Daily Archives: July 15, 2024

Nutrition-related diseases run rampant in our communities today, as most Americans eat an excess of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 1 in 10 Americans eat enough fruit or vegetables. This nutrition imbalance can damage your health, causing you to fall short of critical nutrients like dietary fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

These gaps in our eating habits have many turning to supplements. In fact, as of May 2024, the global supplement market is valued at almost $193 billionand climbing.

While many supplements can be a waste of money, some can help get you closer to meeting your nutrition goals, enhance your body's function, increase your well-being and lower your risk of life-altering diseases. But because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate most supplements before they go to market, it can be hard to know what's worth buying.

It's important to note that while some supplements can be helpful, they should never become substitutes for eating well. Instead, they should complement a healthy lifestyle by helping to fill in potential gaps in the diet.

If you're wondering if you should take supplements for better health, it's important to first talk with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian. According to dietitians, here are four supplements you could discuss with them.

What to look for: There are many options for supplementing omega 3s, whether in liquid, gummy or capsule form. This Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X is our favorite omega-3 supplement. It's a high-dosage pill that is lemon-flavored, so you won't get any fishy burps. Plus, the brand is well-known for its high-quality and purity.

You can choose from omega-3 supplements that use oil from fish, algae, cod liver or seeds. To avoid fishy tastes, search for products known for good taste, so it's easy to take consistently.

How to take: The recommendations for daily intake of ALA are 1.6 grams for men and 1.1 grams for women. There are no current recommended intake guidelines for EPA or DHA.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats primarily found in seafood, nuts, seeds and oils. The most common types are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They've made the top of our list because omega-3 fats are essential to heart, brain and vision healthand many people don't get enough of them in their diet. Supplementing with omega-3s can ensure your needs are met because your body cannot make them itself.

According to a 2024 report from the American Heart Association, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. since 1921. Since 2004, the FDA has been approving omega-3 fatty acid supplements as a way of treatment for people with high triglyceride levels, a significant risk factor in heart disease.

A 2021 review looked at 40 studies with a total of 135,267 participants that evaluated the efficacy of supplementing with omega-3s. The study found that omega-3 supplementationspecifically, DHA and EPAwas an effective lifestyle strategy for preventing heart disease.

With only 20% of Americans meeting the American Heart Association's recommendations for eating seafood twice a week, taking an omega-3 supplement could be a good way to stay on top of your health.

Supplementing omega-3s does come with a word of caution. According to a 2024 review, those at risk for, or who have a history of, or are currently experiencing atrial fibrillation may want to hold off on supplementing with omega-3s. While the evidence is mixed, some suggest omega-3 supplements may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.

What to look for: Choose a supplement that contains Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. It's a version of vitamin D is more readily available for our bodies to use than the other type, vitamin D2. This particular supplement by Pure Encapsulations is our favorite vitamin D supplement for that reason: you get 1,000 IUs of D3 in each capsule. The brand is also one of the most solid brands on the market and their supplements are third-party tested by NSF.

How to take: According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adults should take at least 600 IUs of vitamin D daily. Vitamin D supplements are best absorbed by your body when taken with a food containing fat, like avocado, nut butter or cheese.

Known as the "sunshine" vitamin, vitamin D plays a big role in keeping your bones, teeth, muscles, nerves and immune system in tip-top shape. Low levels may be associated with a host of conditions, including depression, high blood pressure and weak bones.

Because people generally under-eat vitamin D foods, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans list vitamin D as one of several nutrients of public concern. According to a 2022 study that included data from 71,685 participants, about 41% of the general U.S. population does not get enough vitamin D.

While it is difficult to get enough vitamin D from only food, there are a few food sources that provide it. The only food sources that naturally contain vitamin D are mushrooms, egg yolks and fish. But cow's milk, and many cereals, plant milks, yogurt and orange juice are fortified with vitamin D. Just be sure to check the label.

What to look for: Most probiotics range from 1 to 10 billion colony-forming units (CFUs), although some go much higher. Different brands also carry different types of bacteria in their supplements so talking with your healthcare practitioner or a registered dietitian can help you choose one best suited for you. That said, Ritual's Symbiotic+ Probiotic supplement is our favorite probiotic supplement for a few reasons. First, it contains clinically studied strains of probiotics. Second, Ritual tests its supplements in-house and with a third-party lab for purity and potency. And it's vegan.

How to take: Some probiotics are better to take on an empty stomach, while others may work best taken with a meal. Follow the package instructions.

The digestive tract is home to a diverse population of microorganisms, like bacteria, viruses and fungimany of which benefit our health. These organisms collectively make up your gut flora, also known as the microbiome.

When there's an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your gut, you're at higher risk for inflammation and illness. Fermented foods such as yogurt, tempeh, kombucha and kimchi are sources of probiotics and help bring healthy bacteria to the gut.

