Principles of Healthy Eating: Dietary Supplements

Research studies conducted in the last several decades quite convincingly showed that plant-based diets that are composed of a variety of unrefined products protect from a number of chronic health conditions. In some cases, such as heart disease or diabetes, such diets have been shown to reverse these diseases. These diets are relatively rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). As a result, many people began taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Studies showed while some supplements may be necessary and while supplements of some vitamins might be helpful in disease prevention, others may actually be detrimental. Consuming higher amounts of micronutrients with food is what is associated with disease prevention. The same is not necessarily true of obtaining these compounds from supplements.
Supplementation is not a new phenomenon. In 1924 the United States government mandated that food producers add iodine to salt. In 1933, the government authorized adding vitamins A and D to skimmed milk. Since 1941 vitamins B1, B2 and niacin have been added to flour and in 1998 flour fortification also included folic acid. Iron is another nutrient that is being added to flour. Iodine supplementation was a result of iodine deficiency in the soil, particularly in the mountainous areas. Vitamin A and D are fat soluble, therefore, reduced fat milk significantly reduces their content. The addition of vitamins B1, B2, niacin, folic acid and iron was the result of refining grain products, thus reducing the content of these and other nutrients in comparison to whole grain products.