Does Your Diet Need a Boost?
If consumers believe current advertising, there is a pill that can give one the memory of an elephant, the strength of an ox and can help one to look and feel forever young. The truth, however, is that the supplement industry can make claims that may not be proven, are misleading, or based on research that cannot be duplicated with the same results. Some supplements are even unsafe. Too often the study that is quoted may have involved such a small number of persons that the research is not valid, scientific research. Other misleading promotions may come from reports that are based solely on one person’s opinion. This kind of reporting can be biased, faulty and unreliable. True research seeks to study and repeat experiments and then have agreement about the results from research scientists.
The best way to get nutrients is from food. A balanced and varied diet will provide all the nutrients needed to prevent deficiency diseases. With the increased life expectancy, current research is focusing on whether we may need more of some nutrients in order to prevent certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
The best way to find out if the foods you are eating provide a healthy and adequate diet is to compare them against the standards set by nutrition experts. These standards are the Food Guide Pyramid, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Food Guide Pyramid is probably the one that most people are familiar with. Foods are divided into five groups. Each group of foods provides some, but not all, of the nutrients that are needed for good health. That is the reason that daily food intake should include a variety of foods. The Food Guide Pyramid also recommends a range of servings based on individual calorie needs. By keeping a food diary and listing foods eaten and the amount, one can know if all food groups are being included in the diet.
The most practical, most satisfying way to get nutrients is by eating a variety of foods. If a person chooses to use supplements, the supplement should not exceed l00 percent of the RDA for specific nutrients.
Do you need to take a vitamin or mineral supplement? Ask yourself these questions:
Do
you skip or skimp on meals?
Are
your meals balanced?
Do
you have a poor appetite?
Are
you often constipated?
Do
you often cut back on amounts of food eaten in order to lose weight?
Do
you eat fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day?
Do
you eat less than three servings of milk or milk products per day?
Do
you eat fewer than six servings of whole grain products per day?
Do
you eat more than six ounces of meat per day?
Do
you eat the same foods every day?
Do
you avoid eating entire groups of foods?
Are
you a vegetarian?
Do
you drink large amounts of caffeine products?
Are
you female, past menopause and not on hormone replacement therapy?
Are
you over 50 years old?
Do
you take medications that may affect your nutritional status?
Do
you lack energy?
Are
you involved in intense physical exercise programs?
Are
you an athlete?
Do
you smoke?
Do
you drink excessively?
Are
you having surgery or recovering from injury or trauma?
Do
you take oral contraceptives?
Are
you of childbearing age or are you pregnant?
Are
you breastfeeding?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may need to talk with your doctor about supplements. A one-a-day, multi-vitamin, multi-mineral supplement that contains no more than l00 percent of the RDAs may help fill any nutrition gaps.
Read the label to determine the amounts of vitamins and minerals included in the supplement. If you decide to take dietary supplements, be aware that the legislation in the United States is weak. Consider these points as you make your decision about using supplements:
There
is no pre-market approval process.
There
is no federal labeling requirement.
Dietary
supplements are not subject to the same manufacturing standards as other
drugs.
Supplements
may vary in effectiveness, potency, safety and purity.
Generic
brands may cost a lot less and be just as beneficial as brand names.
The
word "natural" does not make a supplement any better or safer than synthetics.
Advertising
for a supplement does not require pre-market approval. If a claim sounds
too good to be true, it probably is.
If you would like more information, contact your local Cooperative Extension agent with foods and nutrition responsibility and request the bulletin, "To Supplement or Not to Supplement: That is the Question."
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