If you take dietary supplements, keep track of what you take. It can be easy to exceed recommended dosage levels of certain vitamins and minerals which may even be toxic in large doses.
Before taking supplements, always consult a dietitian. They can work closely with both you and your physician to create a balanced eating plan.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules required in small amounts for normal functioning and growth in an organism, yet cannot be produced internally by it; thus they must be obtained through food sources or nutritional supplements.
According to the 2003-2006 NHANES survey, vitamin dietary supplement users had higher average daily vitamin intakes compared to nonusers; this was particularly evident for vitamin A, D and E supplement users; their prevalence of inadequate intake being lowest than nonusers.
Overdosing on vitamins may not be an immediate danger, but taking too many could be hazardous. When considering adding dietary supplements to your diet, consult with a healthcare provider first so they can assist in finding the optimal dose for each vitamin for you and ensure any interactions don’t occur with any medications you are currently taking. They can also guide your selection process of highly effective supplements made with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) ingredients.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic solid substances with a defined chemical composition and highly organized atomic arrangement, found naturally in Earth and not synthesizable. According to the International Mineralogical Association definition of a mineral: it “composes of either one element alone, or of multiple elements combined”. Crystalline minerals with specific forms are called crystals.
Minerals stand out from other materials due to their distinct crystalline structures, giving them an eye-catching appearance that sets them apart. Specimens with distinct forms can be identified based on their crystalline structures and other physical properties as different mineral types; quartz and stishovite, both silicon dioxide minerals, yet both having very distinct crystalline structures, for example.
The body requires both macrominerals and trace minerals for health. Examples of macrominerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium chloride and sulfur; examples of trace minerals include iron, zinc copper molybdenum selenium. Multivitamin and mineral supplements are often taken by adults to meet their vitamin and mineral requirements; nationally representative surveys show that people using such supplements tend to have lower rates of inadequate intakes compared with nonusers of such supplements.
Amino Acids
Amino acids form the basis for proteins and peptides, essential components in many vital body processes. Twenty amino acids exist within our bodies, nine of which are essential (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine tyrosine tryptophan and valine).
Amino acid supplements offer nutritional benefits beyond protein supplementation, including increased energy and athletic performance improvements. While most individuals get enough protein through healthy diet, amino acid supplements should only be taken when advised by their physician or registered dietitian.
High-quality amino acid supplements often include other vitamins and minerals for additional synergistic benefits. When selecting products to purchase, make sure they go through third-party testing for safety and quality assurance.
Weight Loss Supplements
Supplements are advertised and commercialized with promises that they can enhance performance, increase muscle mass, reduce body fat, control or lose weight, treat medical conditions, boost immunity, increase alertness or mental activity and prevent health problems. Yet most users take them without seeking professional guidance [31], with many not even conducting scientific evaluation of their effectiveness [39].
In order to assess the intake of nutritional supplements among people who exercise at gyms in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, we conducted a pretested survey with a questionnaire. It included questions regarding age, sex, education, employment status, eating habits and reasons for consumption; most participants (55%) reported taking at least one type of dietary supplement containing proteins, carbohydrates, minerals or vitamins with higher intake among men than women and most users having obtained desired results with only 5.5% experiencing side effects due to supplement intake.
