Abstract
Mineral nutrients, vitamins, and trace elements are essential for the growth and development of a multicellular organism. Today, an adequate supply of nutrients is often unattainable solely through a well-balanced diet, so a targeted, individually designed dietary supplement regime is necessary. Nutrient deficiency, which is impossible to detect through plasma levels alone, is reliably detected through the intracellular measurement of the nutrient levels in the blood. Two case studies presented here indicate the need for supplementation as improvement in nutritional behavior could not replenish already exhausted nutrient reservoirs. Only supplementation was able to significantly boost nutrient levels and confer beneficial effects on general welfare, physical performance, and resistance to infections. Therefore, it appears that nutritional supplements are advisable for everyone, but more research is needed, especially on an intracellular level, to corroborate these findings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Speich M, Pineau A, Ballereau F. Minerals, trace elements and related biological variables in athletes and during physical activity.Clin Chim Acta. 2001;312:1–11.
Demling RH, DeBiasse MA. Micronutrients in critical illness.Crit Care Clin. 1995;11:651–673.
Liebermann S, Bruning N.The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book. NY: Avery Group, 3, 1990.
Southern KJ, Rasekh JG, Hemphill FE, Thaler AM. Conditions of transfer and quality of food.Rev Sci Tech. 2006;25:675–684.
Lal R. Soil management in the developing countries.Soil Sciences. 2000;165:57–72.
Kramer A. Effect of storage on nutritive value of food.J Food Quality. 1977;1:23–55.
Loladze I. Rising atmospheric CO2 and human nutrition: toward globally imbalanced plant stoichiometry?Trends Ecol Evol. 2002;17:457–461.
De Temmerman L, Fangmeier A, Craigon J. Changing climate and potential impact on potato yield and quality.Eur J Agron. 2002;17:231–381.
Thomas DA. A study on the mineral depletion of the foods available to us as a nation over the period 1940 to 1991.Nutr Health. 2003;17:85–115.
Mayer AM. Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables.British Food Journal. 1997;99:207–211.
Welch RM, Graham RD. Breeding crops for enhanced micronutrient content.Plant Soil. 2002; 45:205–214.
Bouis HE. Plant breeding: a new tool for fighting micronutrient malnutrition.J Nutr. 2002; 132:491S-494S.
Baldwin C, Parsons T, Logan S. Dietary advice for illness-related malnutrition in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(1):CD002008.
Wirth R. Vitamins and trace elements in nutrition. Update 2005.Med Klin. 2006:101(suppl 1): 163–166.
Krumwiede KH. General use of vitamin supplementation.MMW Fortschr Med. 2005;147:40–43.
Cinar V, Nizamlioglu M, Mogulkoc R. The effect of magnesium supplementation on lactate levels of sportsmen and sedanter.Acta Physiol Hung. 2006;93:137–144.
Eneroth M, Olsson UB, Thorngren KG. Nutritonal supplementation decreases hip fracture-related complications.Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006;451:212–217.
Gariballa S, Forster S, Walters S, Powers H. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of nutritional supplementation during acute illness.Am J Med. 2006;119:693–699.
Glenville M. Nutritional supplements in pregnancy: commercial push or evidence based?Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2006;18:642–647.
Itoh H, Ohkuwa T, Yamazaki Y, et al. Vitamin E supplementation attenuates leakage of enzymes following 6 successive days of running training,Int J Sports Med. 2000;21:369–374.
Thu BD, Schultink W, Dillon D, Gross R, Leswara ND, Khoi HH. Effect of daily and weekly micronutrient supplementation on micronutrient deficiencies and growth in young Vietnamese children.Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:80–86.
Schmitt Y, Ott A, Kruse-Jarres JD. Bestimmung der Konzentrationen von Zink, Kupfer und Chrom in korposkulaeren Bestandteilen des Blutes bei Patienten mit Non-Hodgkin-Lymphomen. In:2. Colloquium Atomspektrometrische Spurenanalytik. (Editor: B. Welz) Verlag chemie, Weinheim. 1991;821–828.
Kisters K, Spieker C, Bachmann J, Westermann G, Zidek W. Mg++ concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes in borderline hypertensive patients.Trace Elem Elec. 1997;14:102–106.
Kisters K, Weslau R, Tokmak F, et al. Increased intracellular calcium and decreased intracellular magnesium in lymphocytes as a cell model in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension: a possible calcium magnesium antagonism.Trace Elem Elec. 1998;15:116–119.
Stelmasiak Z, Solski J, Jakubowska B. Magnesium concentration in plasma and erythrocytes in MS.Acta Neurol Scand. 1995;92:109–111.
Sherwood RA, Rocks BF, Stewart A, Saxton RS. Magnesium and the premenstrual syndrome.Ann Clin Biochem. 1986;236:667–670.
Gonçalves dos Santos H, Aparecida Arantes Sardinha F, Colli C. Erythrocytic zinc (validation of an analytical method) and dietetic in nutriture evaluation of adult woman.Rev Bras Gienc Farm. 2005;41:205–213.
DeLucas N, López-Herce J, Munoz R, Munoz MA, Merello C, Cuesta A. Normal values for serum, ultrafilterable and intraerythrocytic magnesium in children.Magnes Res. 2000;13:103–110.
Wirsam B, Hahn A, Uthus EO, Leitzmann C. Fuzzy sets and fuzzy decision making in nutrition.Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997;51:286–296.
Allen LH. New approaches for designing and evaluating food fortification programs.J Nutr. 2006;136:1055–1058.
Mannar MV. Successful food-based programmes, supplementation and fortification.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006;43(suppl 3):S47-S53.
Nutrition Service of the World Food Program. Micronutrient fortification. WFP experiences and ways forward.Food Nutr Bull. 2006;27:67–75.
Wienecke E. Mineralstoffe, Spurenelement und Vitamine. Wissenschaftlicher Abschlussbericht der Screening-Aktion.2. Auflage Gütersloh: Bertelsmannstiftung. 2001.
Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC. Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise.Magnes Res. 2006;19:180–189.
Savas S, Senel O, Celikkan H, Ugras A, Aksu ML. Effect of six weeks aerobic training upon blood trace metals levels.Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2006;27:822–827.
Margaritis I, Rousseau AS, Hininger I, Palazzetti S, Arnaud J, Roussel AM. Increase in selenium requirements with physical activity loads in well-trained athletes is not linear.Biofactors. 2005; 23:45–55.
Haymes EM. Vitamin and mineral supplementation to athletes,Int J Sport Nutr. 1991;1:146–169.
Svedahl K, Macintosh BR. Anaerobic threshold: the concept and methods of measurement.Can J Appl Physiol. 2003;28:299–323.
Hollmann W. Sports medical achievements for cardiology.Dtsch Z Sportmed. 2001;52:190–196.
Gaisl G, Koenig H, Pessenhofer H, Schwaberger G. Trainingsoptimierung im Mittel- und Langstreckenlauf mit Hilfe der Bestimmung des aerob-anaeroben Schwellenbereichs.Dtsch Z Sportmed. 1980;31:131–140.
Kindermann W, Simon G, Keul J. The significance of the aerobic-anaerobic transition for the determination of work load intensities during endurance training.Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1979;42:25–34.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wienecke, E., Gruenwald, J. Nutritional supplementation: Is it necessary for everybody?. Adv Therapy 24, 1126–1135 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877718
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02877718