Who Needs A Multivitamin-Multimineral and Then Some?
Are you thinking about whether or not you may need to supplement your diet with a multivitamin/mineral?
Chances are you do, but not all experts agree. If, for example, your diet is impeccable; meaning that you consume the recommended daily minimum 5 cups fruits and vegetables, adequate (but not too many) calories daily, 6 to 10 servings of whole grains and 2 or more servings of dairy (or calcium-enriched dairy substitutes), and so on. Unfortunately life circumstances often keep us from making the most healthful eating choices. Long commutes, sixty hour work weeks, stress, financial troubles, dietary restrictions (raw diets or strict vegetarian for example) may put our bodies in need of certain nutrients. Pregnancy, menopause, training for endurance events, low-calorie weight loss diets, and lack of variety in the diet also require rethinking the issue of supplementation.
Recent research from the Mayo Clinic looked at the effects of taking a multivitamin/multimineral (MM) on survival and quality of life in lung cancer patients. What the researchers found was that when they compared survival rates between patients that took MM (714) and those who didn’t (415), the supplement users actually lived over twice as long as those who did not take them and showed a 26% lower risk for dying overall. Quality of life was also reportedly improved in those who took the MM.
In spite of the fact that we would all love to believe we eat well, only 13% of men and 15% of women eat five daily portions or more of fruits and veggies. The average number of servings that we get is actually lower than 3 portions daily. Here is an example of a large population who would probably benefit from supplementing MM.
Another unsuspecting group of people who may need a more specialized type of MM is athletes. A recent study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that people who exercise at a high intensity for over 40 minutes need a higher amount of dietary antioxidants. Again, if these individuals are not “Up-ing” their intake of fruits and veggies in their diet then chances are that an antioxidant supplement is going to be of great use.
You might want to consider a MM to be somewhat of a dietary insurance policy to cover our “assets” even when we aren’t necessarily eating the way we know we should. To reiterate, consider supplementing your diet with a MM if you are a woman of childbearing age (need to build up folate stores several weeks before pregnancy), pregnant or breast-feeding women, individuals over 60 years old, strict vegetarians who do not eat dairy or egg products, smokers, alcoholics (or heavy drinkers), people on calorie-restricted diets, people eating the majority of their meals in fast-food restaurants.
Of course you should always consult your primary care doctor before you begin a supplement program. Taking a multivitamin/multimineral does not give you license to ignore eating healthy habits.
March 23, 2010
by Optimum WellnessComments
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