Dietary supplements are manufactured products designed to supplement our daily food intake with additional essential vitamins and minerals that may not otherwise be present. Dietary supplements come in pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid forms and may even come packaged as capsules in pill form!
Many supplements have yet to be proven as effective at preventing diseases, yet may benefit certain populations like older people and postmenopausal women.
Vitamins
Your body requires many vitamins to perform daily functions effectively. Some examples are Vitamin C for healthy skin, eyes, and immune system function; Vitamin A to promote bone formation, protect vision from infections, and protect the body against illness; and Vitamin D which supports muscle function, cell development and reduces inflammation.
Most people can get all the vitamins they require through diet alone; however, some may opt to supplement with additional vitamins. Each nutrient’s recommended dosage can be expressed either in milligrams (mg) or micrograms (mcg).
Most fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are stored in liver and fatty tissues; while water-soluble ones (vitamins C, D and B9) exit via urine. Too much of any one vitamin may be harmful; thus it’s essential that we adhere to recommended dosage.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances formed through geological processes and must meet certain conditions to qualify as minerals. Specifically, they should be solid under normal circumstances, nonliving (not made by living organisms like plants or animals), with specific chemical composition and characteristic crystal structures.
minerals have unique crystal structures, yet also possess various other properties like color, streak, luster and magnetism. Some minerals also exhibit polymorphic forms; this means they share the same chemical composition but form differently; one such example would be carbon; it can exist as soft substances such as graphite for pencils while at other times form into hard minerals like diamonds.
Minerals play an essential role in maintaining good health, from managing blood pressure to aiding muscle contraction. You can get most of the minerals needed by eating from all five USDA daily food plan groups.
Amino acids
Amino acids form the basis for proteins and other important substances found within our bodies. We only get essential amino acids from food; you’ll find them in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and some vegetables such as quinoa which contains all eight essential amino acids.
Nine amino acids are considered essential, including histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Your body cannot produce these essential amino acids naturally and must get them through diet alone.
Depleted amino acid levels can result in numerous symptoms, including decreased immunity, digestive issues, depression, fertility issues and low mental alertness. Amino acid supplements may provide some relief to these problems – they come in powder form which can easily be mixed into liquid beverages for administration.
Herbs
Though herbs are most often associated with adding flavor and aroma to food, they can also provide significant health benefits. Herbs may provide natural remedies for various aliments or simply make your diet healthier by providing more diverse nutrients.
Herbs refers to any plant material used as medicine – stems, leaves, flowers, fruits or seeds from herbaceous plants – such as stems, leaves, flowers fruits or seeds that provide medicinal or nutritional value – such as ginger for soothing nausea and stomach upset, parsley for improving immunity boosting asthma relief reducing high blood pressure reduction sorrel which provides rich nutrient support for kidneys digestive issues roots berries barks all count as herbs too
Nutraceuticals
Nutraceuticals are rapidly expanding. Nutraceuticals, a hybrid between nutrition and pharmaceuticals that provide health-promoting properties as well as disease prevention capabilities, include antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and plant extracts such as ginseng.
FDA does not conduct routine analyses on dietary supplements; their limited resources are instead put towards reviewing products that pose a public health threat or have caused injury or illness. Manufacturers and distributors can submit samples to commercial laboratories for evaluation of their contents.
Nutraceuticals have no definitive definition, but are generally understood to include food products with health-promoting or disease-preventing properties like vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies or specific animal products. Nutraceuticals may also be referred to as functional foods – an umbrella term recognized by various regulating bodies globally.
