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Dietary Supplements  |  Herbals

Vitamin/Mineral Supplements

There is currently considerable controversy on whether a one-a-day type vitamin/mineral supplement should be recommended for the US population as a general policy. See the references for three separate papers that discuss their points of view.

It should be made clear, however, that a vitamin/mineral supplement contains 1-25 different nutrients but does not include fiber, protein, essential fatty acids, or phytochemicals, which are present in food and that have been shown to have health benefits. The general approach of the nutrition research community is that nutrition should be derived from real food but that a supplement is like a little insurance plan. Taking a vitamin/mineral supplement does not make a "good" diet out of an "inadequate" diet.

Critical Thinking Questions for Vitamin/Mineral Supplements

1. Are vitamin/mineral supplements absorbed as well as nutrients in whole foods? (Little data are available.)
2. Is it harmful to take too many vitamins or minerals? (Check Upper Limits of standard micronutrients.)
3. Which micronutrients are overdosed on most easily? (Check fat-soluble vitamins, zinc, iron and selenium.)
4. Can vitamin/mineral supplements disturb the balance of the nutrients in the body?
5. What form of the micronutrients should be sought for with vitamin E (tocopherols) and carotene (total carotenoids) versus vitamin A?
6. Are all the brands basically the same?
7. How is it determined whether a person would benefit from a vitamin/mineral supplement? Is there something that can be measured?
8. How would a study be designed to determine if taking vitamin/mineral supplements increased health outcomes? How would one determine which vitamins/minerals were the most effective? Is there a study that has already done this?

Resources and Links

1. Definition
   1. Vitamins - Linus Pauling Institute
   2. Minerals - Linus Pauling Institute
      
2. Types
1. Antioxidant Complex Vitamins & Minerals
• Vitamin A and Carotenoids - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
• Vitamin C - Ohio State University Extension
• Vitamin E - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
• Selenium - Linus Pauling Institute
2. B Complex Vitamins
• Thiamine (B1) - Linus Pauling Institute
• Riboflavin (B2) - Linus Pauling Institute
• Niacin (B3) - Linus Pauling Institute
• Vitamin B6 - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
3. Fat-Soluble Vitamins
   • Vitamin A and Carotenoids - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
   • Vitamin C - Ohio State University Extension
   • Vitamin E - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
   • Viatmin K - Linus Pauling Institute
4. Water-Soluble Vitamins
   • Biotin - Linus Pauling Institute
   • Folate - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
   • Niacin (B3) - Linus Pauling Institute
   • Pantothenic Acid (B5) - Linus Pauling Institute
   • Riboflavin (B2) - Linus Pauling Institute
   • Thiamine (B1) - Linus Pauling Institute
   • Vitamin B6 - NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
   • Vitamin B12 - NIH Office of Dietary Supplement
5. Minerals - Linus Pauling Institute
   
3. Regulations
1. Dietary Supplements: Questions and Answers
   US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
2. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA)
   US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
   
4. Use in the US
1. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III : Use of Dietary Supplements 1988-1994

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

References

1. Willett WC. Stampfer MJ. Clinical practice. What vitamins should I be taking, doctor?[see comment]. New England Journal of Medicine. 345(25):1819-24, 2001 Dec 20.

2. Fairfield KM. Fletcher RH. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: scientific review.[erratum appears in JAMA 2002 Oct 9;288(14):1720]. [Review] [152 refs] JAMA. 287(23):3116-26, 2002 Jun 19.

3. Fletcher RH. Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA. 287(23):3127-9, 2002 Jun 19.