Do As I Say But Don't Ask Me Why

Apparently a lot of nurses and physicians like their vitamins, minerals and other supplements as much as anyone, and they often recommend that their patients take them, too.

This according to a report in the Nutrition Journal, an online publication of BioMed Central.

Nine hundred doctors and 277 nurses were polled in 2007 about their use of dietary supplements, but the survey also found that most of the nurses and doctors had no formal education or training on the topic. Essentially, many are just flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to knowledge about dietary supplements.

Here’s what else the survey found:
• About nine out of 10 nurses and three out of four doctors say they use some sort of dietary supplement regularly, occasionally or seasonally.
• About 80 percent of the nurses and physicians recommend dietary supplements to their patients.
• About one in four nurses and doctors say they take only multivitamins.
• About one in three nurses and one in four doctors say they take other supplements such as green tea, fish oil, glucosamine, flax seed, chondroitin, and echinacea.

It should be noted that this online survey was conducted for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a Washington, D.C.-based “trade association” (read lobbyist) that represents the dietary supplement industry. I suspect the reason it chose to do the survey is because the association knew it would produce favorable results. If the results had not been favorable for the industry, you wouldn’t be reading about it now.

I’m also wondering if the results might have something to do with the age of the participants.

About 70 percent to 75 percent of the nurses and doctors were 40 years or older -- about the time in life when we start thinking about our mortality and hence nutrition. The demongraphics also means that many of the women are in that window of menopause and must be concerned about osteoporosis.

I think it’s probably a good idea for most people to take a multivitamin. Even if you “eat healthy,” it’s difficult to get all the needed vitamins and minerals. And women must be concerned about their calcium, vitamin D and magnesium intake. But beyond that, unless there is specific pathology that demands supplements, we really don’t need much except multivitamins and minerals needed to maintain strong bones.

Buying basketsful of supplements is for the worried well, and I tend to agree with the nutritionist who once said that Americans have the healthiest urine on the planet.

I also hope that the vitamin and supplement industry does not use the results of this survey to further their quest for less regulation in the hopes that Americans continue to spend needlessly for supplements that don’t really do much.