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Source: FDA U.S Food and Drug Administration
Develop a Vitamin Strategy
It is important for consumers to have an overall strategy for how they will
achieve adequate vitamin intakes. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
advises that nutrient needs be met primarily through consuming foods, with
supplementation suggested for certain sensitive populations.
These guidelines, published by the Department of Health and Human Services and
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provide science-based advice to
promote health and to reduce risk for chronic diseases through diet and physical
activity. They form the basis for federal food, nutrition education, and
information programs.
Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., Director of FDA's Office of Nutritional Products,
Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, says, "The Guidelines emphasize that
supplements may be useful when they fill a specific identified nutrient gap that
cannot or is not otherwise being met by the individual's intake of food." She
adds, "An important point made in the guidelines is that nutrient supplements
are not a substitute for a healthful diet." |
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