Handful of health

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: supplement containing sugar for a heart patient,” says Dr Anil Saxena, Associate Director Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre.

There is some saving grace here. While you must try and maintain a well-balanced diet, you can take it easy on certain counts. The body has the capacity to keep certain vitamins in store. For instance the body can keep vitamin B 12 and vitamin A in store for over an year. But the store of folic acid, thiamine can be depleted in a week’s time. Calcium and phosphorus must also be consumed regularly.

Having whole food remains the safest bet. “Whole foods are the best way to obtain a variety of micronutrients,” says dietitian Sharon Arora of G M Modi hospital. For example instead of planning to pop in vitamin C tablets to save yourself from catching a cold this winter, consider having an orange instead.

The humble orange will not only provide vitamin C, but also fibre, beta carotene, and several other nutrients.

Supplement facts

Check the supplement label Read labels carefully. Product labels can tell you what the active ingredient or ingredients are, which nutrients are included, the serving size — for example, capsule, packet or teaspoonful — and the amount of nutrients in each serving.

Avoid supplements that provide ‘Megadoses’ In general, choose a multivitamin-mineral supplement that provides about 100% of the Daily Value (DV) of all the vitamins and minerals, rather than one which has, for example, 500% of the DV for one vitamin and only 20% of the DV for another. The exception to this is calcium. You may notice that calcium-containing supplements don’t provide 100% of the DV. If they did, the tablets would be too large to swallow. More importantly, divide your calcium intake throughout the day.

Look for expiration dates Dietary supplements can lose potency over time, especially in hot and humid climates. If a supplement doesn’t have an expiration date, don’t buy it. If your supplements have expired, discard them.