1. Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation Choosing A Vitamin and Mineral Supplement

2. Objectives Identify who should take supplements Describe criteria for safe supplement Discuss guidelines for selecting appropriate supplements

3. Perspective “…. the best nutrition-based strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of foods. Additional nutrients from supplements can help some people meet their nutritional needs…..” American Dietetic Association, Dec. 2009

4. Food vs. Supplements The body absorbs nutrients best from foods in which nutrients are diluted and dispersed among other substances. Taken in concentrated forms nutrients interfere more with one another’s absorption. Whitney and Rolfes, 2008

5. Who Should Take Supplements? People with elevated nutrient needs People who have decreased nutrient intake

6. Who Should Take Supplements? Pregnant and breast feeding women Women with heavy menstrual bleeding

7. Who Should Take Supplements? Infants and children who have narrow food preferences “Picky” eaters

8. Who Should Take Supplements? People with severe food restrictions Strict vegetarians Elderly

9. Guarantee Safety Take Vitamins that are “SAFE”And Display the “U.S.P. Verified” Logo on the label

10. USP Logo Guarantees : 1.What’s on the label is in the bottle – no more no less 2.It doesn’t contain harmful levels of contaminants 3.It will break down properly in your body 4.It has been made under “good” manufacturing processes

11. Delivery Systems Liquid: Easily assimilated by the body faster; but not many available. Liquid: Easily assimilated by the body faster; but not many available. Capsules: Loosely packed in gelatin containers that dissolve quickly. Capsules: Loosely packed in gelatin containers that dissolve quickly. Tablets: Most common; mix organic & inorganic material and compress them into the desired shape. Tablets: Most common; mix organic & inorganic material and compress them into the desired shape.

12. Guidelines for Selecting Supplements Select a supplement that contains at least 20 vitamins/minerals Dosage no more than 150% of Daily Value (DV) of each nutrient Avoid unbalanced supplements with less than 10% of DV of some nutrients and more than 1000% of others

15. SUMMARY Who should take supplements? How do I know if a supplement is safe? What are the guidelines for selecting appropriate supplements?