A 2023 review suggests probiotics may help prevent and manage allergic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, cholesterol levels and lactose intolerance. And other research suggests that probiotic bacteria can interact and stimulate intestinal immune cells, helping to strengthen the immune system.

What to look for: There isn't a universal consensus on how much turmeric you should take. A 2021 review found that taking a daily dose of around 1,000 mg of curcumin may not lead to adverse reactions. When shopping for a turmeric supplement, always look for supplements containing black pepper for better absorption. That said, our favorite turmeric supplement made by Thorne, doesn't contain black pepper. But it contains a patented phytosomal curcumin called Meriva and is clinically proven to be better absorbed by the body than other turmeric supplements.

How to take: Take turmeric while eating foods that contain fat so your body can best absorb it.

For centuries, turmeric root has been widely used in several types of cuisine and medicine. Its touted health benefits are due to its bioactive compounds called curcuminoids. The strongest of these is curcumin.

Research suggests that curcumin helps fight against oxidative stress by picking up harmful substances in the body called free radicals, preventing inflammation. Oxidative stress is a normal part of your body's work to function, but if that oxidative stress gets out of hand, it can wreak havoc on your health.

Because chronic inflammation is a culprit behind many chronic diseases, regularly taking turmeric may help prevent or manage arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, depression and cancer.

It's important to note that turmeric supplements might impact people differently based on their genetics. Turmeric supplements may also affect your medications. As with any supplement, discussing it with your healthcare practitioner before taking it is always a good idea.

One of the greatest gifts you can have in life is good health. The primary way to achieve good health is by eating nutrient-dense foods. While there's no perfect diet, supplements can help you reach your health goals and nutrition needs when taken in conjunction with a balanced eating pattern. To ensure your needs are covered, consider supplementing with omega-3s, vitamin D, probiotics or turmeric.

Though supplements can be a driver of good health, they can also be unsafe if not taken with caution and care. Always consult with your healthcare provider to make the best choice for you.

Gaby McPherson, M.S., RD, is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in in Clinical Nutrition with Pediatric Nutrition Emphasis from Saint Louis University. She has a passion for encouraging others to eat well in simple, practical ways that are realistic for the whole family.

This article was reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, EatingWell's Nutrition Editor.

Link:

4 Supplements You Should Actually Be Taking, According to a Dietitian - EatingWell

YOU WOULDN'T THINK that the phrase "resistant starch" would be a hot topic on social media, but it's 2024 and here we are. TikTokkers are freezing

And supplement makers are in on the excitement, too, selling resistant starch products that advertise a wide range of supposed benefits: supporting metabolism and digestion, reducing inflammation, and boosting your energy and mood.

But you have to wonder, is any of this true?

We turned to the research and talked to actual experts to find out.

TO START, RESISTANT starch comes from a good family.

Resistant starch is dietary fiber and dietary fiber has broad health benefits, including gut health, weight maintenance, glucose control, and protection against cancer, says Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., R.D.N., professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. Maybe youve heard of soluble fiber, which forms a gel in your gut to help you stay full, and insoluble fiber, the kind that helps you poop. Resistant starch is a third type that does a little of both.

Unlike simpler starches, your digestive enzymes cannot penetrate resistant starches, so the starches do indeed make it to your large intestine, where good bacteria in your gut feast upon them. An array of research suggests that consuming resistant starch can shift your gut bacteria profile in favor of beneficial species. These good bacteria produce helpful short-chain fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties.

FIRST, YOU SHOULD try to eat your resistant starch from food. (More on that later.)

Companies claim resistant starch supplementswhich contain concentrated or chemically modified versions of indigestible starches from foods like rice and potatoescan help you maintain healthy blood sugar, support digestion and gut health, boost your mood, and energy levels, and more.

While small studies suggest some potential benefits to supplementing with resistant starch, keep in mind that not all resistant starches are the same. There are five subtypes, and every supplement contains a different type (or blend). That means that the results of one study on resistant starch dont necessarily apply to every product on the market.

Some possible (but not proven) benefits of supplementation include:

A study review published in Frontiers in Nutrition showed that resistant starch types 1 and 2 (1 is found in whole foods, 2 in some supplements like corn-based resistant starch supplements) can help to reduce blood sugar after meals in people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Resistant starch type 2 can improve fasting blood sugar and insulin function, possibly because it can be taken in larger quantities as a supplement than the natural food forms.

In a small study published in Nature Metabolism, people who consumed a corn-based resistant starch supplement every day for eight weeks lost an average of six pounds and improved their insulin function, a key component of metabolic health. Study participants who took the supplement increased their concentrations of the helpful gut bacteria Bifidobacteriumadolescentis and showed an increase of metabolites linked to burning fat.

