20 February 2012:

A glance down the nutrition aisle of any supermarket or pharmacy illustrates how big – and baffling – the supplement industry has become.

"We live in a world where we think we can quickly fix everything with a pill – late nights, long working hours, stress or a poor diet. We think popping a supplement will fix all that. But that's not necessarily the case," says Terrill Bruere, Dietitian at Jean Hailes for Women's Health.

Bruere is also co-author of an article in the latest edition of the Jean Hailes magazine that finds there are many myths around supplements.

Here we look at the top ten myths about supplements.

1. More expensive brands of multivitamins are better
The quality of supplements varies widely and those that are practitioner-strength and prescribed by a health professional may be superior. "But in the case of most general purpose multivitamins, the cheaper brands are likely to be just as good," says Bruere. "Expensive brands might put in a few extra ingredients but they're usually things you can do without."

2. Nutrients in supplements are more potent than the nutrients in food 
The body usually absorbs nutrients better from food because food contains chemicals that aid the absorption of nutrients. "Sometimes if you take a particular vitamin, purify it and put it in a concentrated or larger dose, as in a supplement, it can have a different effect on the body, too," says Bruere.

3. A multivitamin will compensate if I don't eat enough fruit and vegetables 
"Remember that supplements are just that – a supplement to the recommended amounts of nutrients you should be having," says Jean Hailes naturopath Sandra Villella. "Fruits and vegetables provide a lot more nutrients than a multivitamin – such as fibre, antioxidants and other phytochemicals."

4. More is better when it comes to supplements
"Every nutrient has a recommended daily allowance so more isn't always better. Sometimes you may need increased doses of certain nutrients for therapeutic benefits but that should be recommended by a health professional. You shouldn't treat yourself," says Villella."

5. There are no risks in taking over-the-counter nutritional supplements
"People see supplements as 'natural' so assume they can have as many as they like without causing any harm. That's a myth," says Villella. "Some vitamins can be stored in the body and become toxic at high levels." For example, vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in fat and liver cells. Too much vitamin A can be harmful during pregnancy while excess vitamin E can cause headaches, fatigue and gastrointestinal problems.

6. It's okay to self-diagnose and treat vitamin deficiency
"If you have a health problem, you shouldn't self-diagnose or self-prescribe," says Villella. "See a health professional and check there is not a bigger issue that needs to be addressed."

7. If I'm tired I must need an iron supplement
"Women often think tiredness can be solved with an iron supplement. But you can be low in iron for different reasons, such as coeliac disease or heavy periods. If you're really tired it should be medically investigated," says Bruere.

8. I don't need to worry about iodine deficiency
"Iodine deficiency has become a public health issue in Australia in recent years," says Bruere. "Previously the dairy industry used products containing iodine so we got a regular supply through milk. When that practice changed, iodine deficiency resurfaced." Iodine helps the production of thyroid hormone and is particularly important during pregnancy. So during pregnancy a multivitamin containing 100-200 micrograms of iodine may be needed.

9. I can get enough vitamin B12 from eating mushrooms
Vitamin B12 is important for healthy growth and development and for the production of blood cells. It is only found in animal products – meat, seafood, eggs, cheese etc. "For a while it was thought we could get vitamin B12 from bacteria in mushrooms but it's not in a form that humans can use," says Bruere. So strict vegans or vegetarians may need vitamin B12 supplements.

10. Children who are fussy eaters need supplements
"There are more supplements on the market targeting children, but even if children are fussy eaters they are rarely malnourished so won't need a multivitamin," says Bruere. If you are worried about your child's nutrition or growth, see your GP.

For more information on nutrition go to www.jeanhailes.org.au

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