On Nutrition: Who needs a supplement?

We all need help sometime. In nutrition, that help is called a "supplement" _ a boost of essential nutrients not found in our usual diet for one reason or the other.

Who needs to take supplements? That depends. Like extra workers, dietary supplements fill in nutritional "gaps." Here are some common ones that may call for a dietary supplement:

1. Nutritional anemias. Most common are deficiencies of iron, folate or vitamin B-12, all which can be identified with blood tests.

2. Strict vegan diet (no animal products). Most vegans need supplemental vitamin B-12 (a vitamin found only in foods of animal origin).

3. Pregnancy. Since pregnancy is a critical time for mom and baby, appropriate and timely vitamin and mineral supplementation is recommended for the best pregnancy outcomes. Ideally, women should be taking a supplement that contains folic acid before they become pregnant and 600 micrograms a day during pregnancy to reduce the risk for birth defects.

Pregnant women also need additional iron - 27 milligrams a day routinely to provide for the additional needs of pregnancy and 60 milligrams daily if she has iron deficiency anemia.

4. Diet devoid of one or more major food groups. If dairy foods are few and far between in your diet, a supplement of calcium and vitamin D is probably in order. Or if you only eat "green" when it is in a bag of M&M's, a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement can help fill in some important nutrient gaps.

5. Chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. Long-term medical conditions can deplete the body of nutrients; or make eating adequate amounts of nutrient-dense foods difficult. A daily multivitamin mineral supplement is often advised for people with these conditions.

6. Use of medications that deplete the body of important nutrients. People who take steroid medications such as prednisone, for example, are advised to take daily supplements of calcium and vitamin D to help prevent the bone loss associated with these medications.