Should You Consume Supplements?

Many people take vitamin supplements for health reasons but is there any evidence to support the intake of supplements?

The dietary guide suggests at least 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit every day. However, this amount only meets the Daily Value (DV) (formerly known as Recommended Daily Allowances; RDA). This recommendation does not take into account the quality of nutrients. Processed food (e.g., frozen vegetables and canned fruits) have lost much of their nutritional values and potency during manufacture. Some foods also contain unwanted substances such as preservatives or dyes.

The DV estimates the amount of nutrient the average person needs to avoid problems of severe deficiencies such as scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), pellagra (Niacin deficinecy), and rickets (vitamin D deficiency) for example, plus a margin of error. This is less than the amount needed to achieve optimum health. Many scientific studies show that our bodies need vitamins A, C, E, lipoic acid, selenium and zinc in doses 2-5 times the DV!

Nunerous research publications support the use of supplements.

In February 2002 a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that acetyl-L-carnitine and the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid fed to older rats improved memory and boosted overall energy. The study predicted that similar therapeutic benefits to "rejuvinate aging humans" would likely be found.

In April 2002, in the same journal, data obtained from multiple studies studying megavitamin treatment (vitamins at least 10 times RDA) were pooled. Their research found that more than 50 genetic diseases could be successfully treated with megavitamin therapy. The researchers submit that flooding the body with excess vitamins creates an ample supply of coenzymes required for optimal metabolic function.

In June 2002, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study by researchers from Harvard Medical school. The research team reviewed 36 years of scientific literature that investigated links between vitamin intake and diseases. They found many benefits and little risk and recommended that "everybody-regardless of age or health status -take a daily multivitamin".

In April 2003, the Annals of Internal Medicine published a research conducted on 130 adults over 45 and compared those who took a multivitamin and mineral supplement with those who took a placebo. The group that took the vitamins and minerals fell in to an infection far less that those that took placebo.

These evidence points out the need for supplementation for healthy individuals and even more for those with an illness. It is prudent, however, that one consumes a multivitamin and mineral which is potent and of the correct dosage. It is therefore important to take a high quality multivitamin produced in comformation to the pharmaceutical grade Good Manufacturing Practice to ensure potency and quality.

Mahathir