Are vitamin, mineral or antioxidant supplements good for your health
 | Hi, sorry to everyone for being away for so long, we've all had a great break and now we've got some great blogs to post. Nicola, a dietitian at EatatEase has been reading recently in the news that scientists revealed taking antioxidant supplements increases mortality. |
Recently in the news, scientists revealed that taking antioxidant supplements increases mortality. The Cochrane Collaboration - reviewed 67 studies involving more than 230,000 men and women, found "no convincing evidence" that the supplements cut the risk of dying and that beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E seem to increase mortality. The release of these findings, have caused widespread criticism within the health industry resulting in conflicting information and a confused public.
You have to admit, it does question whether vitamin and mineral supplements are really necessary and safe for use.
If you are eating a healthy, well balanced diet, you should be getting all the nutrients your body requires from the food you are eating. So, if you take a vitamin and mineral or antioxidant to supplement your healthy diet, some vitamins can become toxic in high doses, therefore causing problems. For people not following a healthy balanced diet, the first step will be to seek advice from a registered dietitian who will advise you on how to change your diet and lifestyle. If, during your consultation, there is a specific food you do not like, for example oily fish, your dietitian will advise you on supplementation, giving you an informed choice of what to take. There are some people who still feel the need to take something for ‘safe measures’. If this is the case, taking a multivitamin and mineral is the best option as it will give you small doses of each vitamin and mineral therefore reducing the chances of over dosing.
Nicola Drabble
Registered Dietitian.
Comments