The "Chopping Hand Festival" is coming again
With the enhancement of people's health awareness, the consumption structure has upgraded
Protein powders, muscle-building powders, meal replacement shakes...
There is also a growing interest in nutritional supplements
For nutritional supplements (health foods) that more and more people eat, "should I eat them?" "How do you eat it?" Here's what the experts are answering!
Guidance expert: Huang Yufang, Deputy Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Deputy Chief Physician, Registered Dietitian
Nutritionally fortified foods vs. nutrient supplements
Fortified foods are nutrients that are essential to the human body but are easily deficient in daily meals during food processing. China mainly has salt iodization and fortified foods with vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, calcium, iron and other micronutrients.
Nutrient supplements refer to products that consist of one or more essential micronutrients, such as multivitamin and mineral nutrient supplements, calcium iron and zinc nutrient supplements, etc. The difference between a nutrient supplement and a fortified food is that it does not use food as a carrier. Most nutrient supplements are capsules, tablets, oral liquids and other dosage forms, but it is not a drug, nor can it replace food, but as a dietary nutritional supplement to make up for nutritional deficiencies.
The following aspects should be noted when consuming fortified foods and nutrient supplements:
(1) Priority is given to obtaining sufficient natural nutrients from the diet. For healthy people, in addition to individual nutrients such as iodine, the body's nutrient needs can often be met through a reasonable diet. Because natural food contains a variety of nutrients, but also contains many other health-promoting ingredients, it plays an important role in preventing chronic diseases and promoting health. Therefore, only when the diet can not meet the nutritional needs, according to their own physiological characteristics and nutritional needs, choose the appropriate nutrient supplements or nutritional fortified foods.
(2) Scientific purchase, reasonable consumption. Depending on the certain nutrients that may be missing, the required nutrient supplement products should be selected in a targeted manner. Before purchasing, you should pay attention to reading the nutrition label, and choose the relevant product and the dosage according to the content of the nutrients contained in the product and the appropriate population.
(3) Deficiency is made up. It is worth noting that fortified foods and nutrient supplements are not as much as possible, can not be eaten blindly, should be used under the guidance of a physician or nutritionist.
Expert advice
Generally speaking, for people who can eat normally, as long as they follow the recommendations of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2016", the variety and quantity of diets are well matched, which can basically meet the nutritional needs, and for people with unbalanced daily diets, as well as pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, the elderly and other special groups with high demand for certain nutrients, nutrient supplements and nutritionally fortified foods can be appropriately consumed under the guidance of a physician or nutritionist. Example:
1. For example, from the perspective of preventing osteoporosis, the elderly should first ensure the intake of calcium, the recommended daily intake of calcium for adults is 800 mg, and the recommended daily intake of calcium for people aged 50 years and above is 1000 mg. As much as possible, adequate calcium intake through diet, daily intake of milk 300 ml or equivalent amount of dairy products, often eat soybean products, eat green leafy vegetables and other calcium-rich foods every day, when the dietary calcium intake is insufficient, calcium can be given to supplement. Calcium carbonate has a high calcium content and a high absorption rate. People with insufficient sun exposure should pay attention to vitamin D supplementation.
2. The functional ingredient of fish oil is DHA, which is a Ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is beneficial to the nervous system and blood lipid metabolism of middle-aged and elderly people. Supplementing with fish oil or consuming DHA-rich fish can also help older adults with muscle mass loss and weakened muscle function.
3. In recent years, (whey) protein powder has been used more and more in the clinic, including preoperative and postoperative, severe patients, tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy, burn patients, infectious disease patients, wasting disease patients, muscle decay elderly patients, etc., all advocate increasing protein supply or adopting a high-protein diet (but patients with renal insufficiency and liver coma, please follow the doctor's advice).
Adequate protein intake is more important for the prevention and treatment of muscle decay syndrome, the recommended daily protein intake of the elderly should be maintained at 1.0 to 1.5 grams / kg (body weight), in addition to milk, eggs, meat and fish and shrimp and other high-protein foods, whey protein supplementation is more beneficial to prevent muscle decay syndrome. In addition, the elderly with muscle decay syndrome should be appropriately supplemented with nutritional supplements containing a variety of antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, selenium).
Note that nutrient supplements are foods, not medicines, and cannot treat diseases. Nutrient supplements are definitely not more the better, can not be arbitrarily selected or arbitrarily increased amounts. You should consult a physician, nutritionist, and follow their instructions.
In short, it is recommended that people should first give priority to adequately obtaining various nutrients from the diet, and the body's need for nutrients can be met through reasonable dietary combinations. When the diet can not meet the nutrient requirements, according to their own physiological characteristics and physical conditions, under the guidance of a physician or nutritionist, choose the appropriate nutrient supplements.
Source: Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University