5 Tips for Choosing
the Best Dietary Supplements
Supplements meant to augment,
not replace, healthy diet
Americans have
become increasingly health conscious over the past
decade, and there is more widespread understanding
of the connection between good health and diet. And
yet, this knowledge has not translated into healthier
eating habits. By some estimates, 90 percent of us
are not getting the vitamins and minerals we need
on a regular basis.
"We are a time-starved
society," points out Jeff Zwiefel, an exercise
physiologist with Life Time Fitness. "People
generally don't take the time to plan meals or do
the shopping and cooking that's necessary to eat healthfully.
We don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and don't
get the anti-oxidants we should have in our diets."
There are many factors
contributing to our lack of proper nutrition, Zwiefel
says. Environmental factors such as pollution, preservatives
in prepared foods, and poor soil quality as fields
are over-farmed and over-fertilized all have contributed
to a lack of proper nutrients. Lifestyle factors such
as increased stress, excessive use of alcohol or tobacco
products, lack of exercise and over-use of preserved,
prepared foods as opposed to whole, unprocessed foods
also have contributed to the problem.
Apparently, a lot of
us realize what we're lacking, Zwiefel says, since
some 56 percent of adults use vitamins and supplements
on a daily basis to make sure we're getting the nutrients
we need. But Zwiefel cautions that supplements should
not replace the vitamins and minerals found in whole
foods.
"Supplements are
meant to augment a diet, not replace healthy eating
and exercise habits," he says.
But for those who decide
to use supplements, Zwiefel cautions that the quality
and effectiveness can vary widely, and consumers would
do well to educate themselves before adding one or
more to their diet.
Zwiefel says there
are five key things people should look for when they
begin researching and shopping for dietary supplements.
- Look for a product
that has a gender-specific formulation. "The
more we learn about nutrition, the more obvious
it becomes that men and women have different needs.
A good supplement will have different formulations
to meet those needs," Zwiefel says.
- Look for a supplement
that has morning and evening formulations. "Our
bodies don't need or use nutrients all at once,"
he says. "We need different vitamins and minerals
to help us gear up and get through the day, and
others to help our bodies repair themselves at night.
And some nutrients counteract each other and shouldn't
be taken at the same time," Zwiefel says.
- Read the label to
make sure the formulation has been independently
tested and analyzed. Supplements should be tested
for potency and potential toxicity and backed up
with the best research and science available. A
good manufacturing source is a key element in ensuring
quality.
- Buy supplements
in capsule form rather than tablets. "Tablets
may be cheaper to manufacture than capsules, but
capsules are better because they don't include as
much filler and the nutrients can be more efficiently
absorbed into the body," Zwiefel says.
- Finally, look for
chelated minerals when reading a supplement's label.
Chelation is a process that binds fatty acids or
amino acids to a mineral, which aids absorption
into the body, Zwiefel says.
Life Time Fitness formed
a team consisting of Zwiefel, a biochemist and a dietitian
to develop its own line of high-quality dietary supplements.
Two lines -- the Elite Multi Vitamin and the Peak
Performance Multi Vitamin -- come in gender-specific
formulations and are manufactured according to strict
standards set by Life Time Fitness. But Zwiefel stresses
that these supplements are only one element of the
holistic fitness concept Life Time Fitness emphasizes.
"We provide our
members education about how the body works: body mechanics,
metabolism, motivation and behavioral change,"
Zwiefel says. "We also promote fitness, using
both aerobic activity and strength training; and finally,
we provide information on diet and nutrition, including
supplementation when needed."
To find out more about
Life Time Fitness' lines of dietary supplements or
its fitness and nutrition programs, go to www.lifetimefitness.com
to find the center nearest you.
