Should You Take a Daily Vitamin?

By Barbara C. Bourassa

Should you take a daily vitamin? Most leading health and nutrition experts say yes. That said, there are several fundamental eating patterns that all women should put in place beforehand.

"Women should select the most nutrient-dense diet for a minimum number of calories for their age," says Christine M. Palumbo, a registered dietician who serves on the American Dietetic Association's board of directors and operates a private nutrition practice in Naperville, Illinois. "Whole foods are the best source of overall nutrition. The more we learn about nutrition and the more companies add vitamins to pills, water, and food, [the more we recognize that] there is no substitute for the package that Mother Nature provides and the synergy that one gets from whole foods."

Palumbo uses the story of whole grains as an example. For years, everyone thought the value of whole grains was the fiber, she says. But six years ago a study showed that fiber does not prevent colon cancer. "We now know that it takes all three parts of a whole grain to provide the benefit," she explains. "Could it be the oil in the germ? Or the phytonutrients? Or, as we now think, the entire package of elements working together?"

By whole foods Palumbo means plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. "Then, if there's room in your diet without exceeding your daily caloric limits, you can add a sweet or two."

Once this type of eating style has been established, Palumbo says there are definitely places where women "can benefit from adding supplements to their diet. The typical menopausal woman should find a multivitamin that is designed for women."

Women who are still menstruating should probably take an iron supplement, but this is not necessary if you've reached menopause, she says. The need for iron is especially important among vegetarians or women who don't eat red meat more than once a week. "The daily iron requirement for women is 18mg, and most women do not get enough," she says.

In addition to getting the right amount of nutrients such as iron, Palumbo counsels her patients to eat foods that help to ensure the absorption of nutrients. Vitamin C can help with iron absorption, for instance, which makes spinach salad with grapefruit segments a healthy choice in more ways than one.

Most women should also take a calcium supplement, but Palumbo recommends one that also contains vitamin D, which is necessary for absorbing calcium. "Vitamin D is a supplement that I recommend to all my clients," she says. "It's associated with calcium absorption, cancer prevention, and prevention of multiple sclerosis." Women need 1,000 to 2,000 IUs per day, an amount that is not usually covered in a daily vitamin, she notes.

What's more, it's important to ensure that the supplement you select contains the correct form of vitamin D, she says. "There are two different forms of vitamin D, and some supplements put in the wrong type. Look for vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, not vitamin D2." Cholecalciferol is the same type that the human body produces, she explains, and it is three times more potent than vitamin D2. Vitamin D, like vitamins A, E, and K, are fat soluble, so calcium supplements should also be taken with a meal that contains some fat in order to ensure absorption, she notes.

To learn more about daily vitamins, visit the American Dietetic Association website (www.eatright.org) or click here: www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamins.html