The best nutrition comes from food — not supplements. Though even a well-balanced diet might require the added benefit of vitamin and mineral supplements, those supplements should be used only to “top off” the nutrients supplied by food. If you aren't sure whether or not your current diet is giving you all of the nutrients you need, your doctor or health care professional can test your vitamin and mineral levels. Then, he or she can help you decide what (if any) supplements you need.

The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Nutrients

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) states that “wise food choices provide the necessary foundation for optimal nutrition.” They point out that “many unidentified constituents that may have important health benefits are contained in the complex matrix of natural foods.” In other words, you can't tell what you might be missing when you replace natural foods with supplements. So much is unknown about the interplay of nutrients that relying on supplements to ensure an adequate intake is probably unwise.

Food Is a “Package” Deal

Nutrients tend to be better absorbed from whole foods and may come in “nutrient bundles” that work together as they are absorbed. Because research is struggling to keep up with this area of study, it's hard to know what is lost when micronutrients are reduced to powders and pills, and whether the body can use them as effectively once they have been altered. A multivitamin mineral supplement is recommended, however, for anyone who is dieting, under stress, recovering from a recent illness, suffering from a chronic condition, or trying to boost his or her immune system.