Vitamin

mlaraeh44
mlaraeh44 Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Is it necessary to add vitamin supplements to daily routine? I notice my last 2 weeks of entries were less than needed.

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,122 Member
    Unless you're being meticulous about the entries you choose to log your food (comparing the nutrient profile to package labels for convenience/prepared foods or databases like the one the USDA maintains for whole foods), you can't be sure that what you're seeing in your diary accurately reflects the micronutrients you're getting.

    In addition, it's not generally a good idea to supplement micronutrients without finding out whether you're actually deficient, and taking the appropriate amounts on the basis of medical advice. In the case of water-soluble vitamins, you would just be wasting money to produce expensive urine; in the case of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, you could actually be running the risk of negative health effects. If you're female and might possibly get pregnant in the future, it might not hurt to take a folate supplement, because low folate levels are associated with birth defects and by the time you're pregnant it's pretty much too late. If you live relatively far from the equator and don't get much sun, you probably would be OK taking vitamin D. But even in those cases I would try to get my doctor's advice.

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