servings of fruits and vegetables daily, it may be difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Also, if you eat only one or two times a day, you may be limiting the number and variety of servings you eat from the various food groups.

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