Nutrition Articles

To supplement or not to supplement?

New EU legislation will change the way food supplements can be used in Ireland.

Food supplements include all kinds of nutrients, from vitamins and minerals to herbals. In Ireland, one in four people are taking food supplements. People tend to have a very positive attitude towards supplements and take them because they believe they will benefit health in some way. In August this year, the legislation changed so that there are far stricter controls on the supplements that can be sold in Ireland and what manufacturers can say about them.

Why change the law?

Most people taking food supplements do so without consulting their doctor. Since food supplements are widely available, there appears to be no reason to worry. However, there are a couple of important points to bear in mind:

• There are potential health consequences with taking too much of a supplement. For example, large doses of vitamins A, D or B6 can be toxic.
• There is a potential interaction between drugs and the supplementary nutrients. Always first consult your doctor before taking any. One example is vitamin E while taking Warfarin (a blood pressure lowering drug), which can reduce clotting and cause bleeding.
• Many products are associated with health claims, some of which have not been properly researched. No health supplement can now claim to prevent or cure a disease. Be careful if you come across products that make unbelievable claims, they are probably not true.

The important thing to remember is that food supplements should never be used as a replacement for a healthy, balanced diet. Eating a balanced diet means that there is little need for supplementation. Check out the article on balanced healthy eating for more information on a healthy diet.