The next time you’re shopping for a multivitamin for your child, you may discover what appears to be the Holy Grail for parents of fruit- and veggie-resistant kids: whole food supplements. These nutritional aids pack a dietary punch from powdered concentrates of fruits, vegetables and grains. The idea is that you’ll get nutrients normally available only by eating these foods. But is it possible to powder the power of produce and pack it into a tiny pill?
Juice Plus+, one of the most well-known brands of the growing whole food supplement industry, claims that it is neither a vitamin supplement nor a replacement for actually eating a balanced diet, including fruits and vegetables. Meredith Ratliff, a registered and licensed dietitian with Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, gives the supplements a nod for including important substances like phytochemicals and antioxidants, but she cautions that there hasn’t yet been enough research to demonstrate whether or not the body can actually use these components in this form.
In the meantime, while more healthcare providers are green-lighting these supplements to curious parents who are interested in giving them a whirl, most experts caution that supplements are not intended to replace consuming a well-rounded diet. “If you’re eating a completely balanced diet, you won’t need a supplement anyway,” Ratliff notes. “You don’t ever want to rely on a vitamin pill for 100 percent of your nutrients. They’re not as well absorbed.”
