March Blog Summary

Question one asked you to discuss what you would recommend or how would you deal with the issue of an older client using multiple medications and supplements. This question was asked based on the high association between advancing age and greater supplement use being particularly strong with use of other natural products and that it could have important public health implications due to the high prevalence of prescription and over-the-counter medicine use in this population. Most bloggers posted that it would be important to look up significant side effects or interactions and discuss them with the client. Most of you also indicated that the clients should never leave out any medications or supplements they are taking because it could be dangerous. Almost all of you recommended they discuss their supplements and medications with their doctor before they begin taking them. I also enjoyed hearing that you would try to remove unnecessary supplementation and replace through dietary means.

Question two asked you to discuss why clients may feel an enhanced sense of good health while taking a dietary supplement. I also asked if you feel this way if you are taking a multivitamin. Many of your responses sounded similar. Almost all discussed when you eat poorly on some days, taking a multivitamin may create a ‘cushion’ for those vitamins you did not get quite enough of. When people feel ill and are unable to take in much food, a multivitamin gives them peace of mind. Many of you discussed the placebo effect of drugs or supplements and how that may play a part in the ‘enhanced sense of good health’ that people may feel while taking an MVI. You discussed that some supplements will not give any indication that they are making a difference, while others will let you know they are working (through previous deficiencies). Many of you mentioned that today’s society is very ‘pill-popping’ and rely on the pill to cover the vitamins we did not intake.

Question 3 discussed how women, older individuals and those with more education and income were more likely to use supplementation. I then asked if you agreed with this statement based on the individuals you have encountered and why these types of people would supplement more often. When I initially wrote the question, I thought that the less educated and lower income individuals would supplement more due to the fact that they may know less about supplements and possible think supplements would at least give them all the vitamins and minerals they would need if they did not have enough money for healthy foods. However, most of your responses indicated that you agreed with this statement. Many suggested that women care more about their health and research more about supplements and health issues. When discussing education and income status, many of you thought that the educated would know more about health issues and supplementation and therefore, would be able to purchase the expensive supplements available. The main theme of this discussion indicated that women focus on their health mainly because of societal pressures to look good and stay young. I agree with this statement made by nearly all of you.

Overall, supplementation will continue to be a concern in the dietetic field. Clients will come to you, a physician or pharmacist and ask what a certain supplement can do for them. During my rotations, I visited with an older lady recently diagnosed with cancer that was taking 12 different vitamins on top of an MVI. She self-prescribed these vitamins. It is scary what the population does not know about supplementations and it is important for us to know about them and team with physicians and pharmacists to keep on top of this issue. By stressing the importance of eating healthy and exercising daily, we can reduce the need for many supplements.