The Council for Responsible Nutrition
And the Benefits of Supplements

For years, much of conventional medicine has downplayed or flat out denied the need for nutritional supplements.

However, people are experiencing the incredible health benefits of supplements, and the medical establishment has had to adjust. They’ve done so very reluctantly. In fact, some practitioners still insist supplements just give you expensive urine.

Well, all the naysayers who insist that nutritional supplements are unnecessary better get ready to make more adjustments in their thinking. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has an updated comprehensive report citing sound scientific studies that prove otherwise. Almost everyone needs dietary supplements!

The updated book, which assesses the current state of the science on the health benefits associated with select nutritional supplements, finds consistent and adequate use of these nutrients contributes to overall health and wellness throughout all age groups, lifestyles, and life stages.

Specifically, the report addresses the current state of the science regarding multivitamins and other supplements, including antioxidants (vitamin C and E), calcium, long chain omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), vitamin D, vitamins B-6 and B-12, fiber and folic acid.

They didn’t cherry pick the best studies either. The report includes studies that demonstrate benefits as well as studies with null results and studies that purport to have found harm. It discusses who needs dietary supplements (nearly everyone) and who takes dietary supplements (most everyone). It even includes information about who (in the medical community) currently recommends dietary supplements. That list included practitioners across the majority of specialties (primary care physicians, OB/GYNs, cardiologists, dermatologists and orthopedists), as well as other health professionals (nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and registered dietitians).

The CRN’s comprehensive report, The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements (4th Edition), examined supplements in a wide variety of key life stages from infancy, through adolescence, during pregnancy, in our prime, for the elderly and during late stages of life.  It even examines issues surrounding supplements and mortality.

There are some who still think a good diet will give you all the nutrition you need. However, this study reminds readers that even the most conscientious consumers find it difficult to get all the nutrients they need from food alone.  Taking supplements is an effective and affordable way to fill a number of known nutrient gaps and help maintain overall good health.

The author, Annette Dickinson, PhD, past president and current consultant for CRN, said they wanted to “paint a thorough picture of the state of the science surrounding these nutrients. And because we evaluate relevant scientific studies throughout the report, it was essential for us also to delve into the current debate over nutrient benefits — what is working, what could be improved, and what many experts in the field suggest.”

“What is so important about this book is that it doesn’t look at individual studies, one at a time, and ask consumers to make decisions based on what often is a flip-flop of results.  This book tracks the research so that individual studies can be placed in an overall context, more effectively reflecting the overall state of the science. Science is complex and constantly evolving, at times in unpredictable ways. The book addresses that evolution.”

The Report is Conclusive — Supplements Work!

While the medical establishment hasn’t eagerly supported supplements, many individual health professionals have! Today, those who don’t believe supplements work are becoming rare — as they should be!  The science proves supplements work!

So, no matter what you eat on a daily basis, make sure you’re taking your nutritional supplements. At the very least, take a balanced, digestible and bio-available, multi-vitamin, mineral formula!  Then, if you have particular health challenges, you can add other supplements as necessary.

Reference:

Council for Responsible Nutrition. “Nutritional Supplements and the Current State of Scientific Research.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 24 Jun. 2012. Web. 25 Jun. 2012.