Supplement Savvy

Navigating the supplement world can feel like a full-time job. Nutritional supplements come in a variety of forms including food, liquids, tablets, softgels, capsules and powders. A study from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics shares, “in the United States [nutritional supplements] is a billion-dollar industry estimated to include more than 50,000 products in various forms.” Evidence from the National Institutes of Health shows a large number of adults and children in the U.S. take one or more vitamins or other dietary supplements daily.

It’s always important to continue to stay active and choose a food-first approach to support your nutrition. When we fall short of certain vitamins and minerals, knowing how to make an informed choice about supplements may better support you staying adequately nourished.

Understanding Supplement Facts
Supplement Facts is a label on nutritional supplements packaging listing active ingredients, the amount per serving and other ingredients that help with composition or taste. Confirming the correct serving size for you with your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist is important to ensure you are not over-doing any one nutrient. Like nutrition, supplementation is not one size fits all.

While reading the Supplement Facts label you may come across several unknown terms. Let’s get a better understanding of these references, established by the U.S. government to help determine if you are getting the right balance of nutrients.

Dietary Reference Terms:

• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs):

1. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) : Average intake level adequate to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all healthy individuals (97-98%)
2. Adequate Intake (AIs): Used when the RDA cannot be determined for a specific nutrient
3. Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): The highest daily level of a nutrient that is not likely to cause health risks; amounts above this value increase potential risks

• Daily Value (DV) : Derived from the DRIs used for food labels to provide insight on overall dietary needs

Potential Benefits
Nutritional supplements can help bridge a gap in essential nutrients if your dietary intake falls short. Taking a general multivitamin can fit well alongside a balanced eating routine to support optimal health without causing harm.

Some examples of being “supplement savvy” include:

• Calcium and vitamin D work together to support bone health.
• Folic acid helps prevent birth defects.
• Omega-3 assists with inflammation and lowering triglycerides.
• The combination of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin—also known as Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formula—may slow further vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration.

Safety and Risks
Vitamins work synergistically and taking large doses of any one vitamin may disrupt how these micronutrients are designed to work in your body. Many foods—such as breakfast cereals and beverages—may have added vitamins, minerals and other supplemental ingredients. Due to this, if you’re also taking high doses of nutritional supplements, you may be “double-dipping” and causing yourself harm rather than good. When taking higher than needed doses of dietary supplements, they may interact with medications, cause increased risk of bleeding or even change the way you respond to anesthesia before surgery. Below are a few examples:

• Too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength and cause birth defects.
• Too much iron can cause nausea and vomiting and may damage liver and other organs.
• Vitamin K can decrease the effectiveness of the blood thinner Warfarin to prevent blood clotting.
• St. John’s Wort can quicken the metabolism of many medicines and reduce their effectiveness (for example, some antidepressants, birth control pills, heart medications, anti-HIV medications and transplant drugs).
• Intake of some antioxidants above the RDA , such as vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and selenium, can potentially turn into pro-oxidants (increasing risk of oxidative damage and cancer).

For those who are pregnant, it’s important to be cautious of taking vitamins, unless they are a standard prenatal vitamin. Also, for children, many supplements marketed for them are not tested or checked for safety. For both cases, always confirm with your health care provider on the safety and efficacy of any nutritional supplements.

Supplement Checklist
A great way to go about looking for the best and safest vitamins is searching for a third-party testing company that is not involved in the production or sale of a specific supplement line. Examples of reputable third-party testing companies:

• Consumerlab.com (CL)
• National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International
• United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
• Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG)
• Informed Choice
• Aegis

It’s recommended to purchase supplements containing vitamins and minerals close to 100% Daily Value. Supplements that are not tested may list various toxic chemicals as ingredients and/or be proprietary blends with undeclared ingredients or contaminations. Products most at risk for contamination or mislabeling with stimulants are those targeting weight loss or pre-workout goals.

Supplements should be used as an adjunct to a healthy eating plan and not in place of one. Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist and/or doctor can assist you in finding which supplement is appropriate and safe, and help you stay up to date on dietary supplement safety, efficacy and regulations.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor
When evaluating whether or not to take a vitamin or supplement, below are some questions you can ask your doctor to determine which are the best for you.

1. Is the supplement safe? Is it from a reputable manufacturer?
2. Does this supplement align with my health goals?
3. Will it negatively affect my health in any way?
4. Are there other options? What type of supplements will work the best?

Talk with your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist to see which supplement(s) may be appropriate for you or how to meet specific nutrient needs via food alone. If you have questions about which supplements are best for you, schedule a nutrition consultation with a Cooper Clinic registered dietitian nutritionist . Call 972.560.2655 or visit cooperclinicnutrition.com .