A small study in the Journal of Functional Foods showed that people who supplemented with a resistant starch from potatoes for four weeks reduced histamine levels in their gut, a known trigger of gastrointestinal disturbances. One catch: the supplement maker was involved in the study. (Whomp whomp.)

So as with anything trending on TikTok, some of the promises about resistant starch are overblown. While resistant starch might aid blood sugar control, theres no evidence that it cures diabetes or does that famous thing so many supplements supposedly do, detoxify. (Your liver does that, by the way.)

YOU DON'T HAVE to reheat all your carbs to consume resistant starch. You can find the stuff in:

Then, consider a supplement as an insurance policy to get enough roughageAmericans only eat half the recommended amount of dietary fiber, says Slavin. As a dietitian I always promote foods over supplements, but resistant starch supplements can also fit into some diets as a source of dietary fiber and a method to reduce calories, says Slavin.

Studies have shown that people safely tolerate up to 45 grams per day with minimal side effects. We don't have a UL (upper limit) for fiber or resistant starch in the U.S., says Slavin, so it is unlikely that you could over-supplement.

Because resistant starch is digested more slowly than other fiber supplements (like the psyllium husk in famously regulating supplements like Metamucil), it is less likely to cause bloating and gas.

Excerpt from:

Before You Take a Resistant Starch Supplement, Try This - Men's Health

Q: I take a daily fiber supplement, but Im confused about whether it offers the same health benefits as fiber-rich foods. Is getting fiber from a supplement just as good?

It depends on your definition of good, said Dr. Denise Millstine, an integrative medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic. If your goal is to improve your bowel movements or reduce some digestive symptoms (like constipation, diarrhea, bloating or cramping), she said, fiber supplements can often help.

But they wont offer the same vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds found in fiber-rich foods, she noted.

Fiber is a nutrient that our digestive systems cant break down. This slows the movement of food through the digestive tract, and helps to reduce blood sugar spikes and lower cholesterol. It also bulks up and softens our stool, which can decrease the risk of constipation.

When you take a fiber supplement, all you get is fiber on its own, Dr. Millstine said. But when you consume fiber from a meal, she added, youre also benefiting from other nutrients. One cup of blueberries, for instance, contains four grams of fiber along with B and C vitamins, potassium, magnesium and more.

These and other important nutrients in fiber-rich foods work together to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer, said Nicola McKeown, a nutrition research professor at Boston University. Fiber-rich foods also help maintain a healthy gut, she said.

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Originally posted here:

Is a Fiber Supplement Just as Good as Fiber From Food? - The New York Times

iHerb, an e-commerce retailers for vitamins, minerals, supplements and other health and wellness products, announced a partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe to bring the U.S.-based retailer's portfolio of brands to millions of new consumers worldwide.

From supplements to skincare to grocery items, iHerb ships over 50,000 products from over 1,800 brands to more than 180 countries. With this partnership, health and wellness consumers can now access The Vitamin Shoppe's innovative range of premium brands, including The Vitamin Shoppe, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech and BodyTech Elite on iHerb's platform.

[Read more: 6 trends in vitamins and nutritional products]

Muriel Gonzalez, president of The Vitamin Shoppe, said, At The Vitamin Shoppe, we believe everyone is deserving of good health, so we're especially pleased to now offer our high-quality supplements and advanced sports nutrition formulas to millions of new consumers in markets around the world, via the global reach of iHerb. Our collection of exclusive brands and products are consistently top sellers across our U.S. business, due to their trusted quality, innovation and value. We look forward to bringing those industry-leading standards to our partnership with iHerb and its extensive international customer base."

iHerb now offers more than 250 products from The Vitamin Shoppe, with hundreds more slated for release in the coming months.

[Read more: CRN adopts guidelines for supplements, functional food sold on e-commerce platforms]

More here:

iHerb partners with The Vitamin Shoppe - Drug Store News

The authorities have also involved industry stakeholders, including companies and industry associations, in the discussion.

Health Foods and Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA) is one of the associations involved.

Earlier in February, we reported that the Indian government has formed a five-member panel to examine the possibility of shifting nutraceutical regulatory oversight from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

The intent is said to address regulatory challenges and promote consumer safety.

Since April, there has been discussions held fortnightly to assess the possibility and other options.

One of the options raised, is to let the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) take over the control of vitamins and minerals with dosage levels above one RDA and upper limit, Dr. Vaibhav Kulkarni, honorary secretary and board member of HADSA, told NutraIngredients-Asia.

Dr. Vaibhav, who was previously the head of regulatory affairs with Abbott Nutrition, is also the founder and director of nutraceutical start-up Zantus Lifesciences.

At the moment, vitamins and minerals with dosage levels above one RDA or upper limit will be considered as pharmaceuticals.

However, there are exceptions for Foods for Special Medical Purpose (FSMP) and Foods for Special Dietary Use (FSDU).

