Do we get too little vitamins and minerals in the normal way? Many seem to be convinced: about one in three adults in Germany regularly takes dietary supplements, about a quarter of them more than one product a day. But does this really do you any good?
The advertising message is clear: additional vitamins and minerals improve health, well-being and performance. But in general, a balanced and varied diet is sufficient to provide the body with all the nutrients it needs. For the vast majority of people in Germany, dietary supplements therefore have no advantages.
On the contrary: Those who take high doses of food supplements and possibly also consume foods enriched with vitamins and minerals increase the risk of an excessive supply of nutrients. And this can have undesirable health consequences.
How much is too much?
So far, neither at national nor at European level has there been any binding regulation as to the maximum doses of vitamins and minerals that may be contained in food supplements.
For this reason, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recently updated its maximum recommended amounts for vitamins and minerals in food supplements published in 2004. The recommended maximum amounts meet various requirements:
The levels must be sufficiently high so that people with too low a nutrient intake can cover their vitamin and mineral requirements with dietary supplements if they adhere to the maximum recommended levels.
Above all, however, the recommendations are intended to protect the largely well-nourished population from the negative effects of excessive nutrient intake. The values must therefore only be so high that people with an actually sufficient supply of nutrients do not exceed the highest justifiable daily amount too much when they use dietary supplements.
Unless otherwise stated, the maximum amounts proposed by the BfR apply to adolescents aged 15 and over and adults. For some vitamins and minerals, the BfR recommends additional mandatory information on the products.
When are dietary supplements useful?
As a rule, healthy adults can do without dietary supplements: A healthy and varied diet usually provides sufficient vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet (with ordinary foods such as vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat) also has the advantage that there is practically no risk of overdosing.
Only certain individual nutrients and a few population groups are at risk of being undersupplied. In these cases, appropriate dietary supplements make sense. The German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung), for example, recommends such supplements:
Pregnant women and nursing mothers have an increased nutrient requirement and should possibly take preparations with iron and iodine.
Women who wish to have children should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily and continue to take it during the first third of pregnancy.
Infants should receive additional vitamin K after birth and a preparation containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D and 0.25 milligrams of fluoride in the first year of life.
Stubenhocker – or more precisely: people who do not spend much or no time outside in the sunshine or do not expose their skin to the sun uncovered – should take vitamin D additionally.
Creating a basis for increased nutrient requirements – Nutritional supplementation as a multi-purpose preparation according to requirements
Multi preparations are booming in the dietary supplement market. A recent Forsa survey showed that every 3rd adult has used supplements in recent years. But why are more and more health-conscious people taking supplements?
As with so many things in life, the motto “balance is the key to success” also counts for dietary supplements. Therefore, a conscious and healthy handling of vital substances is a prerequisite for a good vitamin and mineral balance in the body. To understand this, let’s take a closer look at the EifelSan products below. We offer you a total of 8 different Multi preparations. Why do we do this?
The right Multi for everyone!
Even with a large selection and different combinations, perhaps not every need is optimally covered, but we are getting closer to this goal. We find ourselves in different life situations. Whether in the teenage age, young and very sporty, pregnant, as a manager with 70h week, ü50 with slight joint wear, for all types it should be possible to cover an individually increased nutrient requirement without having to swallow 5 different tablets or capsules per day. If you are unsure about your type, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you on a vital substance analysis.
No substitute for a balanced diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
What base supplements are not – a free ride for bad eating habits, little exercise and a generally bad lifestyle. A lack of nutrients or an increased need for vital substances is caused on the one hand by low-nutrient denatured foods and on the other hand by our lifestyle.
Never before have there been so many people on earth, never before in human history has there been such a strongly inflammation-promoting diet. We transport food around half the globe that is harvested and treated immaturely and at the same time expose ourselves to increased stress. Especially the stress of leisure time and the constant “need to be reachable” are eating up our reserves and creating deficiencies. But who takes a big blood picture every year and observes his exact nutritional status?
Many of the people who already take a basic supplementation want to counteract the danger. Always keep in mind, however, that the product is suitable for you and in proportion to your lifestyle. On the other hand, make sure that the ingredients used are of high quality (good bioavailability) and do not have a negative effect on your body.