In the present study, many subjects with thalassemia re- ported taking additional dietary supplements. The most com- mon single nutrient supplements were calcium and vitamin D, presumably because so many subjects are known to have low bone mass. Nearly half of all subjects also reported taking
multivitamin/mineral supplements, presumably without iron. Supplemental intake is much higher than what is typi- cally observed in another prevalent hemoglobinopathy, sickle cell disease.42 Dietary and supplemental intakes are pre- sented separately in this article; however, if multivitamins are adhered to in this population, they might serve to aug- ment considerably the daily dietary intake of many subjects with thalassemia.