Earlier this month the NHS Choices published a new report on the use of dietary supplements for health. The report states the food supplements did not need to be a part of a healthy lifestyle; food alone can provide the required amount of nutrients to avoid disease.
But how comprehensive was this study?
Our body is unable to manufacture its own sources of the majority of vitamins and minerals, B vitamins and vitamin D being the exception. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient for the immune system and bone strength and in order to synthesise it we must be regularly exposed to sunshine. Herein lies the first issue, in Britain exposure to sunlight is often inadequate for the maintenance of recommended blood levels.
Recent research found that more than 20% of children tested for bone problems in Southampton showed signs of rickets with the conclusion that vitamin D supplements should be more widely adopted to halt the rise in cases.
A further report highlighted that blood levels of vitamin D are too low to sustain normal bone health in a quarter of adults . The 2010 report ‘Towards a Healthier Britain 2010’ reviewed key areas where nutrition is lacking and found that as many as 50 per cent of adults and 97 per cent of older people had inadequate intakes of key nutrients. The researchers revealed that a quarter of women have inadequate intakes of iron, more than 50 per cent lack the antioxidant selenium and nearly one in 10 men are low in magnesium. Intakes of iron, magnesium, zinc, iodine and selenium are extremely low in adolescent girls, while one in five pre-school children have abnormally low iron stores. A significant number of elderly people are iron deficient.
This places a great, arguably unachievable, pressure on food to provide us with the correct balance and highlights the major drawback in creating a ‘one size fits all’ approach to whether food supplements should be used or not.
Indeed, in an ideal world, our diet would provide us with all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs. But evidence from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows that a significant proportion of the UK population simply doesn’t achieve nutritional sufficiency through diet alone . This is confirmed year after year without any improvement in the last 25 years . Indeed, average intakes remain below reference intakes in certain vulnerable population groups for a number of nutrients, including iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc and calcium. Intakes of oily fish are also too low to meet the recommended intakes of omega-3 fatty acids. The report claimed that ‘There is no compelling evidence that fish oils boost brainpower or memory in adults or children’. However, a recently published study in the recognised Alzheimer's Association journal (Alzheimers Dement) found that 24 weeks supplementation with DHA improved learning and memory function in age-related cognitive decline and is a beneficial supplement that supports cognitive health with ageing .
The best solution for most people is to eat as healthy a diet as possible, combined with other health-related lifestyle changes. However, daily supplements provide important nutritional insurance for millions of users looking to safeguard their nutritional intake.
The ‘Towards a Healthier Britain’ report highlights evidence that average intakes of key vitamins and minerals are boosted by up to 45% when dietary supplements are taken on a regular basis. Dietary supplements in recommended amounts can offer a proven means to boost intakes of essential nutrients and to bridge the dietary gap that remains evident in significant proportions of the UK population.
Refs:
1. NHS Choices & Bazian. Supplements. Who Needs Them? A Behind the Headlines Report. June 2011
2 Bates B, Lennox A, Swan G. National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Headline results from year 1 of the Rolling Programme (2008/2009). A survey carried out on behalf of the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health. Available: http://www.food.gov.uk/science/dietarysurveys/ndnsdocuments/ndns0809year1.
3 Top children's surgeon says 'poverty' bone disease has returned in Southampton
4. Mason P, Ruxton CHS. Towards a Healthier Britain. Commissioned by The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), the UK trade association for manufacturers of branded over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and food supplements. Available at:
http://www.pagb.co.uk/publications/pdfs/towardsahealthierbritain2010.pdf
