Nutrition

Emmi has been under a lot of stress and is concerned about her overall health.  She works nights at a local restaurant and takes a full course load during the day at a local community college. At lunch today, her friend Jessi suggested that she take Nutrimega supplements to help prevent colds, flu, and other illnesses and reduce her stress. Jessi said that she has been taking Nutrimega for several months and feels great.

Emmi was a little surprised to learn that a month’s supply of Nutrimega cost about $50.00, but she decided to buy the supplements, anyway.  The Nutrimega label recommends taking 2 or 3 tablets daily for health maintenance and 2-3 tablets every 3 hours at the first sign of illness.  When Emmi read the label on the bottle, she noted that each tablet contained the following nutrients (listed as % daily value): 33% Vitamin A (75% as preformed Vitamin A), 700% Vitamin C, 50% Zinc, and 10% Selenium.

If you were Emmi’s dietitian, health clinician, or nutritionist, would you recommend that Emmi use this product?

Are there any health risks associated with its use, considering the dosed recommended on the label for maintenance and illness and if so, what are they?

What alternative suggestions would give Emmi to help her maintain her overall health?