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What’s in Your Pillbox? Appropriate Supplements for Healthy Adults Across the Life Cycle

  • Gastroenterology, Critical Care, and Lifestyle Medicine (SA McClave, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

In the USA, marketing and sales of vitamin and mineral supplements are at an all-time high. It is estimated that approximately half of Americans use at least one supplement each day; often these are taken several times daily. Many suggest claims of chronic disease prevention without merit or scientific evidence. Wide availability and perceived safety of these agents have led to consumers regularly using these products without the supervision or knowledge of a physician. Certain supplements do have benefit when taken at appropriate doses and in the appropriate patient population at risk for development or progression of chronic disease. However, supporting evidence is lacking overall to provide strong recommendations for the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation in addition to a well-balanced diet in the healthy adult.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, University of Louisville Hospital, 530 South Jackson Street, Louisville, 40245, KY, USA

    Lindsay B. Wilson

  2. Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hospital Nutrition Services, Oregon Health and Science University General Surgery, L223A 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, 97239, OR, USA

    Robert G. Martindale

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  1. Lindsay B. Wilson
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  2. Robert G. Martindale
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Correspondence to Robert G. Martindale.

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Lindsay B. Wilson and Robert G. Martindale declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Gastroenterology, Critical Care, and Lifestyle Medicine

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Wilson, L.B., Martindale, R.G. What’s in Your Pillbox? Appropriate Supplements for Healthy Adults Across the Life Cycle. Curr Nutr Rep 5, 223–232 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0174-6

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