Your nutrition levels can be the difference between feeling like you are surviving vs. feeling like you are thriving. Poor nutrient levels can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, and other chronic health conditions.

Our daily consumption of nutrients from food sources is declining due to many factors including soil depletion, farming practices, and processed food intake. Whilst it is always best to obtain your nutrients from a varied and well balanced diet, there are some cases when your nutrient balance may require a supplemental boost

How much do we really need?

The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) refers to the minimum intake of an essential nutrient adequate to meet the needs of a healthy person. This is usually the amount of nutrition a person would consume from a healthy balanced diet.

Supplements generally contain a higher dose of nutrients than the RDI and can help increase your nutrient intake in certain conditions, and when dietary intake is insufficient. 

This is generally considered “therapeutic dosing” which can be utilised to elicit a specific therapeutic response.

Health practitioners may recommend a therapeutic dose in supplemental form for a number of reasons:

Correct a deficiency

Deficiency states can be challenging to correct through food alone, particularly when the deficiency has been long standing. Supplements can help to quickly correct a deficiency and improve health outcomes.

For example:  Iron deficiency anemia requires doses of iron between 100-200mg per day to reverse. Considering the average dietary intake of iron is 16.3–18.2 mg/day in adult men and 12.6–13.5 mg/day in adult women[i], reversing deficiency through diet alone can be challenging.

Long term medication use 

Certain medications are known to deplete the body of particular nutrients, particularly after long-term use. Specific nutrient repletion can be facilitated via supplementation.

For example: Users of the Oral Contraceptive Pill have been shown to have lower serum concentrations of zinc, selenium, phosphorus and magnesium which correlated with the length of its use[ii]. It is thought that supplementation of the depleted minerals may help prevent deficiency and associated health concerns, particularly in long term users.

Optimal intake

As discussed the RDI refers to the minimum requirements of nutrients needed to avoid a deficiency and maintain health. There can be significant differences between simply avoiding a deficiency versus obtaining nutrients at an optimal level, in order to maximize health outcomes and quality of life.

For example: Magnesium is a ubiquitous nutrient across a wide variety of foods and while a typical varied diet may provide enough magnesium to meet the RDI, recent research suggests that the current recommended dietary intake for magnesium is insufficient to provide optimal health and longevity and that many individuals require additional supplemental magnesium in order to lower their risk of chronic disease[iii].

Therapeutic action

Specific nutrients can be used to elicit a therapeutic response from the body which is more targeted than with food alone.

For example: Omega-3 has strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Omega-3 in supplemental doses of 3,000-6,000mg per day has been shown to decrease pain associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis[iv]. A standard serving of 85g steamed salmon contains 2,193mg of Omega-3[v]. Eating salmon on a daily basis may be unrealistic for many, therefore, for those experiencing chronic pain, a supplemental Omega-3 may be useful for the therapeutic action of pain relief.

Poor nutrient absorption

Poor nutrient absorption can contribute to a deficiency state. Nutrient absorption can be reduced by alcohol consumption, gastrointestinal inflammation, parasitic infection to name a few.

For example: Excessive alcohol consumption is known to contribute to Pellagra, a condition caused by niacin deficiency. Supplemental high dose niacin has been used for treatment of this condition[vi]. 

Inadequate dietary intake or poor nutrient absorption

Inadequate dietary intake of essential nutrients can decrease nutritional status over time, contributing to various health conditions such as fatigue, skin conditions and hair loss. Some causes of this include: processed foods devoid of essential nutrients, restrictive diets and undereating. 

For example: A diet high in processed foods can contribute to nutrient depletion over time as RDIs may not be met, and depletions may be further exacerbated by other conditions such as the aforementioned.  

It is best to consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements. A healthcare practitioner can assess your overall health and determine if supplements would be of benefit for your health concerns, and prescribe them in tailored dosing for your individual requirements.

References

[i] Office of Dietary Supplements - Iron. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

[ii] Dante, G., Vaiarelli, A., & Facchinetti, F. (2014). Vitamin and mineral needs during the oral contraceptive therapy: a systematic review. International journal of reproduction, contraception, obstetrics and gynecology, 3, 1-10.

[iii] DiNicolantonio, J. J., O’Keefe, J. H., & Wilson, W. (2018). Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart, 5(1), e000668. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668

[iv] Abdulrazaq, M., Innes, J. K., & Calder, P. C. (2017). Effect of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on arthritic pain: A systematic review. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.), 39-40, 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2016.12.003

[v] Browse Foods. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science/monitoringnutrients/afcd/Pages/foodsearch.aspx

[vi] Hołubiec, P., Leończyk, M., Staszewski, F., Łazarczyk, A., Jaworek, A. K., & Rojas-Pelc, A. (2021). Pathophysiology and clinical management of pellagra - a review. Folia medica Cracoviensia, 61(3), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.24425/fmc.2021.138956