Ask Spokane family physician David Ward about choosing vitamin supplements, and he first offers his best advice: You may not need any. "Most adults get the vitamins and minerals they need from a balanced diet and lifestyle."
Noting that patients commonly have questions about vitamin supplements, Ward tries to help them explore ways to get those nutrients in a more holistic way.
"Your body can use sunshine to make its own vitamin D," Ward notes. So he recommends getting out and enjoying any winter sunshine you can. "If you have the means, go up to the mountains — it's often sunny up there." He says an office visit with a patient may include a Google search to find arrays of foods that are high in particular vitamins that the patient may be interested in, then he'll help them to figure out how to incorporate those into their regular diet.
But sometimes supplements do have a role to play in maintaining optimal health. For example, if you can't manage to get sun exposure during the winter, vitamin D supplements can be helpful, and supplementing can also be important to particular subgroups. Ward says those who are 50 and older and are working on bone health could often benefit from a daily supplement of 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D. "Patients who are feeling down in the winter or during cloudy times, could consider taking 600 IUs," he says, though these are just general amounts and it's alway beneficial to consult your own clinician.
Another workhorse in the vitamin world is vitamin C. "If you're worried about your immune system in the winter months, Vitamin C is absolutely great. It stimulates the immune system, and though it may have only a small effect in preventing colds, it can reduce the duration. And it will reduce your flu risk," he says, adding that the annual flu vaccine is another key to a healthy winter.
It's important to consider that supplements may have unintended consequences. "We do have to remember that vitamins can interact with other medications." Ward says, and he recommends sharing specifics of any over-the-counter supplements you're taking with your clinician. "Vitamin B and C usually pass through naturally, but Vitamin A, D, E and K can build up over time, so have a discussion about the right amounts to take."
Above all, Ward says it's important to consider supplements as just one element of a healthy lifestyle. Good sleep, healthy relationships, a wholesome diet and plenty of exercise — outdoors in the sunshine if possible — will play a much bigger role in maintaining health than any supplement. "No vitamin or mineral replaces the good stuff in our lives... You can't eat bad food and take vitamins to catch up!" Ward says.