Vitamin and mineral supplements cannot match the health benefits that come from eating a variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, milk and alternatives and meats and alternatives.

In today’s busy world, vitamin and mineral supplements may seem like an easy solution for people who feel they don’t have the time or inclination to “eat right.” But choosing “food first” is your best bet on the path to good health.

Get All the Nutrients You Need From Food
Foods contain all of the different types and amounts of nutrients needed for optimum health.

“Few people in Canada require supplements,” says Kerri Staden, a registered dietitian and a resource manager for PEN (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), a website developed by the Dietitians of Canada. Staden notes that most Albertans are fortunate to have access to nutritious foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

She also emphasizes the importance of eating a variety of foods every day, suggesting that people follow the recommendations within Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide. This guide encourages people to choose foods from each of the four food groups, and is a concrete tool that people can use to plan meals and snacks that provide a balance of nutrients.

Staden offers that one aspect of eating “real” food, rather than supplements, is the enjoyment that comes with it. “Eating a variety of delicious foods is such a pleasure,” Staden says.

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Staden accepts the argument that food can lose its vitamins if overcooked, incorrectly stored or kept too long. However, she suggests that these kinds of nutrient losses are “not as great as many people believe” and that you can minimize the losses.

“If you store food properly and keep it refrigerated as required, and if you eat fresh produce as soon as you can after buying it, you should have no worries about getting enough vitamins.”

She also suggests not boiling vegetables for a long time in water that is drained off afterwards. Instead, steam, stir fry or microwave vegetables until tender crisp.

Some People Benefit from Supplements
Dietitians recommend that people choose “food first.”  However, there are certain groups of people who may benefit from nutrient supplements, Staden says.

For example, Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide recommends that people over age 50 take 10 µg (400 IU) of vitamin D daily. 

In addition, pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended to take vitamin and mineral supplements in order to promote their health and the health of their babies. 

Supplements Cannot Replace Nutritious Foods
Staden says that the foods recommended in Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide provide a complex mixture of vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients that vitamin and mineral supplements simply cannot replicate.

“For example,” she says, “orange juice contains vitamin C, potassium, folate and thiamine, plus a range of other beneficial substances.  Getting this same mix of nutrients from supplements would be very difficult to achieve.”

Similarly, milk provides both calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that are essential for bone health.

Plant-based foods like berries, peppers and broccoli contain a large number of compounds that are not easily duplicated in supplements. These compounds, known as phytochemicals, help to protect the cells of the body from damage.
 
“To take one multi-vitamin pill and assume that it contains everything you need is not the answer,” Staden says.

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“Fibre is huge,” Staden adds, “and the pills don’t provide that.” A lack of fibre in our diets has been identified as a contributing factor in cases of diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer. Fibre also plays a role in promoting healthy body weight.

You Can Get Too Much of a Good Thing
According to registered dietitian Heidi Bates, balance matters when it comes to nutrition.

She notes that some nutrients can be harmful if taken in the large amounts found in some supplements. While this is rarely a problem when it comes to nutrients in foods, vitamin and mineral supplements frequently contain excessive amounts, explains Bates.

For example, while the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C for adults is 75 mg/day, many vitamin C supplements provide 500 mg or more in just one tablet.

Bates notes that overdosing on vitamins and minerals can have serious health consequences, including death in some extreme cases.

“People generally think of nutrients as being harmless, however this is not always the case. For example, taking in excessive amounts of iron can cause severe stomach upset and even liver damage. Vitamin A in large doses can lead to liver failure. It’s important to understand that there are risks if you overdose on some nutrients.”

According to Bates, meeting your nutrient needs with food is a safer way to go, both in terms of health and your bank account.

“People are likely to become full from eating food long before they take in the excessive amounts of a nutrient needed to produce overdose symptoms. In addition, supplements can be expensive, and the money spent on these products could be used to purchase nutritious foods.”

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Choose Well, Eat Well
Choosing a variety of wholesome foods is the single best way to get the nutrients needed for good health. As Bates put it, “If used, vitamin and mineral supplements should do just that, ‘supplement’ an already healthy diet.”

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Learn More

Food for Health (Alberta Health Services)

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Adults (HealthLink BC)

Vitamin-Mineral Supplementation (Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, Ontario)

Vitamin and Mineral FAQS (EatRight Ontario)

Vitamins and Minerals (University of Western Ontario)