Supplements may add vitamins, minerals and herbs to your diet; however, they don’t replace eating a variety of food in order to remain healthy.
Before beginning any supplement regimen, always consult a reliable healthcare professional in order to make sure it’s right for you.
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds produced by our bodies in small amounts to facilitate various metabolic processes. A well-balanced diet of healthy food should provide plenty of these essential supplements; those needing supplements should consult a physician or dietitian; excessive doses of single nutrients or high potency multivitamins could prove harmful.
Vitamins, or micronutrients, play an integral part in building strong bones, increasing immunity, healing wounds and performing other bodily functions. There are both water-soluble (such as vitamins A, C and D) and fat-soluble varieties of vitamins available; those being the latter.
Minerals are inorganic substances derived from the earth that can be found in foods like fish, eggs, fruits and dark green vegetables. The Institute of Medicine has set a Recommended Dietary Allowance for each mineral as well as several vitamins. Most of us won’t need supplemental vitamins since our diet contains enough nutrients. If necessary however, potency of supplements should be limited to 100% or below of our age and gender-specific Recommended Diet Intake (see table below).
Herbs
Herbs are plant parts used for culinary, medicinal and spiritual uses. When it comes to culinary uses, herbs resemble spices in that they add flavourings but with more delicately spiced notes than their counterpart.
Herbal and botanical supplements are regulated differently than drugs or medications; they’re sold as dietary supplements without the same stringent testing as pharmaceutical drugs do, allowing manufacturers to select only certain components from a plant that they consider healthy for you; unfortunately this means some essential nutrients can go unaccounted for.
The FDA considers certain herbal products ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS), at concentrations similar to food. However, many herbs can be potentially toxic at higher doses; clinicians should refer to dietary supplement resources and consult a clinical pharmacist or pharmacologist in order to identify which herbs have low drug interactions that make them appropriate for taking alongside prescribed medicines.
Foods to avoid
Dietary supplements come in pill, capsule, tablet, powder, gummy softgel or liquid forms and contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or amino acids to assist people with nutritional deficiencies meet their dietary requirements. They are sold so people who require extra vitamins can meet their dietary requirements more effectively.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees dietary supplements. However, their regulations differ significantly from those for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, with many not needing to undergo safety testing prior to being sold on store shelves.
Doctors and dietitians generally advise people to obtain nutrients through eating a well-balanced diet instead of supplementation, however if you take supplements it’s wise to consult your health care professional first and use only reliable brands. Also if any adverse reactions to supplements occur make sure that they notify their provider so the FDA can investigate and potentially pull the product from the market – this is essential as many dietary supplements have not been tested for safety with children or pregnant or nursing women in mind.
Precautions
Dietary supplements may interact with certain medications and cause serious adverse side effects. Please contact the FDA if any adverse events or problems with any dietary supplement arise.
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 mandates that manufacturers notify FDA in advance when adding any new dietary ingredients to their products, along with safety information. FDA conducts regular facility inspections of dietary supplement manufacturing facilities; Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) should be observed by all companies producing supplements to help minimize potential issues like overadding an ingredient, subadding too little, or contamination issues.
Many dietary supplements have not been extensively tested and make unproven health claims, so their use should only be part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes balanced nutrition and regular physical activity. Consult your health care professional about which if any supplements may be helpful for you; and bring an updated list of medications and supplements taken along to appointments.
