NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTS
Siamak Rouzroch, MD
Fariba Bardi, DC
Dr. Fariba Bardi recommends nutritional supplements as a complement to a healthy diet. It is often believed that if you eat a variety of healthy foods, that you probably don’t need nutritional supplements. However, in today’s fast-paced society most people don’t get the proper nutrients from their diets. For example, adults age 50 or older may not get enough vitamin B-12 in their diets and may need nutritional supplement. Women, especially those over the age of 50, calcium and Vitamin D supplements are needed for bone health. (See reference below for Dietary Reference Index Standards by Age.) Athletes, nursing mothers and individuals with chronic illness may require additional supplementation to their diet.
Dr. Bardi advises her patients that a vast amount of scientific evidence supporting the benefits of various types of dietary supplements (vitamins and minerals) for certain health condition. Dietary supplements are regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, not all manufacturers of supplements use strict standards for quality and purity of their ingredients. According to the FDA, “It is the responsibility of dietary supplement manufacturers/distributors to ensure that their products are safe and that their label claims are accurate and truthful. If the FDA finds a supplement to be unsafe once it is on the market, only then can it take action against the manufacturer and/or distributor, such as by issuing a warning or requiring the product to be removed from the marketplace.”
Yes, it true that the manufacturer does not have to prove that the supplement is effective, unlike for drugs. For this reason Dr. Bardi carefully researched the manufacturer of the supplements she recommends to her patients. She carries Metagenics supplements, a research-based medical foods company, called nutraceuticals. She also recommends DaVinci Laboratories as for over 40 years, DaVinci has provided nutritional/supplements.
Talk with Dr. Bardi about what types of nutritional supplements you may need. She can also discuss any possible interactions vitamins and herbs may have with medications you take.
For more information on Metagenics products, visit www.Bardi.mymetagenics.com
Helpful Nutritional and Supplement Resources:
Nutritional –Dietary Reference Index by Age
Office of Dietary Supplements , Institute of Health http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
US Department of Agriculture http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/dietary-supplements
