Lecture Presentation Outline
I.
Features In Common?
 Instructor Resources: Unit 24 Nutrition Scoreboard transparency master; Unit 24 PowerPoint
presentation on Multimedia Manager; CNN Today Nutrition Vol. 2: Nutritional Supplements (2:04);
Activity 24-4: Supplement Debate
A. Dietary supplements “supplement the diet”
B. Grouped because of common rules
C. Using dietary supplements is a gamble
1. Loose rules govern dietary supplements
II. Regulation of Supplements
A. Dietary supplements do not have to be tested, or shown to be safe or effective
1. Not considered to be drugs
2. Deemed unsafe only when FDA has proof of harm
B. Must have “Supplemental Facts” that lists:
1. Serving size
2. Ingredients
3. Percent Daily Value (%DV) of essential nutrient ingredients
C. Federal Trade Commission regulates claims
1. Claims in advertisements supposed to be truthful, often are not
 Instructor Resources: Activity 24-3: Supplement Evaluation; Handout 24-1: Supplement
Evaluation; Activity 2 in Instructor’s Activity Book: Create Your Own Fraudulent Nutrition
Product
III. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
A. Multivitamin and mineral supplements popular
B. Intake levels below the “Tolerable Upper Limits” are safe
 Instructor Resources: Activity 24-2: Regulation Dilemma
C. Bioavailability of nutrients uncertain
 Instructor Resources: Activity 24-1: Dissolution of Calcium Supplements
1. More vitamins and minerals lower the absorption of each other
2. Minerals can form unabsorbable complexes
D. Used for Wrong Reason
1. Multivitamin and mineral supplements can’t make a bad diet good
2. Good diet depends on essential fatty acids, fiber, water, and other nutrients
3. Supplements do not provide phytochemicals
4.
Supplements not effective for behavioral problems, diabetes, autism, chronic fatigue
syndrome, obesity, or stress
IV. Herbal Remedies
 Instructor Resources: CNN Today Nutrition Vol. 2: Anesthesia Herb (2:13); Activity 24-5: Non-Nutrient
Supplement Claims
A. Cautions
1. Don’t use herbal remedies for serious, self-diagnosed conditions such as depression,
persistent headaches, and memory loss. (You might benefit more from a different treatment.)
2. Let your doctor know what herbal remedies you take.
3. If you take prescription medications, clear the use of herbal remedies with your doctor.
4. Don’t use herbal remedies without medical advice if you are attempting to become pregnant
or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
5. Don’t mix herbal remedies.
6. If you are allergic to certain plants, make sure herbal remedies are not going to be a problem
before you use them.
7. If you have a bad reaction to an herbal remedy, stop using it and report the reaction to the
FDA from the site www.cfsan.fda.gov.
8. Buy herbs labeled with “USP,” “NF,” or the CL in a beaker symbol.
9. Investigate brands, herb safety, and effectiveness by checking into one or more of the Web
sites and resources listed at the end of this unit.
B. Half of U.S. adults use herbal supplements
1. 550 primary herbs with 1800 names
C. Plant products that fight disease are drugs
1. Some products sold as herbs have drug-like effects
 Instructor Resources: Activity 13 in Instructor’s Activity Book: Should Herbal Remedies Be
Regulated as Drugs?
D. Effects of Herbal Remedies
1. Herbals have active ingredients
2. Knowledge of risks and benefits incomplete
3. Herbs’ risk to health depends on:
a. Amount and duration of use
b. Age and health status of user
c. Other factors
E. Ephedra (MaHuang)
 Instructor Resources: ABC video clip on Multimedia Manager: Ephedrine (1:48)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chemically and functionally similar to adrenaline
Gained popularity as a weight-loss product and athletic performance enhancer
Can produce life-threatening side-effects on the heart and nervous system
On Dec. 30, 2003, FDA issued a consumer alert advising consumers to immediately stop
buying and using Ephedra products
V. Quality Assurance
A. Dietary supplements may not contain amounts and ingredients declared on the label, some
contain bacteria, mold, and lead
1. Yet, dietary supplements often labeled “pure,” “natural,” or “quality assured”
B. No government body monitors contents of herbal supplements
C. New regulations for dietary supplements are being considered by FDA
VI. Functional Foods
 AKA “neutraceuticals”
A. Functional foods are modified to enhance contribution to health
1. Formulated to improve health, or with high amounts of compounds to prevent disease
2. No statutory definition of “functional foods”
3. No specific regulations that apply
B. How are foods made to be functional?
1. Taking out potentially harmful components (e.g., cholesterol in egg yolk and lactose in milk)
2. Increasing the amount of nutrients and beneficial nonnutrients (e.g., fiber-fortified liquid
meals, calcium-, and vitamin C–fortified orange juice)
3. Using beneficial substances in food production or products (e.g., using “friendly” bacteria in
fermented milk and soy products)
C. Functional foods include sports bars, soups, beverages, and spiked cereals
1. Some carry labels with unsubstantiated health claims
2. For these, the label “functional food” is a marketing term
3. Examples of functional foods with apparent health benefits
 Instructor Resources: transparency #69: Functional Foods; CNN Today Nutrition Vol. 3: Tomato
Products (2:59)
a.
Stanol and sterol fortified margarine, psyllium fiber, soy protein, whole oat products,
garlic, nuts - Reduced blood levels of LDL cholesterol
b. Omega-3 fatty acids - Reduced heart disease risk
c. Grapes, grape juice - Decreased blood clots in blood vessels
d. Cranberry juice - Decreased urinary tract infections
e. Green tea, cooked tomato products, cruciferous vegetables, conjugated linoleic acid Decreased risk of certain types of cancer
f. Folic acid-fortified breads and cereals - Decreased risk of neural tube defects, heart
disease
g. Probiotics - Decreased risk of infection, lactose intolerance, food allergies, other disorders
VI. Prebiotics and Probiotics
A. Prebiotics - non-digestible carbohydrates broken down by colon bacteria
1. Breakdown products foster good bacteria
2. Examples: chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, wheat, barley, rye, onions, garlic, leeks, powders,
tablets, nutritional beverages
B. Probiotics - live, beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods
1. Common in Japan and Europe
2.
Examples: fermented or aged milk and milk products such as yogurt with live culture,
buttermilk, kefir, cottage cheese, or dairy spreads with added inulin; other fermented
products such as soy sauce, tempeh, fresh sauerkraut or miso; breast milk
C. May have beneficial health effects
D. Assumed safe because have been part of human diet for centuries
1. Primary negative side-effect is flatulence
VII. Final Thoughts
A. Dietary ingredients industry is expanding
B. Knowledge of benefits of pre- and pro-biotics is advancing
C. Current ideas about phytochemicals mesh with these concepts, and may put many potential
“super” foods into main stream markets