Are daily supplements necessary for a healthy lifestyle?
“Daily supplements are sometimes promoted as being necessary to a healthy lifestyle. However, this is not supported by modern science. For most people, a healthy balanced diet will provide the body with all the necessary important nutrients.”
Supplements containing vitamins, minerals or other substances such as amino acids and antioxidants get a lot of attention, and have become big business. For many people these supplements are an important part of their daily routine. However, research has not been able to find evidence that supplements are needed for everyone – even though the foods we eat today may be less nutritious than they used to be.
Who needs a supplement?
It is important to remember that supplements can never replace real food. For most people who eat healthily, there is no general need for supplements. However, specific groups may need supplements for a shorter or longer period. Also, people who restrict their diets and exclude large food groups are always at a higher risk of deficiency. The need for supplements should be carefully considered for each person and their life circumstances. According to Livsmedelsverket, the Swedish National Food Agency, there are a few groups who should consider certain supplements, such as:
Vitamin D – children under the age of 2, children and adults who don’t eat fish or vitamin D-enriched products, people who do not get sun on their skin during the summer, and all people over the age of 75.
Folic acid – women attempting to get pregnant.
Vitamin B12 – vegans who exclude all animal products.
“Over-supplementing can be dangerous. Fat-soluble vitamins and minerals can build up in the body if the intake is too high.”
Can it be harmful to take supplements?
It is important to know that supplements do not fall under the same regulations as medications. This means that their effectiveness and safety do not need to be backed by evidence from medical studies in the same way as medications. It is also important to bear in mind that they can interact with different medications and cause undesirable side-effects. When a certain vitamin, mineral or antioxidant comes from food and can be linked to positive health effects in medical studies, it is not the same as when the substance is taken in via a supplement. This is because many different chemicals may be working together, and in food we get them in balanced doses. A supplement might for example contain a very high dose of one or several substances, i.e. not the same as in natural food. Our body is like a delicate ecosystem, and a high intake of a specific substance may interfere with the natural balances which the body normally regulates itself. Side-effects can occur, some more serious than others. For example, high doses of vitamin C, magnesium and iron can cause gut symptoms, while fat-soluble substances can build up in the system. Other examples are chronic over-supplementation of vitamin A, which can damage the liver, and a Finnish study has indicated that smokers who take high doses of beta-carotene increase their risk of lung cancer.
“The diversity and delicate balance of nutrients you get from food can never be replaced by supplements. You should carefully consider whether you need to take supplements, and not simply follow trends without checking the scientific background.”
My advice:
Aim to eat real, nutritious whole foods as they will provide you with important nutrients in safe and delicate doses. Specific groups should also follow the advice of their national food agency. People living in countries with limited exposure to sunlight should consider a vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter. Levels of vitamin D can easily be checked at your health centre. Personally, I also recommend that people who don’t eat fish at least once a week should take an Omega-3 supplement. If you’re on medication, check with your doctor first as Omega-3 has a blood-thinning effect. Otherwise, my opinion is that you should generally be careful with supplements without a proven deficiency, as in the worst cases they may be dangerous. If you do use supplements, take care to follow the recommended dosage.
