Do I Need To Take Supplements on a Low Carb Diet?

Today I want to answer a question that is frequently asked in the many emails I receive from HSI e-alert readers each day. The following email from a member called Jane sums up the query:

Q: 'What vitamins and other supplements should be used by someone followinga low-carb diet?'

A: The fact is, low-carb diets are helping many people lose weight. But in the process they do limit your menu options and restrict you from eating certain foods that contain essential nutrients.

Dr. Atkins himself found that adding supplements to his low-carb dieting routine was most helpful (if not absolutely mandatory), strongly recommending their use, even in his very first book over 30 years ago.

Three steps to getting the nutrients you need

For help in answering Jane's question, we referred to our nutrition specialist, HSI panellist Dr. Allan Spreen. He divided his recommendation into three different categories.

The first category includes a good multivitamin/mineral supplement. As Dr. Spreen put it, 'You can't play team sports without a team, and nutrient supplementation is definitely a team game. For any diet, I suggest a good multivitamin/mineral supplement.'

He recommends looking for a formula that fits four basic guidelines:

(1) It should be in capsule or powder form, to assure you actually get what you've swallowed.

2) It should contain more than 100 percent of the RDA of most vitamins. Look for at least 25 milligrams (or more) of the number B-vitamins (B1, B2, B6, etc.).

(3) It should be available in two different formulations: 'with' or 'without' iron. Dr. Spreen recommends avoiding the iron versions unless your doctor instructs you to do otherwise.

(4) It should not be a time-release formula.

In addition to the multivitamin, Dr. Spreen suggests taking at least 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day.

Ensuring good digestion is vital

The next category on Dr. Spreen's list is the 'low-carb specific' category. Most important here is the fact that low-carb means high-protein, and that requires more digestive support than most people over age 30 retain. For that reason, he usually suggests taking digestive enzymes.

Look for a full-spectrum enzyme product in your local health food store and follow the dosage directions given on the label.

Constipation can be a problem with high-protein, low-carb diets, at least in the early stages before more carbs are added into the maintenance phase. If you experience this symptom, Dr. Spreen recommends psyllium husk.

Step three helps shift stubborn fat

Dr. Spreen's third category of low-carb nutrients may not be necessary for every person following such a diet. But for those who find that their weight loss plateaus after several weeks of following a low-carb plan, Dr. Spreen explains that the body may not be supplying enough of the nutrients required for transporting fat from its storage site to the site where it will be burned for energy.

These nutrients are choline, inositol, methionine, and l-carnitine. He recommends 200 milligrams of choline and inositol, 500-1,000 milligrams of methionine, and 1,000-2,000 milligrams of l-carnitine (taken between meals) daily.

It's also important to supply your body with the nutrients you're no longer getting from certain foods. High-protein diets restrict carbohydrate intake, and, by default, that means some fruit and vegetables. But fruits and vegetables are the primary dietary sources of potassium. If you're following a low-carb diet and aren't eating at least five to six servings of vegetables every day, you may want to consider taking 400-500 milligrams of potassium daily.

Also, there are virtually no flavonoids in low-carb diets, since the best food sources, fruits, should only be eaten in limited quantities. But flavonoids are crucial to your health, because they strengthen arteries, veins, capillaries, and nearly all connective tissue, and some reduce the risk of heart attack and certain cancers.

Taking flavonoid supplements can help you get all this cardiovascular support and still enjoy the benefits of a low-carb lifestyle. Some of the better-known flavonoids are quercetin, anthocyanidins, rutin, hesperidin, and catechins. Look for supplements containing them in your local health food store.