Esperance Karungi, a mother of two and resident of Nyagatare town, Eastern province, has several tins of food supplements in her house.Occasionally while conversing with her, she will stop to swallow one of the pills.

She says the supplements apparently harbour nutrients ranging from vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, glucosamine and fish oils among others. Karungi has been using food supplements for the last 10 years and says she has not had any problems related to nutritional deficiencies. Like Karungi, many people are resorting to food supplements because of their perceived benefits.

What are supplements?

Nutritional or dietary supplements are products intended to make up for a poor diet or to support ones health in the same way that nutritious food can. They include a wide range of substances.

Benefits

According to Audrey Mutabazi, the director of Gasp, a food science consultancy based in Nyarutarama, even if you eat a healthy, predominantly plant-based diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, some food comes from soils that have insufficient mineral content, because they are depleted.

"When foods are grown over and over again in the same soils, the mineral content of that soil becomes depleted over time. And this is why nutritional supplements are necessary,” he says.

Mutabazi adds that some imported food items take a long time in transit and in the process lose some nutritional value.

Sometimes food is deprived of the most important nutrients and minerals because of the way it is cooked. Over heating or deep frying food makes them less nutritious. This is where food supplements intake become necessary.

Rita Umunyana, a general distributor of Gold Neo-Life Dynamite products, says that the life cycle of a woman is vulnerable because of the several challenges they face which tend to deplete important nutrients and minerals from their bodies.

"Women need food supplements to regulate and maintain a stable metabolism, pregnancy, breast feeding, menstruation on top of the stress that comes with managing a home,” said Umunyana, adding that, "the above issues, require an extra boost of energy.”

According to Umunyana, pregnant mothers need to supplement their diet with Chelated Zinc that helps in the proper growth of the fetus, while CAL-MAG is good for breast feeding mothers since it contains several minerals and strengthens bones.

Additionally, Chelated Iron is excellent for menstruation because it’s during this period that iron is mostly required in a woman’s body to avoid iron deficiency. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigments in the blood.

"In case of joint problems, Omega-3 fatty acids, is recommended since it improves blood circulation,” she advises.

Omega-3 fatty acids eradicate cholesterol which hinders the flow of blood within blood vessels. These fatty acids prevent cardiovascular disease. Fatty fish is the best dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids, therefore 0.5 to 1.8 grams of fish oil per day is an effective amount.

On the other hand, Feminine Herbal complex and CAL-MAG are perfect food supplements for women advancing into menopause. Busy career women should also take 100mls of Aloe Vera Plus and CAL-MAG that curb down stress.

Annabel Akimana, a public health specialist working with Dama Clinic in Remera, says that some people do not eat regular meals, always grabbing a bagel or doughnut, pushed down with coffee or tea, and usually making up for it later in the day at an "all-you-can-eat” buffet. She points out that this is not in the best interest of them either, as it puts much undue stress on the digestive system, so the best thing to do in that kind of situation is to depend on food supplements.

Akimana remarks that the fact that people lead busy lives, torn between commitment to family, school, work, community, faith and other obligations, usually leaves them stressed as a result, and this usually takes a toll on the body and weakens the immune system. Therefore taking supplements can help to bridge that gap and give the body some of the nutrients it needs to function optimally.

"Also, these days many fruits and vegetables are genetically bred to improve visual appeal and crop yields, and this usually has a regressive impact on nutritional value, and this is when food supplements come in handly,” Akimana says.

Mutabazi mentions that erratic eating habits, insufficient chewing of food, eating on the run, and stress contribute to poor digestion, making it difficult for our bodies to extract all the nutrients it needs from food.

He observes that specific times in life and health conditions may result in higher needs of certain nutrients which may not be provided immediately by usual food. For example, folic acid needs tend to be higher during pregnancy, while menopausal women may be vulnerable to calcium deficiencies. Industry made food supplements may be the best option at that moment.

Downside

Mutabazi however warns that it isn’t all rosy with dietary supplements as they can also cause adverse side effects. For instance consuming excessive amounts of vitamin A in supplement form may cause liver damage, reduced bone strength, headaches and birth defects. Large doses of certain vitamins and minerals can cause nausea, vomiting, nerve damage, weight loss, muscle weakness, among other illnesses.

"Mixing certain vitamins and minerals can interfere with absorption. Dietary supplements may interact with prescription medications and make it more difficult to manage medical conditions. To avoid this, speak to your doctor before taking dietary/food supplements,” he says.

Akimana explains that supplements are less healthy than food, for example, while B-complex supplements provide many nutrients present in whole grains and legumes. They do not provide valuable amounts of protein and fiber present in these foods.

"Just because a particular supplement is the trend or the current fad does not mean you should blindly start taking it. Check with your physician if the particular supplement is safe for you or is beneficial to you,” she warns.