MOST of us do not get enough folate, vitamins A, B1, C and D, iodine, potassium and iron from our food. Since they are vital, it makes sense to use foods enriched with them.
If for some reason eating remains one-sided, supplemented foods can improve the intake of nutrients. They still do not replace a varied diet.
MOST supplemented products are ordinary basic foods. For example, vitamin D is added to milk and iodine to table salt. Iodine is important for thyroid function and vitamin D strengthens bones and immunity. If vitamin D were not added to dairy products, we would have a more severe vitamin D deficiency in the winter months than we have now.
Content continues after the ad
Muesli bars or cereals may contain added iron, and iron deficiency is especially common among women. Juice and mineral water can be supplemented with potassium, which is important for the nervous system and heart.
The content continues below the ad
SUPPLEMENTATION uses not only vitamins and minerals, but also other substances that affect the functioning of the body, such as, for example, lactic acid bacteria to promote the well-being of the stomach or omega-3 fatty acids, because they are necessary but difficult for some to obtain.
Who benefits from supplementation?
SUPPLEMENTATION can also be used to repair the loss of nutrients that occurs during food preparation, such as heating, and storage. The added active ingredients can help keep the nutritional value of the canned food as it would be in its fresh counterpart.
The supplement is also useful when, for example, you replace a dairy product with a plant-based one. Cow’s milk naturally contains a lot of calcium and vitamin D is added to it, so it makes sense to add both to plant milks as well. Iodine, vitamin D and B12 are mostly obtained from animal products, so vegans really benefit from products supplemented with them.
IF THE FAMILY mostly eats bleached grains, it’s only good that the breakfast cereal is supplemented with whole grain vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid, niacin and iron.
A sense of health
SUPPLEMENTATION can also be a purely commercial way of making the product more attractive than competitors or sounding healthier in general.
Many food products are sold with high fiber content, and fiber has real effects on well-being. Therefore, if vegetables and whole grains are in short supply, it may be good to prefer products supplemented with fiber. However, some of the supplemented products do not fulfill any real need. For example, vitamins and minerals are added to bottled water to make it interesting to the target group.
The BEST WAY to increase your intake of vitamins and minerals is to eat more variety. However, it is not always possible, and fortified foods can help bridge the gap between need and supply. However, those hoping for this should remember that the amounts used in the supplement are small. For example, those suffering from folate and vitamin A deficiency should ensure sufficient intake with clearly stronger supplements.
The supplement can be found in the product description
- The list of ingredients tells what has been added to the product. The nutritional content indicates the amounts and percentages of vitamins and minerals from the reference value of the daily intake.
- It would be good to have 10–50 percent of the daily requirement of the vitamin or mineral that is needed in the dose. The more portions of food you eat, the lower the concentration is sufficient.
- EU legislation defines which combinations of vitamins and minerals can be used. They must be scientifically proven to be safe and usable by the human body.
Cognoscenti Sanna Kiuru inspector general, Food Agency, Anette Palssa nutritionist.
This article has appeared in Hyvä tervey magazine. As a subscriber, you can read all issues free of charge from the digilehdet.fi service.
Source: www.hyvaterveys.fi
