Crucial points about the need for supplements from William Falloon, co-founder of Life Extension.
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THE TOPLINE
- While a healthy and balanced diet is crucial, even the best diets typically lack sufficient nutrient potency and diversity, making supplementation necessary for optimal health.
- Many mainstream experts dismiss supplements based on outdated or incomplete data, failing to consider widespread nutrient deficiencies in the population and the declining quality of ultra-processed and simplified diets.
- Government-set nutrient upper limits are too low and based on flawed methodologies, restricting access to beneficial supplement dosages.
ANH Editor’s note:
In the ongoing debate over whether a “balanced diet” provides all the nutrients necessary for optimal health, mainstream experts continue to assert that supplements are unnecessary. However, we feel that the February 2025 article from Life Extension’s Bill Falloon (“The Food and Vitamin Controversy,” see below) makes perfectly clear that this position is deeply flawed. We have been given permission by the author, a long-time supporter of ANH, to publish the article on our website, such is its relevance to so many of our subscribers. While the benefits of a nutrient-dense diet are well-established, the idea that food alone can supply the levels of vitamins and minerals required for optimized health just does not hold up under scrutiny.
Experts that argue supplements are unnecessary in the presence of a healthy diet miss a key point. They are likely relying on government-set recommendations for nutrient intake that are designed to prevent outright deficiency, not to promote optimal health. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamins and minerals are set at levels sufficient to avoid diseases like scurvy and rickets, but they do not reflect the higher intakes associated with enhanced longevity, disease prevention, and overall well-being.
Pictured right: William Falloon, co-founder and Technical Director, Life Extension
Furthermore, these guidelines do not account for the widespread nutrient insufficiencies found in the American population. Surveys consistently show that large segments of the US population do not meet the recommended intakes for vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids and more—nutrients critical for immune function, cardiovascular health, and cognitive performance. Should we really be discouraging nutrient-depleted Americans from taking vitamins?
Take vitamin D, for example. The RDA for vitamin D is 600 IU. This level may very well be achievable through eating vitamin D-rich foods. According to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements, a 3oz portion of rainbow trout has 645 IU vitamin D, while the same amount of salmon contains 570 IU. But 600 IU is far, far below what is required for optimal health. As we reported previously, achieving what integrative experts consider optimal vitamin D levels can require individuals to take between 5,000-8,000 IU (125-200 micrograms) vitamin D per day. That’s a lot of fish!
The notion that supplements are unnecessary is not rooted in science. Whole foods are crucial, to be sure, but supplementation bridges nutritional gaps and enhances well-being. The US must resist the EU’s restrictive approach and ensure consumers can make informed choices for their health.
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Article text:
The Food and Vitamin Controversy
by William Falloon
Credentialed “experts” claim that people can get their vitamins and other vital nutrients in their diet.
Published data continue to validate the favorable impact of the right dietary choices on healthy longevity. Yet many influencers proclaim you can obtain all the nutrients you need from food.
These assertions are often based on studies demonstrating benefits of healthy diets, such as a 2018 publication showing a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with the greatest adherence to a Mediterranean diet, compared to the lowest adherence.
A 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association corroborates this. It showed 23% reduced all-cause mortality in a large group of women with the highest adherence to a Mediterranean diet over a multi-decade period.
These data sets demonstrate the benefits of ingesting health-promoting foods as opposed to the toxic ones that dominate today’s dietary patterns.
This has little relevance, however, to the scarcity of critical nutrients contained even in the best diets.
When nutrition experts claim people can get their nutrients in a “balanced diet,” they appear unaware of how little of these nutrients are contained in foods. They also seem to not fully realize how few Americans ingest the wide variety of nutrient-dense foods they espouse.
We at Life Extension long ago advocated healthy dietary practices but also warned of the strikingly low potencies of nutrients contained in foods.
This editorial quotes those who claim that supplements are unnecessary and reveals the inadequate potencies of nutrients derived from foods.
The media reports on studies showing the life-shortening impact of ultra-processed foods that now dominate the Standard American Diet (SAD).
The data sets are consistent, with the most startling study showing that people with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods are 62% more likely to die over a 15-year period as compared to those with a low intake.
The life-shortening culprits in ultra-processed foods include all kinds of artificial compounds and natural ones like sugars and salt.
Nutritional professionals point out that ultra-processed foods are low in essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, leading to increased risk of chronic diseases. These experts state that people can mitigate these risks by eating a healthier, balanced diet.
The problem is that nutrient potencies, even in most healthy foods, do not add up to what many experts believe are needed.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the most widely recommended nutrient by physicians due to its multiple roles, including in protecting against age-related pathologies.
The minimal blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D to achieve protective effects is 30 ng/mL. Levels below 20 ng/mL are considered deficient.
Many experts view 40 to 60 ng/mL of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D as optimal ranges. We at Life Extension believe 50-80 ng/mL may confer the greatest benefits.
A randomized controlled trial published in 2022 showed that in people over age 70, supplementing with 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D combined with an omega-3 supplement and modest exercise reduced their risk of invasive cancer by 61%.
In a 2023 published meta-analysis of three randomized-controlled trials, people supplementing with vitamin D and maintaining a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of at least 50 ng/mL reduced their absolute three-year risk for diabetes by 18.1% compared to those who had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between 20-29 ng/mL.
To achieve these higher beneficial ranges may require 2,000 to 8,000 International Units (IU) per day of vitamin D. The dose depends on body weight and individual absorption/utilization rates.
One of highest dietary sources is sockeye salmon which provides approximately 570 IU of vitamin D per 3-ounce serving.
Other commonly consumed dietary sources of vitamin D have lower potencies as follows:
- SARDINES: Approximately 164 IU per 3-ounce serving
- TUNA: Approximately 231 IU per 3-ounce serving
- SOY MILK: Approximately 119 IU per cup
- MILK: Approximately 117 IU per cup
- FORTIFIED ORANGE JUICE: Approximately 100 IU per cup
- EGGS: Approximately 44 IU per egg
If a person attempted to ingest even minimum amounts of vitamin D from foods, he or she would have to ingest sockeye salmon each day, plus lots of high-calorie/glucose-spiking foods and beverages, some of which are considered “processed.”
Low-cost supplements provide individualized vitamin D doses without unwanted calories. Yet, experts claim humans can get enough vitamin D from a “balanced diet,” which mathematically does not make sense.
