Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jalen Thomas
Nutrient Supplementation
Madonna University
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that the best nutrition-based
strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose
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a wide variety of foods. Additional nutrients from supplements can help some people meet their
nutrition needs as specified by science-based nutrition standards such as the Dietary Reference
Intakes. This American Dietetic Association (ADA) position was adopted by the House of
Delegates Leadership Team on October 29, 1995 and reaffirmed on September 28, 1998; June
19, 2003; and May 17, 2007. This position is in effect until December 31, 2013. Authors: Melissa
Ventura Marra, PhD, RD, LDN (nutrition consultant, Private Practice, Boynton Beach, FL);
Andrea P. Boyar, PhD, RD, CDN (associate professor, Lehman College, City University of New
Over the past few years, there has been a growing number in people that use nutrient
supplements to fulfill their vitamin and mineral needs. Many adults have been using
multivitamins as a vitamin supplement. Sales on these vitamin products has risen substantially.
Sales of dietary supplements in 2007 grew to $23.7 billion. People are becoming smarter about
their health and realizing that vitamins and minerals are keys nutrients in the diet. The consumers
of dietary supplements are usually women, older adults, people who are highly educated, and
people who consider themselves in good health. Along with being in good health, these nutrient
supplements are used in order help prevent disease. With many people using these supplements,
a major concern is brought up saying that consumers of the products are not well informed about
the safety of the products. Dietetic practitioners are needed in order to educate consumers on the
According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), who sets
safety and labeling requirements for supplements, defines a dietary supplement as a product
intended to supplement the diet that contains certain ingredients like a vitamin, a mineral, a herb,
matter what form it may come in whether it is a pill or a liquid. There are specific laws that say
that labels on supplements have to have certain claims on them in reference to what is in the
supplement and how it can affect someone. Claims such as health claims and nutrient content
claims must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Another claim that is
commonly placed on labels are structure/function claims and are used to say the effect a
supplement may have on a structure or function of the body. These claims are not approved by
the FDA and the label cannot say that the product can cure or prevent a disease.
The manufacturer's job is to let the public know how safe products are before they put
them on the market. Adverse events may occur once a product is put on the market and they must
be reported soon after the event to the FDA. Many of the adverse events that has occurred, has
been related to combination products. For the safety of the consumers, the manufacturers must
consistently manufacturer each supplement the same way regarding the purity and composition
of it. For health purposes, contaminants such as bacteria and pesticides must not be found in
these supplements.
The optimal intake of a nutrient supplement is key in the diet. Some great ways to find
the estimated optimal intake of a supplement are by using Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)
Requirements (EARs), Adequate Intakes, and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) are useful in
determining whether or not a nutrient is being adequately used. Recommended intakes are used
as goals for people to try to consume close to a recommended amount for a specific nutrient. The
maximum level of daily nutrient intakes is the UL and people who reach these point are not at
risk of side effects. Supplements can be and are being overused and some individuals are going
over their recommended intake for specific nutrients because they are reaching it from fortified
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foods in the diet and from supplements. This is the reason why the UL was needed to lower the
risk of overloading the body. DRIs are helpful to dietetic practitioners because it allows them to
determine whether or not an individual will benefit from or at risk for excessive intake from
supplements. People that meet or exceeds their recommended intake by just a little bit are more
than likely at an adequate range. A useful tool to dietitians is the use of the Upper Intake Level
recommendation because it gives clients an idea of a range that they should not pass, If that
For meeting nutrient needs for each individual, a wide selection of nutrient-rich foods is
generally the right way to go. Plant foods like fruits vegetables, and seeds should be incorporated
into a diet and are important because they provide many health-promoting substances including
vitamins and minerals. In a typical American diet, most do not come close to consuming the right
amount of food necessary to meet recommendations for nutrient intake. Also, a big contributing
factor to inadequate nutrient intake is the selection of food that is consumed. There is a concern
for certain vitamins and minerals that are not consumed by some specific groups of people such
as most age groups lack vitamins A, E, and C, and zinc for older adults and teenaged girls.
Supplements can be used to fill in dietary gaps when the individual cannot meet the
recommended intake needs by the consumption of food. An RD's role is to encourage individuals
to try to meet their nutrient needs by the consumption of food, A nutrient supplement should be
recommended only if the individual does not meet the range that they should fall between for a
specific nutrient. Dietetic practitioners know that it is almost impossible to exactly meet the
required needs, that is why they use the Dietary Recommended Intake as a reference tool to give
each individual client an idea of what they need. It is the job of an registered dietitian to
completely assess an individuals diet, and medical status before recommending a supplement to
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be use. The most important role of a Registered Dietitian is that they stay up-to-date with the
My opinion of the position is that it is true that nutritional needs should be met through
the consumption of foods. Almost all vitamins and minerals are provided in our food supply. The
one vitamin that may lack in the food supply is vitamin D, but vitamin can be produced in the
body with the help of the sun. Dietary supplements should not be recommended unless an
individual does not meet recommended needs, which is very common in American diets. Fast
food is a continuously growing industry and the food has no nutritional value ate all, but people
continue to consume it so much because there is easy access to it. With people having busy
schedules, it makes it hard for them to actually consume the nutritional rich foods. The best way
for a person to consume healthy foods is to meal plan. It is best to know what you are going to
eat throughout the day, rather than winging it because sometimes winging it does not allow you
to exactly keep track of what is consumed. Registered Dietitians should continue to help educate
the public on healthful dietary patterns and on the safe and appropriate selection and use of