Vitamins & Supplements for Dummies Cheat Sheet
There are more than 80,000 supplements on the shelves of supermarkets, drug stores, big box stores, and online websites and retailers. It’s a huge business worth close to $177 billion worldwide. Choosing the right vitamins, minerals, herbs, or botanicals to buy and consume is important because you want them to be a healthy addition to your food intake and lifestyle. Understanding your nutritional intake from food, your health goals, your lifestyle, and your preferences will help you to choose supplements to potentially enhance your energy, health, and mood.
This Cheat Sheet will give you quick guides to essential vitamins and minerals, their functions, food sources, and signs to look for potential deficiencies. It also has a list of common supplements and botanicals and their uses. Lastly, there are ideas for questions for you to discuss with your doctor or healthcare provider as you are trying to use supplements to support your health goals.
Quick guide to the essential vitamins and their functions
The following table summarizes information on the essential vitamins.
Quick guide to essential minerals and their functions
The following table describes the function, food sources, and signs of deficiencies for the essential minerals that you need to get from food. They are categorized as major minerals that you need in larger amounts or trace minerals that are needed in small amounts.
Common supplements and their uses
The following are some of the more common supplements that people buy. You may need some of these depending on your health and lifestyle.
- Multivitamin: Multivitamins are a good “insurance plan” to get your Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of important nutrients each day. They’re a good source of essential vitamins and minerals that can fill in gaps in nutrients from your food intake. It is recommended that people older than 50 should take a multivitamin because as you age, your absorption of some nutrients may decrease. Also, sometimes as you age, people eat less, and therefore get fewer nutrients from foods. Always take a multivitamin with food to avoid side effects. Others who may need a multivitamin include children and teens who eat poorly and pregnant and lactating women.
- Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids): This supplement supports brain, heart, and joint health. You can also get this from fatty fish and seeds and nuts.
- Probiotics: A probiotic supplement supports gut health and digestion. Gut health is linked to brain and skin health as well. Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kombucha are great dietary sources of probiotics. If you use a supplement, you must take them every day for them to be effective.
- Vitamin D3: You get vitamin D from sunlight, fish, and fortified foods but many people need more to support bone health and immunity. You may need more if you are not exposed to sunlight or are a vegan or vegetarian.
- Calcium: Calcium is critical for bones and teeth as you grow and develop but also as you age to prevent osteoporosis. Good food sources are dairy, fortified foods, and leafy greens.
- Magnesium: This mineral supports muscle function and energy production and may help with sleep. Good food sources include nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
- Iron: Iron is important for oxygen binding to red blood cells. Good sources are red meat, spinach, and lentils. Menstruating women often need extra iron from supplements. Taking vitamin C with iron helps to enhance absorption of the iron.
- Creatine: Creatine is converted to creatine phosphate and phosphocreatine and stored and used for energy in the muscles. Many body builders and competitive athletes use phosphocreatine as a source of energy during high-intensity exercise. It may increase lean muscle mass and improve athletic performance. Good sources from the diet are wild game, lean red meat, salmon, tuna, and herring.
Common herbal and botanical supplements
Botanicals are big business and offer some benefits such as the following:
- Echinacea supports immunity and may reduce symptoms of cold and flu.
- Ginseng supports immune function and may boost energy.
- Turmeric (curcumin) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and may support joint and digestive health.
- Ginkgo biloba may enhance cognitive function and memory.
- Peppermint may help with digestive discomfort and headaches.
- Ginger is good for digestion issues.
- Chamomile supports digestion, relaxation, and sleep.
- John’s wort supports mood and may have mild antidepressant effects.
- Milk thistle may support liver function and act as antioxidant.
- Ashwagandha may reduce stress and boost energy.
- Valerian root may reduce anxiety, help with sleep, and promote relaxation
- Garlic is good for cardiovascular health.
- Saw palmetto supports prostate health and may reduce symptoms of enlarged prostate.
- Black cohosh reduces some symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.
- Cranberry is good for urinary tract health and helps reduce urinary tract infections.
- Rhodiola may reduce fatigue and enhance energy.
- Green tea and green tea extract are good antioxidants.
5 things to discuss with your doctor or healthcare provider
Always discuss supplement use with your doctor before you begin taking anything. This is important because you need to determine whether you truly need them. If you do, your doctor should advise you about the dosage and any interactions the supplements may have with other things you’re taking.
Here are five things to talk to your doctor about.
Knowing the best way to get nutrients from your foods
Here is a checklist for getting vitamins and minerals from your foods:
- Follow the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for macro and micronutrients. (Check out the online Nutrient Recommendations and Databases.)
- Eat according to one of the recommended diets: HUSS (Healthy U.S.-style), Mediterranean, or vegetarian diets recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
- Focus on eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, unsaturated fats, and low-fat dairy. Avoid saturated fat and sugar. Stay within a calorie range suitable for your age, height, weight, and lifestyle.
Steps to choose which supplements to take