The Scoop On Supplements - Mpls

The Scoop on Supplements - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine http://mspmag.
com/health-and-fitness/the-scoop-on-supplements/
Can nutritional powders and pills

compensate for our dietary shortcomings?
Two Twin Cities nutritionists weigh in.
by Suzy Frisch
Created by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine for
<https://www.nwhealth.edu/>
Opinions vary so widely about what kinds of nutrition

supplements to take, we asked two experts to steer us
right. Paul Ratté, a naturopathic doctor who focuses
on clinical nutrition, is an assistant professor at
Northwestern Health Sciences University
1 of 6 11/19/2018, 1:30 PM
The Scoop on Supplements - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine http://mspmag.com/health-and-fitness/the-scoop-on-supplements/
<https://www.nwhealth.edu/> . Lizzie Streit is a

registered dietitian nutritionist and NWHSU adjunct
faculty who writes the blog It’s a Veg World After All.
<https://itsavegworldafterall.com/>
Should everyone take a multivitamin?

Streit: The limited research that exists suggests that
multivitamins provide no additional benefits for the
typical adult. This is likely because multivitamins
cannot replicate the natural combinations of nutrients
that exist in whole foods and work together in the
body. But targeted supplementation to address
specific issues can be therapeutic and is often
necessary to treat malnutrition, malabsorption, and
other micronutrient deficiencies, such as vitamins B12
and D.
Ratté: Multivitamins are like an insurance policy.

You can take a multivitamin to cover all your bases.
But with the standard American diet, the likelihood of
being deficient in vitamins is extremely low. I’m more
interested in having people take certain supplements
if they present with an insufficiency.
What should we know about Vitamin

D?
Streit: Current guidelines recommend 400 IU of
Vitamin D a day for infants; 600 IU a day for children
and adults until 50; and 800 IU a day for people over
50. However, several studies have suggested that
these guidelines are too low. Vitamin D deficiency is
rampant in the United States. Some experts
recommend that adults get between 1000 to 4000 IU
of Vitamin D a day. However, with any supplement,
you should discuss the best dosage for you with your
2 of 6 11/19/2018, 1:30 PM
doctor.
Ratté: It’s a really hyped vitamin right now. Vitamin

D, fish oil, and turmeric are all heavily marketed, and
some people are insufficient. There is definitely a
benefit to taking Vitamin D, but some people are low
because they have trouble absorbing it. Then it’s a
digestive issue, not an insufficiency, and we need to
address that, not take more and more.
What makes for a good protein

powder?
Streit: Look for protein powders with ingredients
that are derived from whole foods without
unnecessary additives and sweeteners. Examples of
proteins powders that are typically well absorbed and
provide high-quality protein include whey, casein, egg
white, hemp, soy, or pea powders.
What is the current thinking about

prenatal vitamins?
Streit: All women who are trying to conceive or are
pregnant should take a prenatal vitamin. Even if you
are eating a healthy diet, you need more of certain
3 of 6 11/19/2018, 1:30 PM
nutrients during pregnancy to support the baby’s

growth and development. Look for prenatal vitamins
that contains folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamin D,
and you may choose to take one that also has vitamin
C, zinc, and copper.
Ratté: Prenatal vitamins are important, and two

components are essential: iron and folic acid. Folic
acid prevents neural tube defects, but the neural tube
develops in the third week of pregnancy before
women even know they are pregnant. So women in
their reproductive years should take a prenatal
vitamin, or at least folic acid, because 50 percent of
pregnancies are unplanned.
What supplements work well to

prevent inflammation?
Streit: Chronic inflammation that results from poor
diet choices, lack of exercise, and stress may play a
role in the development of several health problems.
Anti-inflammatory foods—including fatty fish, nuts
and seeds, leafy green vegetables, ginger, berries, and
herbs and spices—can help you fight inflammation.
Some supplements may prevent inflammation,
including fish oil, ginger, resveratrol, and curcumin,
the active ingredient in turmeric.
Ratté: Inflammation happens when your body’s

immune system is woken up and mobilizes resources
to repair it. I can treat inflammation, but there might
be something else playing a role. It might be
something you’re eating, stress, your lifestyle. You can
take over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen, and
there are whole groups of nutrients that have some
ability to function that way. There are supplements
like turmeric or resveratrol, which is found in red
4 of 6 11/19/2018, 1:30 PM
wine, or green tea extract, or fish oil. Are you

throwing your money away? I will say that diet is a
stronger mediator than supplements, but they may
provide some benefit. They turn down the heat a bit.
What is the biggest mistake people

make with supplements?
Ratté: The thinking that if a little bit is good, more is
better. They’ll take supplement after supplement, like
fish oil. It’s an essential fatty acid, so they think, ‘If it’s
essential, we need more of it.’ It’s not true. We do
need it, but we don’t need gallons of it. It’s hard for
the body to absorb.
What under-the-radar supplements do

you like?
Streit: Inositol, which exists naturally in plant foods,
may have benefits for certain populations. While
more research is needed, some studies suggest that
inositol supplements can help improve symptoms of
polycystic ovary syndrome, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, and other mental health issues.
Ratté: I’m interested in liposomal complexes. They

take things that are poorly absorbed and make them
more absorbable. Quercetin is one. It has good cell-
stabilizing properties and it’s an antioxidant that
works well with vitamin C. You can only absorb so
much vitamin C. If I take it with quercetin and get
better absorption, then maybe I don’t need to take as
much.
Anything else you’d like people to

know?
Streit: Supplements are not regulated as strictly as
5 of 6 11/19/2018, 1:30 PM
drugs by the FDA. Look for supplements that have a

seal from a third party that signifies that they have
been quality tested by an independent authority.
Make sure it was produced in a facility that meets the
standards for Good Manufacturing Practices
<https://www.fda.gov/drugs
/developmentapprovalprocess/manufacturing
/ucm169105.htm> , usually signified by a GMP seal or
stamp.
Located in Bloomington, Northwestern Health

Sciences University <https://www.nwhealth.edu/>
is a pioneer in integrative natural healthcare
education, offering degree programs in chiropractic,
acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage therapy,
nutrition, post-bac, pre-health/pre-med and B.S.
completion. Its clinic is open to the public
<https://www.nwhealth.edu/health-clinic-
bloomington/> and provides chiropractic treatment,
massage therapy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine,
naturopathic medicine, and physical therapy.
See more content from Northwestern Health Sciences

University. <http://mspmag.com/topics
/northwestern-health-sciences-university/>
Sign up for our Be Well newsletter

<http://mspmag.com/newsletter-signup> to get the
latest health and wellness coverage.
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The Scoop on Supplements - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine http://mspmag.

Can nutritional powders and pills

Created by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine for

Opinions vary so widely about what kinds of nutrition

<https://www.nwhealth.edu/> . Lizzie Streit is a

Should everyone take a multivitamin?

Ratté: Multivitamins are like an insurance policy.

What should we know about Vitamin

Ratté: It’s a really hyped vitamin right now. Vitamin

What makes for a good protein

What is the current thinking about

nutrients during pregnancy to support the baby’s

Ratté: Prenatal vitamins are important, and two

What supplements work well to

Ratté: Inflammation happens when your body’s

wine, or green tea extract, or fish oil. Are you

What is the biggest mistake people

What under-the-radar supplements do

Ratté: I’m interested in liposomal complexes. They

Anything else you’d like people to

drugs by the FDA. Look for supplements that have a

Located in Bloomington, Northwestern Health

See more content from Northwestern Health Sciences

Sign up for our Be Well newsletter

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