Are supplements better than food?

Should anyone take supplements?

There is some merit to supplement use in particular cases, such as folic acid in early pregnancy or daily vitamin D during the winter months in the UK, or targeted supplements when a deficiency has been medically diagnosed, such as vitamin B12 deficiency due to pernicious anaemia.

Other scenarios could be when someone is following a restrictive diet that cuts out food groups or whole rafts of ingredients, or if someone can’t tolerate much food for whatever reason, or if someone has such a level of deficiency that they need a more concentrated approach alongside real food. Plus other similar scenarios that restrict the consumption of whole food or where there is a medical or extreme deficiency issue. But blindly supplementing may do more harm than good and the money could be better spent on improving the diet, whenever that is possible.

There’s a world of difference between taking a concentrated single micronutrient in supplement form and getting that nutrient from real food. That’s because real food comes with a raft of other micronutrients and properties that make absorption and assimilation of nutrients more efficient. One nutrient or compound complements another and they work in synergy with each other.

A whole food diet with colour and variety provides and abundance of vitamins and minerals in a form that the human body has evolved to process and use. Whereas a pill may not be broken down or absorbed as effectively. Not to mention that so many people are haphazard in taking supplements – they’ll do it for a day or two then forget for a week or two, plus certain nutrients need to be taken in certain ‘food settings’ such as fat soluble vitamins needing to be consumed with fatty foods in order for the body to absorb them.

Are supplements effective, reliable and safe?

Another point is the effectiveness, regulation and reliability of supplements. There are very generalised laws around what is in them and anyone can set up a supplement company – hence celeb-and-influencer-supps and the like. There’s no real guarantee that the amount the label says is in them is actually in them, plus they often come with undesirable fillers and other additives. They are simply regulated under general UK food law, no more than that. In terms of effectiveness, their bioavailabilty can vary according to the type of supplement, e.g. liquid versus pill or according to the physiology of the individual taking them. But the common belief is that they work identically in everyone. This American scientific paper explains some of the pitfalls excellently.

Then there is the serious issue of drug-supplement interactions. Some supplements may interfere with the action of pharmaceuticals and because these products are widely available over-the-counter these risks go unaccounted for.

Then we have the internet and its plethora of available supplements from EVERYWHERE, regulated and unregulated. It really is a hell of job deciding which are best to use.

Is food effective, reliable and safe

Huge question. Eating a varied diet with an abundance of vegetables, nuts, seeds, quality proteins, whole grains and healthy fats is a pretty good approach bringing some wonderful health outcomes. But the soils our foods are grown in can be increasingly deficient in nutrients, due to intensive farming (thankfully now changing with the rise of regenerative agriculture). And the animals we eat, and their products, may be less nutritious now that they are so often fed on a diet of grains rather than being able to graze outside.

Take poultry, so many birds are housed indoors and never get to forage outside; they simple eat the grain that’s fed to them, and that grain has been treated with agrochemicals during its growing cycle. In fact the use of agrochemicals and the extent of indoor-grown veg and fruit can prevent plants from having a rich array of phytonutrients – if the chemicals and growing environment are protecting them from environmental damage and disease there is no need for them to bother forming their own natural phytochemical protection. Knowing the provenance of our food is important.

Is it dangerous to take too many supplements?

Another risk with supplementation is that of doubling-up or more on some nutrients and consuming them in excess. This is particularly the case with fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K because any excess is stored in the body’s fatty tissue rather than being excreted as is the case with water soluble vitamins. Micronutrient excess can cause very serious health issues, as is the case with iron overload where people can end up with heart, liver, joint and thyroid damage and disfunction.

Let’s take the case of someone talking a multivitamin that has 100% of the daily recommended amount of a particular micronutrient. “Fine”, you might think, but they also take a WellWoman or WellMan supplement with many of the same vitamins and minerals, and a separate vitamin D supplement when they are already getting D from their multivit, and perhaps another one that says it’s for health and vitality which again contains some of the same compounds. Hence they’re taking certain nutrients in excess, as well as getting them from food, and can end up with poor health symptoms.

This is not the case with food alone because your body self-regulates intake, it’s far more difficult to consume excess and the nutrients are not in such concentrated forms.

Food first approach

When I write our weekly nutrition plans I ensure an abundance of micronutrient variety and that all the vitamins and minerals are covered in adequate amounts each day. A much tastier and healthier way to take your micronutrients! What might look like a set of random recipes is a carefully thought out framework of nutrient-dense foods, made into delicious meals.

What to do if you think you have a vitamin or mineral deficiency

If you do feel you have a deficiency I advise you to first speak to your GP about your symptoms and signs, they can arrange tests for levels of nutrients such as B12 and iron, plus they can assess whether there are other medical issues. Secondly to speak with a qualified nutrition professional to assess your diet and symptoms.

