I am often asked about vitamins, supplements and tonics. Aside from specific cases, my general answer is don’t bother, for several reasons.
Health supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry, but much more is spent on promotion of products than research into the benefits or risks of the ingredients. My services attract Medicare rebates, so it is expected that I practise evidence-based medicine.
Taking a supplement does not have the beneficial effects of ingesting the nutrient in your diet. For example, dietary calcium has more benefits on the heart and bones than calcium tablets.
Taking a vitamin pill ignores the other benefits of the whole food such as micro-nutrients, anti-oxidants, pre-biotics, glycaemic effects, protein and fibre. A Vitamin D capsule cannot take the place of a morning walk in the sun.
Ethics also rates a mention. Free-range and grass-fed stock have been shown to have superior nutritional benefits over intensively farmed stock. It is also difficult to justify concentrating millions of tonnes of krill into capsules for human consumption, when whales, penguins and sea-birds depend on it.
In this obesogenic society, the problem is more with over-nutrition, not under-nutrition. Rather than taking supplements, dietary habits should be altered to address the imbalance – more fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed food.
Of course, some people do require supplements; the point is, be mindful and scientific about them.
