Nature's Bounty: Dieters are losing key nutrients along with the weight
Nature's Bounty has learned that dieting consumers may be effectively shedding pounds just a few months away from beach season, but at what cost? The Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based supplier confirmed in a recent study that three popular weight loss diet plans did not provide recommended levels of essential micronutrients, such as Vitamin D, B12 and Calcium.
“It is our commitment to wellness to provide consumers with objective, fact-based resources that help them make informed decisions regarding nutrition," Mark Gelbert, chief scientific officer at Nature’s Bounty, said. "As this study shows, even diets designed for specific groups and purposes, such as weight loss, can benefit from some level of dietary supplementation in order to fill nutrient gaps and help prevent important micronutrient deficiencies.”
Weight-loss diets restrict intakes of energy and macronutrients but overlook micronutrient profiles, Nature's Bounty reported, and commercial diet plans may provide insufficient micronutrients. Nature's Bounty analyzed nutrient profiles of three plans and compared their micronutrient sufficiency to Dietary Reference Intakes for male U.S. adults. Hypocaloric vegan (Eat to Live-Vegan), high-animal-protein low-carbohydrate (Fast Metabolism Diet) and weight maintenance (Eat, Drink and Be Healthy) diets were evaluated.
Without adjustment for energy intake, the hypocaloric vegan diet failed to provide 90% of recommended amounts for B12, B3, D, E, calcium, selenium and zinc. The FMD diet was low in B1, D, E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. And the EDH diet met less than 90% DRIs for all but vitamin D, calcium and potassium.
The study, “Micronutrient Gaps in Three Commercial Weight-Loss Diet Plans,” was recently published in an open access human nutrition journal, Nutrients. The work was conducted by Nature’s Bounty in collaboration with its Scientific Advisory Council member, Thomas Brenna of Cornell University.
Data affirmed previous studies that micronutrient deficits are prevalent in weight-loss diet plans. To fill nutrient gaps among dieters, the addition of micronutrient rich foods or appropriate dietary supplements should be considered to reduce the risk of micronutrient deficiencies among dieters.
“It is our commitment to wellness to provide consumers with objective, fact-based resources that help them make informed decisions regarding nutrition," Mark Gelbert, chief scientific officer at Nature’s Bounty, said. "As this study shows, even diets designed for specific groups and purposes, such as weight loss, can benefit from some level of dietary supplementation in order to fill nutrient gaps and help prevent important micronutrient deficiencies.”
Weight-loss diets restrict intakes of energy and macronutrients but overlook micronutrient profiles, Nature's Bounty reported, and commercial diet plans may provide insufficient micronutrients. Nature's Bounty analyzed nutrient profiles of three plans and compared their micronutrient sufficiency to Dietary Reference Intakes for male U.S. adults. Hypocaloric vegan (Eat to Live-Vegan), high-animal-protein low-carbohydrate (Fast Metabolism Diet) and weight maintenance (Eat, Drink and Be Healthy) diets were evaluated.
Without adjustment for energy intake, the hypocaloric vegan diet failed to provide 90% of recommended amounts for B12, B3, D, E, calcium, selenium and zinc. The FMD diet was low in B1, D, E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. And the EDH diet met less than 90% DRIs for all but vitamin D, calcium and potassium.
The study, “Micronutrient Gaps in Three Commercial Weight-Loss Diet Plans,” was recently published in an open access human nutrition journal, Nutrients. The work was conducted by Nature’s Bounty in collaboration with its Scientific Advisory Council member, Thomas Brenna of Cornell University.
Data affirmed previous studies that micronutrient deficits are prevalent in weight-loss diet plans. To fill nutrient gaps among dieters, the addition of micronutrient rich foods or appropriate dietary supplements should be considered to reduce the risk of micronutrient deficiencies among dieters.