This month, the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on vitamins and supplements. Jennifer R. Jones, MPH, community engagement coordinator with the University of Pittsburgh CTSI, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, sat down to discuss the chosen topic.
JJ: Good morning, Ms. Bush. It’s always a pleasure to hear your perspectives on our health topic each month. For February, we’re focusing on vitamins and supplements. I feel like this is a new trend. Protein shake commercials and herbal supplement advertisements seem to be quite popular recently.
EB: Yes, Jennifer. I’ve noticed that too. With so much information, it’s sometimes hard to know what is best for our bodies. And what makes it even more difficult is that we each are different. What is beneficial for one person may not be beneficial for someone else.
JJ: That’s very true, Ms. Bush. I talked with a researcher and dietician at Pitt about this topic. Her key message was to remember that the starting point of our nutritional intake should be from the food we eat. A balanced diet is very important. Vitamins and supplements are necessary to add to that nutritional intake, but only when we need it. Like you mentioned, it’s tricky because the levels that each body needs is different.
EB: Our bodies are really complex, aren’t they?
JJ: They certainly are! As Dr. Berenbrok discusses in the overview, it’s important to talk to a health care professional, whether that’s your primary care physician, nurse or a pharmacist. They can answer questions and give you advice about the vitamins and supplements that you should take or may not even need. They’ll be able to assess your medical history and your current prescriptions to make sure that you don’t have any harmful reactions. They will also be able to help you with making healthy lifestyle choices.
EB: Those are wonderful things to know Jennifer. What are we talking about next month?
JJ: Next month we are talking about a delicate topic – drugs. There’s a lot research happening in our city, and many people are affected by this horrible epidemic. As always, thank you for your time.
For more information or with questions, e-mail partners@hs.pitt.edu.
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