Get some support

If you would like to talk through your diet you can book a call with me so we can look at the detail of what you eat and how you feel and make changes if necessary.

Vitamin and mineral sheet

Mean time I have put together the table below which shows the foods with the richest source of each micronutrient – a good guide to use when planning your weekly menus. Use the search field to type in the name of the food or mineral to filter the results. You can also download a PDF of the this information.

Search tip: When searching for specific vitamins use quotation marks “” to get the best results.
e.g. “Vitamin C”

Food	Nutrient / Vitamin
almonds	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
anchovies	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
apples	Chromium (T)
apricots	Potassium (M)
apricots	Vitamin A betacarotene
asparagus	Folate
asparagus	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
avocado	Folate
avocado	Magnesium (M)
avocado	Potassium (M)
avocado	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
avocado	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
avocado	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
avocado	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
avocado	Vitamin E
avocado	Vitamin E
banana	Chromium (T)
banana	Molybdenum (T)
banana	Potassium (M)
banana	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
banana	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
beans and pulses	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
beans and pulses	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
beans and pulses	Iron (T)
beans and pulses	Manganese (T)
beans and pulses	Manganese (T)
Beans and pulses	Molybdenum (T)
beans and pulses	Phosphorus (M)
beans and pulses	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
beans and pulses	Magnesium (M)
beans and pulses	Selenium (T)
beans and pulses	Folate
beans and pulses	Potassium (M)
beans and pulses	Folate
beans and pulses	Phosphorus (M)
beans and pulses	Potassium (M)
beans and pulses	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
beans and pulses	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
beans and pulses	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
beef	Chromium (T)
beef	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
beef	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
beef liver	Iodine (T)
beef liver	Molybdenum (T)
beef liver	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
beef liver	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
beef liver	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
beef liver	Vitamin D
black tea	Manganese (T)
Brazil nuts	Selenium (T)
broccoli	Chromium (T)
broccoli	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
broccoli	Vitamin C
brussels sprouts	Sulfur (M)
brussels sprouts	Vitamin C
butter	Vitamin A pre-formed
cantaloupe melon	Vitamin A betacarotene
cantaloupe melon	Vitamin C
carrots	Vitamin A betacarotene
cauliflower	Sulfur (M)
cereal grains (whole)	Vitamin K
cheese	Vitamin A pre-formed
cheese	Vitamin B12
chia seeds	Calcium (M)
chicken	Iodine (T)
chicken	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
chickpeas	Folate
chickpeas	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
citrus fruits	Vitamin C
clams	Vitamin B12
clams and mussels	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
cod liver oil	Vitamin D
cottage cheese	Selenium (T)
cruciferous vegetables	Vitamin C
cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli	Sulfur (M)
dairy	Calcium (M)
dairy	Iodine (T)
dairy	Phosphorus (M)
dark chocolate	Copper (T)
dark chocolate	Magnesium (M)
dark green leafy vegetables	Folate
dark green leafy vegetables	Vitamin A betacarotene
dark green leafy vegetables	Calcium (M)
dark green leafy vegetables	Magnesium (M)
dark green leafy vegetables	Molybdenum (T)
dark green leafy vegetables	Vitamin K
dark green leafy vegetables	Sulfur (M)
dark green leafy vegetables	Potassium (M)
dried figs	Calcium (M)
dried fruit	Iron (T)
dried fruit	Potassium (M)
edamame beans	Calcium (M)
edamame beans	Vitamin K
egg yolk	Vitamin A pre-formed
egg yolk	Vitamin D
egg yolk	Chromium (T)
egg yolk	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
eggs	Folate
eggs	Iodine (T)
eggs	Molybdenum (T)
eggs	Selenium (T)
eggs	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
eggs	Vitamin B12
eggs	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
eggs	Zinc (T)
eggs (note: raw egg white inhibits absorption and encourages deficiency)	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
feta cheese	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
fish	Copper (T)
fish	Iodine (T)
fish	Selenium (T)
fish	Vitamin A pre-formed
fish	Vitamin B12
fish	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
fortified breakfast cereals	Folate
fortified breakfast cereals	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
fortified breakfast cereals	Vitamin B12
fortified breakfast cereals	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
fortified breakfast cereals	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
fortified breakfast cereals	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
fortified breakfast cereals	Zinc (T)
fortified foods	Calcium (M)
fortified foods	Iodine (T)
fortified foods	Vitamin D
hard cheese	Zinc (T)
kiwi fruit	Vitamin C
liver (avoid in pregnancy)	Vitamin A pre-formed
liver (avoid in pregnancy)	Folate
mango	Vitamin A betacarotene
mango	Vitamin E
mango	Folate
milk	Molybdenum (T)
milk	Selenium (T)
milk	Vitamin A pre-formed
milk	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
milk	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
