I was recently discussing calcium supplementation with one of the guests at the Resort. I was checking some facts when I came across a very handy website on dietary supplements. It had good, reliable information, and I thought it could be a useful tool for those of you who have questions about vitamin/mineral supplementation.
The information comes from the National Institutes of Health, from the Office of Dietary Supplements. Click on this link to go to the home page. To find information about different vitamins/minerals and supplements, look under ‘general information,’ and click on ‘full list of fact sheets.’ Click here for a link to the list of fact sheets. Then just scroll down and click on a vitamin/mineral you are interested in learning more about. Once you click on the vitamin/mineral, you will find various resources including quick facts or more in-depth information.
I found this website particularly useful for providing information like the recommended daily amounts of vitamins/minerals, the types of supplements that are more easily absorbed, information about toxicity (consequences of getting too much of a certain vitamin or mineral), and current recommendations and research around vitamin/mineral supplementation.
In general, it is better for our bodies to obtain nutrients like vitamins and minerals from actual foods rather than in a supplement form. However, some people or groups of people may benefit from vitamin/mineral supplementation. A few years ago Emily wrote a blog post entitled, ‘Supplements,’ (click the link) in which she discussed general recommendations for multi-vitamin/mineral supplementation. If you are looking to purchase a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, check out Emily’s blog post for some good recommendations. Also, check out the Office of Dietary Supplements website for good, more in-depth information. I hope you find it useful!
Rachel Andrew MPH, RD, CD