Food supplements: are they necessary in the diet?

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Extract from the article: Les compléments alimentaires sont fréquemment employés afin de pallier les carences nutritionnelles ou d'améliorer la santé. Toutefois, fait savoir, Dr Binetou Cheikh Seck, Diététicienne-Nutritionniste (Sénégal), leur importance et leur efficacité so

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Food supplements are frequently used to make up for nutritional deficiencies or to improve health. However, according to Dr Binetou Cheikh Seck, Dietician-Nutritionist (Senegal), their importance and effectiveness are influenced by various factors, such as individual nutrient requirements, diet, state of health and specific aspirations.

Food supplements are concentrates of nutrients - vitamins (C, B) and/or minerals (Ca, Fe) - in capsule, capsule, syrup powder or other form. They can be found over the counter in pharmacies, specialty stores, on the Internet and now even in supermarkets.

What are dietary supplements used for?

Basically, they are intended for: people with nutritional deficiencies diagnosed by a doctor, who prescribes a supplement in the right dose. For example: magnesium to combat stress, or calcium for the elderly; people whose nutritional needs are so high that they are difficult to meet through diet. Pregnant women, for example, often need iron. They are also intended for people who are ill and have increased nutrient requirements to promote healing. For example: proteins/amino acids, for people who, for health reasons, cannot eat properly.

Food supplements are very popular, but do the people who take them necessarily meet the above criteria?

Many people regularly self-medicate with dietary supplements, often on the basis of mistaken beliefs - such as taking vitamin C for fatigue, without medical advice, under the influence of rumours and, of course, advertising - even though they don't need them. It has to be said that the sale of food supplements brings in billions of francs every year.

Is there any danger in taking food supplements when you don't need them?

Absolutely: our needs for nutrients such as vitamin C are measured in mg and even micrograms, and there is no reserve pocket for these nutrients in the body - any surplus is excreted.

Dietary supplements are poorly regulated, and are not subject to the same quality control as drugs, so you may come across poor-quality supplements (which may contain contaminants). There's a risk of overdosing when you take several tablets containing the same nutrients, which can have a toxic effect (iron = prooxidant). In the case of chronic illnesses, dietary supplements may interact negatively with background treatment.

What do you recommend with regard to dietary supplements?

I recommend taking them only on the advice of a doctor, not self-medication. There's nothing like a balanced and varied diet to get all the nutrients you need, and in a form that's much better absorbed by the body than tablets. For example, you only need to eat 2 oranges to get the dose of vitamin C you need for a whole day.

Source : Priorité Santé/RFI