The ADA’s position stand on nutrient supplementation

The American Dietetic Association takes a closer look at what dietary supplements can (and can't) do.

I’ve written a bunch about supplements recently, but bear with me for one more quick post. The American Dietetic Association just released its new position stand on “nutrient supplementation.” (The full text is available here.) A few interesting nuggets in there — for one, they note that supplement sales in the U.S. totalled an astounding $23.7 billion in 2007. About half of Americans take dietary supplements, and in particular about a third take a multivitamin/mineral (MVM). However you slice it, that’s a lot of money.

The basic gist of the position stand is as follows:

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that the best nutrition-based strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of
chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods. Additional nutrients from supplements can help some people meet their nutrition needs as specified by science-based nutrition standards such as the Dietary Reference Intakes.

Pretty basic stuff. As you read further, it gets a little more forceful:

Although MVM supplementation can be effective in helping meet recommended levels of some nutrients, evidence has not proven them to be effective
in preventing chronic disease
. A study published in 2009 from the Women’s Health Initiative found no association between MVM supplementation and cancer or cardiovascular disease risk or total mortality in postmenopausal women…

They then do a pretty good job of summing up the evidence for and against various health claims, like vitamin B-12 and cognitive function, vitamin D and bone health and so on. If you’re taking vitamins, it’s worth a look to see what they have to say about the benefits you’re looking for (though it’s a far from comprehensive list).

The bottom line for me (as I ranted in a recent comment) is that supplements offer many people a false sense of security with, in many cases, very little evidence to back them up. Eating enough fruits and vegetables is a real challenge — one that I certainly struggle with, especially at this time of year — but I’m not sure it’s helpful to convince ourselves that coming up short doesn’t matter because we’re taking some pills that will compensate.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The best trainers in Canada under $150

We curated the best performance trainers under $150 to meet your 2024 running goals, while staying on budget
Categories: Uncategorized