Dietary Supplements: What Should You Take?

I really posed a big question with the title of this post! I can't answer the question precisely for each individual because we all vary with our dietary intake and needs. For example, there are some people who struggle with iron-deficiency anemia and would need to take supplemental iron but for many people, iron supplementation is unnecessary and potentially harmful. There are conditions that warrant supplementation - people with inflammatory bowel disease, for example, often need a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement and additional vitamin B12 due to absorptive challenges. There are some trends that exist among groups of people. Often women do not take in the recommended amount of calcium per day from food so there are many women who could benefit from calcium supplementation.

So...how do you know whether you should take dietary supplements and how do you learn the specifics like dosages and timing of supplementation? Talk to your doctor or dietitian - healthcare professionals can look at your medical history and dietary intake to make individualized recommendations for you.

Here is a great resource for information as well from NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements: http://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx