The Scoop - Summer 2019

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Summer 2019

What’s the Scoop? Questions and Answers About Dietary Supplements

My 17-year-old daughter has decided to follow a vegetarian diet. I’m worried that she’s not getting enough iron. Should she take an iron supplement?

Your daughter’s healthcare provider is the best person to help you determine whether she is getting enough iron from her diet or if she might benefit from a supplement.

?The daily recommended amount of iron is 15 milligrams (mg) for a teenage girl. Although meat, poultry, and seafood are the richest sources of iron, many plant foods––including beans, nuts, and vegetables––also contain iron. Iron is also added to many fortified breads, cereals, and other grain products.

Vegetarians can get enough iron from foods. However, our bodies don’t absorb the form of iron in plant foods and fortified foods as well as the form of iron found in animal products. For this reason, vegetarians need to consume almost twice as much iron as non-vegetarians. Our fact sheets on iron provide more details, including the recommended daily amounts of iron for various age groups.

Can vitamin B6 reduce the symptoms of PMS?

Vitamin B6 may be helpful for premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but scientists aren’t sure. Some research shows that taking vitamin B6 supplements (about 80 mg a day) might reduce PMS symptoms including moodiness, irritability, forgetfulness, bloating, and anxiety. But more research is needed to confirm these findings. In addition, it’s important to know that taking too much vitamin B6 in supplement form––more than 100 mg per day for adults––can cause severe nerve damage and other problems.

If you want to try vitamin B6 for PMS, talk with your healthcare provider first.

Have more questions? See our fact sheets on vitamin B6.

My son has ADHD and I want to avoid using medications. Are there any dietary supplements that might help?

Many parents wonder if dietary supplements can help their children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Unfortunately, most supplements have not been proven to work and some could be dangerous––so it’s important to be careful. If you’re considering natural therapies such as dietary supplements for your son, look for information from reliable sources and talk with his healthcare provider.

Vitamins and minerals are some of the most common supplements promoted for ADHD. If your son has a vitamin or mineral deficiency, his healthcare provider might recommend changes to his diet or specific dietary supplements. But beyond that, taking extra vitamins and minerals won’t necessarily help. And keep in mind that high doses of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful.

Scientists are studying other dietary supplements, such as fish oil, to see if they hold promise for ADHD. But this research is still in its early stages, so we don’t know if these products are effective.

Have more questions? See our dietary supplement fact sheets and information from MedlinePlus on ADHD .

In the News

The Latest on CBD from FDA

Products containing CBD (cannabidiol) and other compounds from cannabis have skyrocketed in popularity. Yet many questions about their effectiveness, safety, quality, and legality remain unanswered. A consumer update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes that some CBD products are being marketed with unproven claims. In addition, these products could have harmful side effects or be contaminated with pesticides or heavy metals. FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug to treat rare but severe forms of epilepsy. Consumers should stay informed and talk with their healthcare providers for advice.

Study Indicates That Vitamin D Supplements Do Not Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

An NIH-funded trial has found that taking vitamin D supplements does not prevent type 2 diabetes in people at high risk of the disease. In this study, which was co-sponsored by the Office of Dietary Supplements, 2,423 U.S. adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes received either 4,000 international units (IU) per day of vitamin D3 or placebo for about 2.5 years. At the end of the study, there was no meaningful difference in the risk of type 2 diabetes between those who took vitamin D3 and those who took the placebo. The lead researcher, Dr. Anastassios G. Pittas from Tufts Medical Center, said that the strengths of the study included a large number of participants as well as racial and ethnic diversity. In addition, the dose of vitamin D3 was high enough to produce a large difference in vitamin D blood levels between groups, while still being safe.

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About ODS

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency—supporting scientific studies that turn discovery into health.

Office of Dietary Supplements

National Institutes of Health

6100 Executive Blvd., Room 3B01

Bethesda, MD 20892-7517

Email: ods@nih.gov

Website: https://ods.od.nih.gov