Vitamin & Mineral Supplements - do we really need them?

Article written by Daniel Healy.

Some studies indicate as little as 1 in 10...1 in 10? That’s the number of people, out of 10 who eat the recommended 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. This doesn’t surprise a lot of people. However the fact that only 3 out of 100 people consume foods from all the food groups in at least the recommended amount usually does raise a few eyebrows.^{1, 2} In other words only around 3 in 100 people are eating really healthy on a daily basis.¹ The question is: What’s going on with the other 97% of the population?

What happens when you don’t get your vitamins?

Are you ever fatigued? Do you sometimes have difficulty concentrating? Are you sometimes in a blue mood? Sorry to sound like a late night infomercial but these are symptoms of marginal nutrient deficiencies.¹ This is basically the amount of a certain nutrient your body needs to be healthy. When you don’t have enough vitamin B₁₂ for example a common symptom is fatigue. Sources of vitamin B₁₂ are meat, fish, eggs or dairy. Let’s say you move into a Vegan community for a while (Vegan’s stay clear of all food that are derived from animal sources – meat, fish, eggs, you get the picture) chances are you’re going to eventually be vitamin B₁₂ deficient. No, your gums won’t start bleeding or your bones won’t turn to mush but fatigue and bad mood are likely to set in. The point I’m trying to make is that short term consequences of vitamin deficiency aren’t really the making of horror stories but they’re not much fun either.

So what about the long term consequences?

This is something worth your attention. Prominent researchers have found links between vitamin D deficiency and cancer and also Osteoporosis. Some of the smarter cookies might know that the most prominent source of vitamin D is from the sun. But did you know that in Australia in spite of being one of the most sun drenched countries on the planet between 23% and 43% of young adults are vitamin D deficient.^{1, 3, 4} The problem here is that telling children, or adults for that matter to strip down for the mid day sun conflicts with another message we’ve been broadcasting to our community. Do you know it? That’s the one: Slip Slop Slap! So how do we balance encouraging kids to get a little sunshine without getting them to go overboard? More on this topic in our article titled Sunshine for vitamin D?

Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies have also been linked to long term, lifestyle diseases. Riboflavin deficiency may be a risk factor for cataracts.¹ Vitamin B₆ may raise the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.¹ Folate deficiencies can lead to neural tube defects in babies.¹ This highlights the importance of fresh healthy food with plenty of variety in our diet. Something that research tells us is hard to achieve in our convenience driven lifestyles.

The Bottom Line.

Because you don’t have your veggies for a couple of days and you feel fine doesn’t mean that you’re going to feel great in a few years to come. The short term effects of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies aren’t nearly as significant as those that may arise as you get older. Just try to have as much variety with your food intake as possible. If you’re struggling with variety, vitamin and mineral supplements might be a good option. Speak to your doctor or a dietician for more advice.

References

MacGrath, J. Et al, 2001. Vitamin D insufficiency in south – east Queensland. Med J Aust. 174 p. 150 – 151.
Magee, Elaine, 2005 – 2007. No Excuses: Eat Your Fruit and Vegetables [Online]. Available at http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/no-excuses-eat-your-fruits-vegetables?print=true [Accessed 7th May 2009].
Nowson, Caryl A. And Margerison, Claire, 2002. Vitamin D intake and Vitamin D status of Australians, Med J Aust. [Online]. 177 p. 149 – 152. Available at http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_03_050802/now10763_fm.html [Accessed 29th April 2009].
Pascoe, J.A. et al, 2001. Vitamin D status of women in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study: association with diet and casual exposure to sunlight. Med J Aust. 175(8) p. 401 -405.

Last updated 17 June 2009