Ace-Supplements

Do supplements really have an effect on your body?

By Lucy Trevallion

Just expensive pee? Dr Anu Arasu from the Marion Gluck Clinic talks about supplementing your diet with vitamins and whether or not it’s a waste of time

Just expensive pee? Dr Anu Arasu from the Marion Gluck Clinic talks about supplementing your diet with vitamins and whether or not it’s a waste of time

Just expensive pee? Dr Anu Arasu from the Marion Gluck Clinic talks about supplementing your diet with vitamins and whether or not it’s a waste of time

Conventional medics still claim vitamin supplements aren’t necessary if you eat well because there’s not enough evidence to suggest otherwise. However, there are studies that show the benefits. Take for example the family of B vitamins, which we know are vital for the nervous system and cell growth. Niacin (a B vitamin) has been shown to lower harmful LDL cholesterol and raise protective HDL. A double blind controlled trial using very high doses of B12, B6 and folate was shown to reduce brain shrinkage in people with cognitive impairment. Yet I don’t hear doctors recommending these to their patients, despite the lack of alternatives.

QUALITY CONTROL
Soon other vitamins will get the attention vitamin D has only just begun to receive. Until fairly recently, vitamin D was off the radar but now it is recognised that low levels in the blood is linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

An increase in refined and processed foods means that a lot of what we consume is not nutrient-rich enough. A number of prescription drugs reduce the availability of vitamins, and with age we may absorb vitamins such as B12 less effectively. Your own diet, lifestyle, medical history and age are all really important factors to consider when you are deciding if a multivitamin is worth it for you. If you are thinking of taking any supplements, bear in mind the quality.

Nutritional supplements are typically available as pharmaceutical or nutritional grade. Pharmaceutical is the highest quality grade of vitamins, meaning the purity, dissolution and absorption meet the highest regulatory standard – the ability for a vitamin to work may depend on this. Nutritional grade supplements may not always be tested for these things, so make sure you always check the label before you buy.

Article by

Lucy Trevallion

Article by

Lucy Trevallion