According to the FSSAI, FSMP products, for example, may have nutrients at levels higher than the RDA, but not exceeding the limits of vitamins and minerals as specified in Schedule III of the nutraceutical regulations.

There has been an influx of applications for FSMP and FSDU, and this has called for greater expertise to look into this area, Dr. Vaibhav said.

For instance, there has been concerns around hypervitaminosis abnormally high storage levels of vitamins raised by doctors in the scientific panel formed to assess these applications.

The scientific panel looks into the data that the company has submitted for that particular level. At the same time, you have doctors in the panels who suggest that hypervitaminosis is also a big issue.

The authority has opened up and said that the regulation needed to be looked into again, and we will have to see whether it is logical to keep this thing in entirety with the food authority, or could it be shifted to the DCGI. Thats where the discussion is still ongoing, he said.

Other reasons for involving the DCGI include enforcing GMP, hygiene and safety standards for pharmaceutical companies that are also manufacturing nutraceuticals in their facilities. One of the aims is to ensure that nutraceuticals are not contaminated with pharmaceutical substances during the manufacturing process.

Asked the timeline, he said that the rate at which the discussion and changes would be pushed would depend on how eager the minster was in driving this forward.

NutraIngredients-Asiahas contacted the DCGI for comments.

HADSA, in this case, is of the view that all nutraceuticals should continued to be overseen by the FSSAI.

It is involved in one of the panels that looks at why nutraceuticals should remain under the purview of the food regulator.

It will also assess the possibility for disease or risk reduction claims for food, as well as enforcing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

The panel is also made up of ex-government officials, private companies, and research institutes.

Dr. Vaibhav said HADSA was of the view that nutraceuticals even those that were above one RDA and upper limits should be regulated by the FSSAI in order to drive innovation forward.

A lot of the industry players feel that if the regulatory control of nutraceuticals goes under DCGI, the possibility of the growth rates that I've told you may not happen, or may get down, he said.

He also pointed out concerns around price control as seen in the pharma industry.

If nutraceuticals come under price control, then automatically, a lot of players will get discouraged, because they will not get the profits the way they want to, and this may also stifle innovation.

In a sense, it can slow down our industry. So all these points need to be considered so that there is a minimal hit to the industry if they are moving nutraceuticals under the DCGI.

We want to protect nutraceutical innovation but we are happy to discuss the other possible arrangements as well.

Indias nutraceutical industry has expanded swiftly in the past decade.

It now has a market size of more than US$5bn and in the next one to two years, it is poised to grow by 22 to 25 per cent.

It is expected that by the end of 2025 or early 2026, the market, the sales of nutraceuticals is going to touch US$18bn. From a global perspective, India will grow from a market share of two per cent to 3.5 per cent just in a few years time,"Dr. Vaibhav said.

Originally posted here:

Indias food and drug authorities in talks over which body controls vitamins and minerals above RDA - NutraIngredients-Asia

In the absence of EU guidance on probiotic food supplements, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has developed its own guidance document to help food supplement producers and food businesses assess the safety of probiotics used in their products.

According to the guidance, the most commonly used probiotics in food supplements are lactic acid bacteria strains, bifidobacteria, Bacillus sporogenes, and Saccharomyces boulardii. Although the consumption of probiotics can carry some potential risks, reported adverse effects resulting from common probiotic food supplements are few. When adverse effects have been reported, they are usually in patients at an increased risk of infection.

Under current EU law, the term probiotic is currently not authorized as a health claim and is therefore not allowed on food or food supplement product labels. In Ireland, food supplement producers are required to notify FSAI of their products being placed on the market, which is not an approval or authorization procedure; rather, a notification is completed via an online form, which includes submission of the product label to FSAI. Additionally, FSAI references the European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSAs) Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) listwhich includes some species-level bacteria and yeaststo assess the safety of microbes or their byproducts in foods.

Furthermore, if a probiotic organism was not used in food in the EU prior to 15 May 1997, its use must be authorized under the novel food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. If the organism was genetically modified, it must be authorized under Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed, and under Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms.

In the guidance document, FSAI describes the most appropriate criteria when assessing the safety of probiotic food supplements, including:

FSAI states that a food supplement producer should be able to demonstrate that the organism(s) used meets the aforementioned criteria. Other food safety evidence that supplement producers should provide to FSAI include:

Other recommendations to food producers in the guidance document suggest that producers document their food safety management systems (FSMS); that the individual microbial strains used should be stored and accessible in the event of a suspected link to human infection; that the product labels include strain types and the number of organisms present, appropriate storage advice, and accurate shelf-life information; and, in the instance that an Enterococcus faecium strain is used, that the label clearly indicates its presence.

Read more from the original source:

FSAI Publishes Guidance for Industry on Safe Use of Probiotics in Food Supplements - Food Safety Magazine