Dietary supplements are products used to augment or supplement diet. These may come in various forms such as pills, capsules, powders, gummies or drinks and come in handy as food replacement solutions.
People use dietary supplements for many different reasons; the top motivation adults reported as using products was to improve or maintain overall health.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules (or groups of closely related molecules, known as vitamers) essential to an organism in very small amounts for proper metabolic function. Since vitamins cannot be produced within the body, they must be obtained through food. Thirteen recognized vitamins can be divided into water-soluble (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid folic acid and B12) and fat-soluble forms (A,D EK). Vitamins play various functions and taking too much can be harmful; high dose supplements of some could result in toxic side effects; especially among older individuals or those suffering from diseases associated with certain conditions.
Dietary supplements refer to any substance added to one’s diet in order to enhance health; such as vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and enzymes that have medicinal purposes and help people achieve greater wellbeing. They can be taken in pill form (pills), capsules (capsules or pills), gummies, powders or drinks as well as energy bars or energy bars; vitamins and minerals such as calcium help strengthen bones while folic acid protects developing babies from birth defects.
Minerals
Minerals are vital in keeping bones, muscles, heart and brain functioning normally as well as producing enzymes and hormones. There are two categories of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals; you need large amounts of macrominerals like calcium, phosphorus, sodium potassium chloride to be healthy while you require smaller amounts of trace minerals such as iron, copper iodine manganese molybdenum zinc selenium for good health.
Most people can obtain all of their necessary minerals through diet alone, but supplements may be taken if deficiency exists or you can’t access certain nutrients in food alone. Dietary supplements come in pill, tablet and liquid forms.
Minerals are naturally-occurring inorganic substances characterized by orderly internal structures, characteristic chemical composition and crystal forms. Carl Linnaeus classified minerals in his system of classification into seven groups, from Phylum to Class, Order to Family Tribe Genus Species. We commonly encounter minerals like quartz and feldspar while others may be more exotic like epidote or black andradite.
Herbs
Herbs are the leaves of plants such as basil, parsley and rosemary that provide flavorful garnishes to food without adding fat, salt or sugar. Herbs also have many health-promoting properties which may reduce risk factors associated with certain health conditions.
Herbal medicine offers numerous health benefits; however, these medicines are often unlicensed or falsified products which could contain pharmaceutical components. If you take any herb products you should inform your healthcare provider immediately.
Dietary supplements are ingestible products designed to promote wellness. They may include vitamins (such as vitamin D), minerals, herbs, probiotics and other ingredients to assist with weight loss or help meet specific nutrient needs, like calcium for healthy bones or weight management; however they should never replace eating healthily or consulting your healthcare provider before beginning new supplements. It’s important to read and adhere to labels when purchasing any new dietary supplements as they should never replace a well-balanced diet; always consult them first! It is recommended that before beginning new supplements, especially if other medications are being taken simultaneously or being taken concurrently – and consult before beginning.
Other Ingredients
Dietary supplements can include additional ingredients, including fillers, binders, excipients, preservatives and flavorings. Manufacturers must declare these additional components in a list located beneath the “Supplement Facts” panel.
FDA regulations stipulate that labels for dietary supplement products contain an itemized listing of all of their ingredients by weight per serving. The quantities must be listed in ascending order of predominance in either columnar or linear display format; each ingredient (e.g. calcium and iron following choline) or according to its form will also be shown here.
DSHEA permits the use of proprietary blends on dietary supplement labels for the first time ever – something which was only previously allowed with conventional food products to protect trade secrets and secret recipes. However, if an ingredient in such a proprietary blend appears on its label itself then that ingredient must also be declared on its product label. In order to do this easily and transparently the FDA has maintained an online directory which allows users to search using the name of any supplement ingredient to locate related names as well as related actions and statements from FDA.