milk	Zinc (T)
mushrooms	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
mushrooms	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
mushrooms	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
mussels	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
mussels	Vitamin B12
mussels	Zinc (T)
nutritional yeast	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
nutritional yeast	Vitamin B12
nutritional yeast	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
nutritional yeast	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
nuts and seeds	Copper (T)
nuts and seeds	Iron (T)
nuts and seeds	Magnesium (M)
nuts and seeds	Manganese (T)
nuts and seeds	Phosphorus (M)
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
nuts and seeds	Vitamin E
nuts and seeds	Zinc (T)
nuts and seeds	Sulfur (M)
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
nuts and seeds	Copper (T)
nuts and seeds	Phosphorus (M)
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
nuts and seeds	Vitamin E
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
nuts and seeds	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
oily fish	Vitamin D
olive oil	Vitamin E
orange and yellow peppers	Vitamin A betacarotene
orange fruits and vegetables	Vitamin A betacarotene
oranges	Folate
organ meats	Copper (T)
organ meats	Selenium (T)
organ meats	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
organ meats	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
papaya	Vitamin A betacarotene
peanut butter	Vitamin E
peanuts	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
peanuts	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
peas	Folate
peas	Vitamin A betacarotene
peas	Vitamin C
peas and other pulses	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
peppers	Vitamin C
pineapple	Manganese (T)
pork	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
pork	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
pork	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
pork	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
pork	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
potatoes	Potassium (M)
potatoes	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
potatoes	Vitamin C
potatoes with skin	Molybdenum (T)
poultry	Iron (T)
poultry	Phosphorus (M)
poultry	Potassium (M)
poultry	Selenium (T)
poultry	Sulfur (M)
poultry	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
poultry	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
poultry	Zinc (T)
quinoa	Magnesium (M)
quinoa	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
red cabbage	Vitamin C
red fruits and vegetables	Vitamin A betacarotene
red meat	Vitamin B12
red meat	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
red meat	Iron (T)
red meat	Phosphorus (M)
red meat	Zinc (T)
salmon	Phosphorus (M)
salmon	Potassium (M)
salmon	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
salmon	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
salmon	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
salmon	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
salmon	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
salt and salty foods	Sodium (M)
salt and salty foods	Sodium (M)
sardines	Vitamin B12
sea salt	Chloride (M)
sea salt	Sodium (M)
seafood	Folate
seafood	Phosphorus (M)
seafood	Selenium (T)
seafood	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
seaweed	Chloride (M)
seaweed	Iodine (T)
seed oils	Vitamin E
sesame seeds	Calcium (M)
shellfish	Chromium (T)
shellfish	Copper (T)
shellfish	Iodine (T)
shellfish	Zinc (T)
shellfish, especially mussels	Manganese (T)
shiitake mushrooms	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
soft fruits	Vitamin C
spinach	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
squash	Vitamin A betacarotene
steak	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
sun-exposed mushrooms	Vitamin D
sunflower seeds	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
sunshine on skin	Vitamin D
sweet potatoes	Vitamin A betacarotene
sweet potatoes	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
sweet potatoes	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
table salt	Chloride (M)
tinned fish	Zinc (T)
tinned fish with bones	Calcium (M)
tofu	Calcium (M)
tofu	Copper (T)
tofu	Magnesium (M)
tofu	Manganese (T)
tofu	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
tofu	Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
tofu	Zinc (T)
tofu	Selenium (T)
tomato purée	Potassium (M)
tomatoes	Vitamin A betacarotene
tomatoes	Vitamin C
trout	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
tuna	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
tuna	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
wheatgerm	Vitamin E
white beans	Calcium (M)
whole grains	Chromium (T)
whole grains	Copper (T)
whole grains	Magnesium (M)
whole grains	Manganese (T)
whole grains	Molybdenum (T)
whole grains	Phosphorus (M)
whole grains	Sulfur (M)
whole grains	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
whole grains	Vitamin B3 - Niacin
whole grains	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
whole grains	Zinc (T)
whole milk	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
wholegrain rice	Selenium (T)
widely abundant in food	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
winter squash	Potassium (M)
yeast	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
yeast	Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid
yeast	Vitamin B7 - Biotin
yoghurt	Magnesium (M)
yoghurt	Molybdenum (T)
yoghurt	Vitamin B1 - Thiamine
yoghurt	Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
yoghurt	Zinc (T)
yoghurt and other dairy	Molybdenum (T)