[Food supplements--potential and limits. Part 4: supplements in primary prevention--conceptual aspects]

Consumer's main cause for the use of food supplements is "disease prevention", but the benefit in prevention remains controversial. Furthermore, there are differing opinions concerning the doses of nutrients that should be applied. The conflict is due to two different sights of view on the effect of nutrients to health. The "classical" approach is on an endpoint: A deficit of a particular nutrient is associated with a specific deficiency syndrome. This means that the lack of a nutrient leads via a defined mechanism to one specific disease-related endpoint. Thus the adequate intake of nutrients is defined as the one in which no specific deficiency symptoms occur. In contrast, the modem approach is based on a multidimensional understanding of the nutrient-endpoint-relationship, taking into account long-term health effects. According to this extended approach, the adequate amount of nutrients is the one in which no specific, short-term deficiencies occur as well as the risk of chronic diseases is generally minimized. Usually, required nutrient intake to reach this exceeds the minimum requirements by several times.