Vitamin Information Center

ONE in three of us takes them in a bid to boost our health and the UK market alone is worth £300million a year.

But now a major new study warns people who take vitamin supplements may not only be wasting their money, but SHORTENING their lives.

Brazil nuts … selenium

The review of 67 studies involving 230,000 people found that taking some vitamin pills could increase the risk of premature death by up to 16 per cent.

Researchers believe they may interfere with our bodies’ natural defence mechanisms.

Carrots … beta-carotene

Other supplements, including vitamin C, were found to have no effect, good or bad. Experts say a healthy, balanced diet should provide everything our bodies need.

Dietician Catherine Collins of the British Dietetic Association says: “It’s actually very hard to become deficient in most vitamins and minerals.

“For something like vitamin C, for example, it’s virtually impossible because it’s found in so many foods. And the body only absorbs the amount it needs, so more is not necessarily better.”

Here Sun Health looks at the study verdicts on key vitamins and minerals, and expert Catherine gives advice on how to get them from your diet.

VITAMIN A: Boosts immune system, helps with vision.

Study said: Supplements can increase risk of death by 16 per cent.

Found in: Animal products, eg milk, cheese and red meat, especially liver.

Catherine says: “Dairy foods in your diet should give you all you need.

“In fact, eating liver more than three times a week could mean you overdose on vitamin A.”

VITAMIN E: Protects fat in cells against damage that can lead to disease. Keeps the blood thin.

Study said: Supplements can raise risk of dying by four per cent.

Cheese … vitamin A

Found in: Seeds, nuts, corn oil and sunflower oil.

Catherine says: “Very easy to get in everyday foods. Even red meat and chicken has small amounts of it.”

VITAMIN C: Helps body absorb iron, speeds up repair process after injury.

Study said: Supplements won’t harm you, but no evidence they help either.

Found in: Oranges, kiwi, broccoli and peppers.

Catherine says: Five portions of fruit or veg a day will give you three times the amount that your body needs.”

BETA-CAROTENE: Powerful antioxidant that protects DNA in cells.

Study said: Supplements may raise risk of death by seven per cent.

Fish … selenium rich

Found in: Carrots, tomatoes, butternut squash and cabbage.

Catherine says: “The amount of betacarotene your body needs every day is very small. A little bit of cheese or cooking oil is probably enough.”

SELENIUM: Protects body against free radicals, the harmful molecules that attack and destroy healthy cells.

Study said: Supplements make no difference to health or life expectancy.

Found in: Brazilnuts, fish, wholegrains and meat.

Catherine says: “It’s incredibly rare to get selenium deficiency in the UK. Your body uses up very little of it so you need only tiny amounts.”

t’s Nutrition Month, time to reflect that you are what you eat—and sometimes more, depending on exercise, or lack thereof.

Tanya Reid, dietitian at Digby General Hospital, and Leona Willman, one of two cooks who run the hospital cafeteria, have complimentary ideas on food.

Sitting around a table decorated with shamrocks for the approaching St. Patrick’s Day, both are promoting the idea of balanced meals and healthy preparation.

Willman wants people in the community to realize they can have meals in the cafeteria from noon to 1 p.m., and she has some advice for those who think good taste and hospital food are mutually exclusive terms.

“You should ask the people who dine here. It’s all cooked here and there are some regulars who come to the hospital for the full dinner. A couple from the Islands come in for the dinner whenever they’re in town.”

While staff and hospital visitors are frequent diners in the 40-seat cafeteria, Willman is anxious to spread the word about the Meals of Wheels program. A taxi driver picks up meals for delivery in town seven days a week and the price is a reasonable eight dollars that includes the delivery charge.

“My concern is what people in the community have for their meals,” said Willman. “There are people who need our Meals of Wheels service but don’t know about it.

“They don’t have to be elderly to take advantage of the service. Shut-ins or people unable to cook for themselves can, too.”

Some people buy their dinner in the cafeteria and then get soup to take home for supper, and some pick up the entire meal because the cafeteria does a take-out business, she adds.

With her dietician’s concern for nutrition, Reid is keen on the kitchen’s food preparation, and its lack of a deep fryer.

“Baking and steaming are much better than frying,” she says.

Tailor quantity to individual

But when she looks at growing problems in North America with obesity, she says the answer isn’t simply cutting out some food types—like the low carb diet of a few years ago.

A nutritionally balanced diet requires moderation, she says. “It’s all about quantity and a diet that’s tailored to the individual.”

In that diet, however, she’d like to see an emphasis on fruits and vegetables—low in calories, high in fibre and essential nutrients—and the most important of the four food groups.

Since moderation is the key, she doesn’t have any objection to the menu of the day in the cafeteria: baked haddock with mashed potatoes and carrots. And because it’s Friday, it’s also ‘cheat day’ for the staff, so a hotdog and french fries are available. As the kitchen doesn’t have a deep fryer, the fries are baked.

Nutrition needs a boost for over-50s

Men and women over the age of 50 need a daily vitamin D supplement.

The need for vitamin D increases after the age of 50. In addition to following Canada’s Food Guide, everyone over the age of 50 should take a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 µg (400 IU). Vitamin D and calcium are important for bone strength and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in older adults.

Can I meet my vitamin D needs through food?

Canada’s Food Guide recommends having 500 mL (2 cups) of milk every day for adequate vitamin D. After the age of 50, vitamin D needs are higher than can be obtained from food and a daily supplement is recommended in addition to following Canada’s Food Guide.

Can I meet my vitamin D needs from sun exposure?

Men and women over the age of 50, have a reduced capacity to produce vitamin D through sun skin exposure. Therefore, it is recommended all adults over the age of 50 take a daily vitamin D supplement.