Acne
Allergies
Asthma

Bariatric Surgery
Bariatrician Programs

Cosmetic Dentistry

Depression

Diabetes & Weight Loss

Diabetes Articles

Diet Drugs

Diet Pills

Today there is a mind-boggling variety of vitamins and dietary supplements for sale to improve one's nutrition. How important are vitamins, essential oils, minerals and other supplements when used in conjunction with a weight loss program? If you are using Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, LA Weight Loss, or South Beach Diet, should you be supplementing the diet food they provide, or your regular food, with vitamins, and which ones?

Some weight loss programs make it mandatory for you to purchase vitamins and supplements from them, and that can be costly.

There's still a lot of confusion. Should you take a vitamin aimed at "active" people or dieters? How much vitamin A should a multivitamin contain?  The safest advice is to eat right.

People on weight loss programs that involve less than 1,000 calories a day should probably take a multivitamin and should also check regularly with their physician. Vege-tarians who do not eat dairy or meat products may need riboflavin, Vitamin B12, and vitamin D supplements.

Vitamins and dietary supplements aren't just for the ill and the elderly. While nutrition experts stress the need for proper diet to ensure the right balance of nutrients, dieters and meal skippers can benefit from regular use of certain vitamins. Strict vegetarians may need calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and D, for example.

Men need less iron, about 8 milligrams a day. Women need more calcium. In general, experts say, taking multivitamins is safer than consuming just a few vitamins and minerals.

Lately, much attention has focused in vitamin D. People produce plenty of it in their own skin, but only by being out in the sun for at least 15 minutes a day. "The general population does not realize that if you're not getting enough sun, you have to take supplements," says University of Michigan pharmacologist Robert U. Simpson.  This vitamin is vital for preventing rickets and bone disorders. But Simpson and other researchers have discovered vitamin D receptors in the heart and other tissues, suggesting a cardiovascular benefit.

Scientists don't know enough to set a recommended daily allowance. One example is chromium. The average American gets 20 to 35 micrograms of this element per day, which is found at low levels in some fruits and vegetables such as broccoli. That's not nearly enough, believes the Agriculture Dept.  Because chromium makes insulin more effective, higher levels of the mineral can help prevent or control diabetes.

Vitamin manufacturers commonly target senior citizens and people with specific concerns like eye health or weight loss when creating new products. Also targeted by vitamin, minerals, and dietary supplements manufacturers are women and men as broadly defined groups with their own particular needs and preferences. 

When customers are new to the category, multivitamins are usually the first purchases they make. Strategies to please these entry level consumers pay off because most new multivitamins users eventually buy multiple dietary supplements.

Age demographics favor minerals, especially calcium. The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 10 million Americans already have osteoporosis. Calcium with vitamin D remains one of the best ways to fight the disease.

Needs of Low-Carb Dieters

According to Roper Reports, low-carb dieters are more likely than the general public to try diet and health approaches such as vitamins, oat bran, massage therapy and soluble fiber therapy.

One of the  most common side effects of low-carb dieting is irregularity, which is one reason why low-carb dieters may be more likely to supplement their diets with soluble fiber therapy. Roper Reports indicates that while only 9% of the total public takes soluble fiber, 22% of low-carb dieters are likely to do so.

A strict low-carb diet may not provide the recommended daily intake of other essential nutrients like vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and calcium, so dieters may be more apt to supplement with vitamins to make sure their bodies get what they need.  According to Roper Reports, 80% of low-carb dieters take vitamins, compared with 67% of the total public who do.

How Do Some Popular Diet Plans Stack Up?

According to Northwestern University and the Journal of Obesity Research, which did a study of some popular diet plans back in 2001...

High Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Dr. Atkins Diet, Zone Diet. Sugar Busters, Protein Power .... These weight loss programs were found to be low in several nutrients: Vitamins A, B6, D, E, thiamin, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and dietary fiber. Nutritional supplementation is highly recommended.

Moderate Fat Diets: USDA Food Guide Pyramid, DASH Diet. American Diabetic Association, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig..... These diet plans usually constituted a nutritionally balanced eating plan, assuming that the dieter eats a variety of foods from all food categories (i.e. a healthy diet). However, limiting certain food categories can lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients--especially calcium, iron and zinc.

Low and Very Low-Fat Diets: Volumetrics, Dean Ornish's Eat More, Weigh Less, New Pritikin Program.... These weight loss programs were found to be deficient in zinc and vitamin B12 due to infrequent meat consumption. In addition, this type of diet plan can be inadequate in vitamin E (a nutrient found in oils, nuts and other foods rich in fat).

Conclusions

What do you do when even the experts disagree? The first priority is to strive for a better diet. If you add supple- ments, don't take levels more than a few times the RDA. For maximum safety, stay well below the upper levels.

To be safe, say experts, add a multivitamin product containing the recommended daily allowances (RDA) of most micronutrients and minerals. Such products aren't heavily regulated by the Food & Drug Administration. But in contrast to many herbal or dietary supplements from small companies, where consumers can't be sure what they're getting, vitamins made by major manufacturers probably do contain what the label claims.