The only reasons a consumer should take vitamins and supplements is if he or she doesn’t eat a balanced diet or is in a particular risk group, said a doctor on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News' senior health and medical editor, said he doesn’t take vitamins because he eats a diet of fruits and vegetables, which, he said, provides him with all the nutrients he needs, including those he wouldn't get from supplements.
However, he said some doctors, after considering the health, diet and age of a patient, will recommend supplements. People at risk for nutrient deficiencies, like pregnant women and some elderly patients should consider vitamins like folic acid, vitamin D and calcium, he said.
However, industry members do not agree that most do not need supplements. In the comments section of the article, Jon Benninger, director of business development, Virgo Publishing, which publishes dietary supplement magazines including Natural Products Marketplace, noted most Americans do not eat a balanced diet and doctors face a difficult time making meaningful recommendations based on their patients’ actual health habits. He added most doctors are trained to treat disease, not to prevent it.
Also commenting, Kate Murphy, communications coordinator, Council for Responsible Nutrition, referenced a recently released "Life...supplemented" Healthcare Professionals Impact Study, which found 72 percent of physicians personally use dietary supplements and 79 percent of physicians recommend supplements to their patients.