About RI and ADH
Almost half of the Dutch take a dietary supplement every day. Which varieties are popular and what is on the label?
Multivitamins are by far the most popular dietary supplements, according to the Food Consumption Survey. About 30-40 percent of women take multivitamins and 20-25 percent of men. Multivitamins are often used, especially in winter. Since multivitamins usually contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals, they are an ideal supplement to the diet. Vitamin C is in second place. Approximately 20 percent of the women use this vitamin supplement and 15 percent of the men on average. Here too, use is higher in winter than in summer. Vitamin C has been scientifically proven to support the immune system.
Fish oil capsules
Fish oil capsules are in third place. These are mainly used by people over 50: 10-20 percent of them take these healthy omega-3 fatty acids, abbreviated DHA and EPA. Among younger adults it is 6-14 percent. It’s actually strange that people over 50 take fish oil capsules more often than younger adults. They actually eat more fish: more than a quarter of them eat fish twice a week, the amount needed to get enough fish fatty acids. No less than 80-85 percent of adults and more than 90 percent of children do not meet this fish recommendation.
health claims
Dietary supplements are not medicines, but supplements to the diet. They therefore fall under the Commodities Act just like foodstuffs. Only scientifically proven health effects may be stated on the packaging. These are determined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the official scientific advisory body of the European Commission. Some examples of approved health claims: ‘Vitamin C is important for the immune system’, ‘Calcium is necessary for the maintenance of normal bones’ and ‘EPA and DHA are good for the heart’.
Recommended Daily Allowance
The label of dietary supplements states the dosage of vitamins and minerals, so how many milligrams or micrograms are in them. It is also stated as a percentage of what is needed on a daily basis. That daily amount is called the Reference Intake (RI) or Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) on the label. These RI and RDA are exactly the same and have been established by law in a European context. This is based on the needs of an average adult woman. The RI and RDA do not take into account age, gender and other circumstances. It is mainly intended to be informative and only gives an indication of the amount of vitamins and minerals that a person needs.
The situation is different for the RDAs drawn up by the Health Council. Age, gender and, for example, pregnancy have been taken into account. Some examples: the RI for vitamin C is 80 mg, while the Health Council recommends 75 mg for adults. For folic acid, the RI on the label is 200 mcg, while the RDA of the Health Council for adults is 300 mcg. And for calcium the RI is 800 mg, while the Health Council recommends 1000 mg to adults. Confusing? Yes indeed. The RDA of the Health Council is more tailored to individuals.
When to take?
Most dietary supplements are best taken just before or after a meal with water or other drink. For the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) a little fat is needed and that is in a meal. Vitamin C is also best taken during meals, as it improves the absorption of iron from the meal. For the vitamin B complex, minerals and other nutritional supplements, the time of intake usually does not matter.
