Recommended Supplements for Certain Groups of People
Do you think taking vitamins or mineral supplements? Do you think you need? Or that “do not harm” and therefore are best taken not take them? Here are some questions to ask before you decide to take them.
1. Do I really need?
First and foremost, nutritional needs must be met by eating a variety of food as it says in the Executive Summary of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
In some cases, vitamin / mineral supplements or fortified foods may be useful because they provide nutrients that would otherwise be eaten in smaller quantities than recommended.
If you ingest quantities of food that are recommended supplements may not give you more benefits. In some cases, supplements and fortified foods may cause beyond healthy levels of nutrients.
(Note: fortified foods are those which are added one or more essential nutrients to increase the nutritional value.)
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, these recommendations have been established for certain groups of people:
* Persons over 50 years of age should consume vitamin B12 in its crystalline form, such as from fortified foods (such as fortified breakfast cereals) or take it as a supplement.