Dietary supplements are ingestible preparations such as pills, powders, gummies, bars and drinks that add essential vitamins, minerals (like calcium or iron), botanicals or herbs as well as amino acids or live microbes to our daily diets.
Dietary supplements don’t need to undergo rigorous safety and effectiveness testing like drugs do; therefore, no formal clinical trial must take place prior to release of them for sale.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances needed in very small amounts for normal animal growth and health in higher forms of animal life. Vitamin absorption differs from that of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in that vitamin production cannot meet our body’s demands in adequate amounts; therefore they must come through diet.
Due to this, many people rely on dietary supplements as a source of essential vitamins. The industry produces and markets an impressive range of products such as tablets, capsules, softgels, powders, drinks and energy bars – many available without prior medical authorization at pharmacies and supermarkets.
Individuals taking dietary supplements may need them temporarily (for instance during pregnancy when folate must be taken as prescribed), or permanently due to medical conditions or prescription medicines they’re taking. It is essential that they keep track of any medicines taken as certain doses can be toxic or interfere with prescribed treatments and medical conditions.
Minerals
Minerals are natural occurring substances found within rocks, with an ordered atomic structure. Minerals have many physical characteristics including hardness, lustre, streak and cleavage and most can be identified based on their unique chemical makeup.
Minerals play many essential roles in your body and are necessary for strong bones, muscles, heart health and cognitive performance. There are two groups of minerals: macrominerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium sodium potassium) and trace minerals. You need larger amounts of the former (including calcium phosphorus magnesium sodium potassium and others) while smaller quantities ( such as trace minerals ) will provide necessary benefits.
Diet is your primary source for getting most of the minerals needed, but some individuals may struggle to consume enough nutrients from diet alone – for example if they suffer from digestive disorders, food allergies or gluten intolerance – they could benefit from taking multivitamin and/or multimineral supplements like Berocca which contains magnesium and zinc along with various vitamins.
Herbs
Herbs are leafy plants used to add flavour and color to food without adding fat or sodium, as well as health-promoting properties. As their flavors can often be delicately subtle, it is recommended that herbs only be added at the very end of cooking.
Herbal and botanical supplements are sold as dietary supplements and do not undergo clinical trials like traditional over-the-counter medicines; yet they remain popular complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) options.
Medicinal herbs are frequently employed to reduce cholesterol, inflammation, blood pressure and weight gain while aiding digestion and weight loss. Other applications of medicinal herbs include combatting extreme tiredness by increasing energy and fighting fatigue as well as improving circulation and slowing the effects of aging.
Many herbal supplements are safe to take with most medications; however, please discuss any potential interactions with your clinician before doing so. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s About Herbs database can be an invaluable resource in identifying which herbs may interact with specific cancer medications.
Other Products
Dietary supplements contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids and various other ingredients. They can be sold as tablets, capsules, powders or fizzy, soluble tablets – available at both supermarkets and drug stores.
Dietary supplement products must generally be labeled with their product name and an indication that it is dietary supplement; however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates them differently from medicines. While all prescription and nonprescription medicines must first be proven safe and effective before going on sale to consumers, this requirement does not exist for dietary supplements.
Dietary supplements should not replace a diverse and healthy diet, nor the scientific research supporting health claims made about them. Any serious adverse reactions should be reported using the address or telephone number on the supplement label.
