You may be wondering if you need a dietary supplement. If any of the following statements apply to you, you should talk to your pharmacist.
- You are on a very low-calorie weight loss diet (less than 1300 calories daily)
- You are elderly and not eating as much as you should.
- You are a strict vegetarian.
- Your busy lifestyle keeps you from eating the foods and serving sizes recommended in the food guide pyramid.
- You are restricted in your intake of milk, cheese and yogurt.
- You are a woman of childbearing age who doesn't eat enough fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.
- You are pregnant or lactating.
Test your vitamin IQ.
True or False: It's best to buy a name-brand supplement.
True or False: It's safe to take a dietary supplement without your doctor's approval.
True or False: Natural supplements are better utilized by your body than synthetic supplements and are worth the extra cost.
How many vitamins are there?
a. 6 b. 9 c. 13 d. 22
True or False: Taking more than the recommended daily dose of vitamin C can prevent or minimize a cold.
True or False: Dietary supplements are regulated for safety and effectiveness prior to sale.
See below for the answers.
The answers
True.
False. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist. Vitamins can interact with many prescription medications.
False. There are no differences between synthetic and natural supplements.
c. There are 13 vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B vitamins. There are eight B vitamins: B-1 (thiamine), B-2 (riboflavin), niacin, pantothenic acid, B-6 (pyridoxine), B-12, folic acid and biotin. There are four fat-soluble vitamins, and they are vitamins A, D, E and K.
False. More is not better and in many cases can be harmful. In the case of vitamin C, which is a water-soluble vitamin, any excess will not be used by the body and will be excreted in the urine.
False. They do not need FDA approval before coming to the market. The FDA, however, monitors safety after the product is marketed.
