Dietary supplements are an increasingly popular way of supplementing one’s diet with essential vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and live microbes. Supplements may also provide support for specific medical conditions or supplement deficiencies in one’s diet.
Remember, supplements shouldn’t replace a healthy diet; multiple studies have demonstrated this fact. Too much vitamin A increases fracture risk while too much folic acid may increase certain cancers.
Vitamins
Vitamins, or groups of closely related molecules known as vitamers, are organic molecules or chemical groups required by organisms in small amounts for normal metabolic functioning. Since vitamins cannot be synthesized by an organism themselves, they must be consumed through diet for continued health benefits.
Some vitamins can be stored in our livers and fatty tissues, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Others (like water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins folic acid folate) do not need to be stored as they pass out of our systems through urine.
Dietary supplements may be beneficial to some, yet a well-rounded diet rich in fruits and vegetables should always be prioritized. High doses or those taking medications or having existing medical conditions should be closely monitored by a physician when taking supplements.
At high doses, certain dietary supplements have been discovered to be dangerous, such as synthetic vitamin A in prenatal vitamins (which has been found to cause birth defects) and laetrile, once promoted as an ineffective cancer cure but now widely seen as toxic and potentially lethal substance.
Minerals
Minerals are solid inorganic substances formed through natural geological processes and have crystalline structures. They may consist of either one chemical element or, more frequently, chemical compounds; for instance, salt is an example of such an inorganic mineral composed of both positively-charged sodium ions and negatively-charged chlorine ions bonded together into its molecular makeup.
Hardness, lustre (shine), streak and cleavage of minerals can assist with identification. Careful study of crystal shapes can also be invaluable when classifying minerals; silicate minerals contain molecular ions shaped similar to pyramids or tetrahedrons (Figure 19-3).
Human bodies require essential vitamins and minerals in order to function correctly, known as essential nutrients. Vitamin categories include fat-soluble and water-soluble. Most individuals can get all their required vitamins through eating a varied, well-balanced diet; however, occasionally supplements may be needed; in such instances it should be done under guidance from healthcare professionals.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are plant substances with numerous health advantages beyond vitamins and minerals. They act as antioxidants, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Furthermore, phytochemicals serve as cancer preventive agents by repairing mutated genes, prompting abnormal cells to self-destruct, blocking formation of new blood vessels tumors require and protecting DNA strands against damage from free radicals. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is the ideal way to get these essential phytochemicals.
While phytochemicals do not come with any recommended dietary allowance, certain ones have proven particularly advantageous. Lutein found in leafy greens and tomatoes contains lycopene that protect against macular degeneration, heart disease and cancer while anthocyanins give red, purple and blue colors in berries; extraction methods used when producing phytochemicals may influence their quality; for instance green solvents like water, ethanol, glycerol fatty acids/oils Acetic acid Ionic liquids Supercritical CO2 as well as supercritical CO2 Supercritical CO2 are usually chosen over less-environmentally friendly organic solvents like Hexane Methanol and chloroform.
Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts are concentrated liquid formulations made up of concentrated doses of herbs that can be added to various supplements. Herbal extracts may come from teas, syrups, oils or tinctures for additional source material.
Botanical extracts are prepared by using solvents to select and isolate components from original herbs, either dry or liquid form. Herbal extracts do not contain purified chemicals that could compare with expressed juices, pure ingredients or synthetically altered plant constituents.
The extraction process entails submerging various plant parts such as roots, leaves, rhizomes and flowers in water for several hours to form an aqueous solution that is then strained off into herbal products for straining and storage. This step may be repeated multiple times for stronger extracts that meet standardization guidelines such as catechins concentration in green tea.
