American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition Articles & Resources

To know your thresholds of the supplements, read on.

Myth: Vitamins are a source of energy. So, taking multivitamins is always beneficial for your body.

Fact: Vitamins do not contain any calories. Hence, they cant provide any energy. The main role of vitamins and minerals is to build immunity. Only eating a well balanced diet can provide with right amount of energy which is a must. Bottomline: vitamins supplements do not make up for a poor diet Recommended calories per day: 1200 Calories.

Myth: Vitamins and minerals supplements help overcome stress.

Fact: Vitamin C helps in oxidative stress only and it effectiveness in daily stresses is yet to be proved. Only under extreme stress, such as severe illness or surgery, might extra vitamins help.

Myth: Different types of calcium supplements have same effect. After all, calcium is calcium.

Fact: Firstly, different calcium supplements pills have different elemental calcium content in them. Second, not all the calcium gets absorbed in our body. Absorption of calcium depends on estrogen level, acidity in our intestines, amount of vitamin D, and type of calcium supplement. Buy calcium pills which meets the standards of US pharmacopeia. These calcium supplements provides you with adequate amount of elemental Calcium. Recommended intake: 1000mg-1350gm. Make sure you don't exceed the limit.

Myth: Athletes and bodybuilders don't need extra protein.

Fact: We can eradicate this myth from the society by applying some common sense. We should have no doubt in our mind that active people like athletes and bodybuilders do need extra protein in their diet as their lifestyle demands more than sedentary people. Now, even studies and researches confirm the same. Specially in the off season period, a body builder needs more proteins as well as calories. In the nutshell, athletes and bodybuilders will benefit more from protein supplements as it will help them build muscle mass and reduce body fat.

Myth: There is not enough scientific data to support the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements.

Fact: This is absolutely not true. If we keep our eyes and ear open, we can find enough reports and studies supporting the benefits of dietary supplements in various areas. Every month, researches at leading universities like Johns Hopkins University and the American Heart Association prove the benefits of dietary supplements with strong evidence. These studies can be read at The Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .