An overview of dietary supplements
The shelf at the drugstore is richly filled with them and they are also available in supermarkets, pharmacies and on the internet. Dietary supplements. But how do you make the right choice within this maze of pills and powders. Time for an overview.
Dietary Supplements are capsules, tablets, powders or drops containing active substances that have an effect on your health. They serve as a supplement to the daily diet. Since the European Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (EFSA) has reviewed the promises (claims) on supplement labels, you can assume that they are correct. Different claims have been approved per vitamin and per mineral, you will find them here.
The difference between vitamins and minerals is in the origin. vitamins come from living nature (think of vitamin C from fruits), while minerals find their origin in dead nature (think of lime, or calcium, from a limestone cave).
Simple vitamins or minerals
Sometimes you need more of a certain vitamin than you get through food. You can then take a ‘loose’ vitamin. Children up to 4 years, pregnant women and the elderly, for example, have more vitamin D necessary and for vegans and vegetarians, among other things, they must take extra vitamins B2 and B12. There are also ‘loose’ minerals and combinations of two vitamins (eg vitamin A/D drops), or of a vitamin and a mineral (eg vitamin D and calcium).
Multivitamins
To ensure that you get enough vitamins and minerals, it is best to adjust your (eating) habits. If this does not work, a multivitamin can provide a supplement. Usually all thirteen vitamins are in it. That’s a good thing: all thirteen have different, but important functions in the body. Sometimes there are also minerals in a multivitamin supplement.
The difference between the multivitamins is in the dosage. The Vitamin Information Bureau recommends a multivitamin with 100 to 300 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) per vitamin or mineral: one to three times the amount you get from food in a day. That is sufficient and completely safe. You will find the percentage on the label. A healthy diet is of course always the basis.
Fish oil and other fatty acids
To ensure that you get enough (fish) fatty acids, there are also various supplements with, for example, omega-3 fatty acids. The fatty acids in the omega-3 family are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Most health effects are known from EPA and DHA. A fish oil capsule usually also contains vitamin E. That is good for the quality of the fish oil. Vitamin E prevents oxidation.
Herbs and more
In addition to the above supplements, there are supplements with herbs and other substances. Sometimes it also contains vitamins or minerals. The claims on the label of herbal preparations have not yet been assessed by EFSA. That will happen shortly. Other substances are, for example, coenzyme Q10 and glucosamine. Claims about glucosamine have been rejected by EFSA. Although it has not been scientifically proven that glucosamine can relieve pain in joint complaints, some people with knee osteoarthritis do benefit from glucosamine.
When do you take what?
Which nutritional supplements are suitable for you depends on your personal situation. Most supplements are in addition to a healthy diet, but some people always need extra vitamins, as you can see in groups 1, 2 and 3. If in doubt about taking a supplement, it is best to consult your doctor or dietician.
Group 1
This is the so-called risk group: no matter how healthy you eat, you always need extra vitamins in addition to the daily diet (advice from the Health Council). It’s about:
- Babies: Breastfed vitamin K (150 mcg per day up to 3 months) and 10 mcg vitamin D per day (up to 3 years)
- Women trying to conceive: 400 mcg per day folic acid (vitamin B11) per day
- Women who are pregnant: 400 mcg of folic acid (vitamin B11) per day until the 10th week of pregnancy and 10 mcg per day of vitamin D
- Children up to 3 years: 10 mcg vitamin D per day
- Women over 50: 10 mcg of vitamin D per day
- Men and women over 70 years old: 20 mcg of vitamin D per day
- People who do not get outside enough or cover their skin: 10 mcg of vitamin D per day
- People with dark or tan skin: 10 mcg of vitamin D per day
Group 2
People who have to pay extra attention to their (eating) habits because of a greater chance of a vitamin deficiency. These are:
- (Top) athletes (B vitamins, vitamins C and E, selenium, copper and zinc)
- Dieters (all vitamins)
- Elderly (all vitamins, but especially vitamins D and B12)
- Smokers (vitamin C)
- Vegans and vegetarians (all vitamins, but especially vitamins B12, B2, and calcium)
- Sick people and drug users (depending on condition)
It is best to adjust the (eating) habits, but if this does not work, a multivitamin can provide a supplement.
Group 3
People who are unable to eat according to the disc of five daily also need additional nutritional supplements. It is striking that, for example, 95 percent of the Dutch do not achieve the recommended daily amount of 250 grams of vegetables. A multivitamin ensures that you still get all the vitamins and minerals. For people who do not eat fish, fish oil can be a good supplement.
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