Paul J. Henderson, North Shore News
Published: Sunday, March 15, 2009
Information on diet, nutrition, vitamins and supplements can be overwhelming and conflicting for anyone trying to get or stay healthy.
So what’s up with vitamins and supplements and do we really need to bother if we are already committed to eating a healthy diet?
Well, the answer isn’t black and white, but there is an important place for vitamins and supplements in the diet, particularly for certain groups.
"Vitamins and supplements are never a replacement for a healthy diet," says naturopathic physician Joanne Menard. "However, the recommended daily intakes established are set up as measures to prevent nutritional deficiency, not to achieve optimal health."
Everyone has different nutritional needs, so options such as a good quality multivitamin can help to make up for the lack of vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, or whatever a person needs more of than the general population, according to Menard.
"Depending on your age, sex and health status, different vitamin combinations can help different people prevent and treat certain diseases, but no vitamin can replace the benefits of eating healthy."
Lori Smart is a public health dietitian, and she says that those who eat a balanced diet based on Canada’s Food Guide do not need extra vitamins or supplements. However, she does say there are exceptions.
"Any woman who is planning to become pregnant needs to take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day," she says.
Smart also recommends that men and women over the age of 50 — and, frankly, anyone who lives in the Lower Mainland and doesn’t get as much sun as they should — could do well to take a vitamin D supplement.
Others who might not be getting all the nutrition they need from their food include vegetarians and those who don’t regularly drink milk or get other sources of calcium.
"Well-planned vegetarian diets can meet most nutritional needs but for vegans they may need to think about supplementing with vitamins and minerals," Smart says.
A recent meta-analysis of studies published between 1960 and 2005 on multivitamins and pediatric cancers published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, showed the children of mothers who supplemented with prenatal multivitamins during pregnancy had lower rates of pediatric brain tumours, neuroblastoma and leukemia, according to Menard.
Other fairly large studies over the last year have shown a decrease in the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women who supplement with vitamin D and calcium.
"That doesn’t mean that everyone should run out and take vitamin D," she says. "But post-menopausal women should definitely consider it or at least discuss this with their healthcare provider."
The real message, though, is that no vitamin or supplement can ever replace the benefits of a healthy diet.
