Dietary supplements can fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet, but not all are the same.
As it’s essential that products you buy meet current FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), make sure that when purchasing from any vendor they have laboratory reports or Certificates of Analysis from them.
Vitamins
Vitamins are vital nutrients required by your body to perform daily functions such as keeping bones strong and fighting infection. You can find vitamins in numerous food sources as well as in supplements; it’s best to incorporate them into your daily diet for maximum benefits.
Water-soluble vitamins dissolve rapidly after being taken in and quickly circulate throughout the body, with your kidneys constantly regulating levels and flushing any excesses out in urine. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) require fat absorption for absorption before being stored in your liver or fatty tissues for future use.
Supplements come in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, gummies, softgels and powders and contain ingredients like vitamins and minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids and live microbials (probiotics). While regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, regulations on these dietary supplements tend to be less stringent than on prescription drugs. Examples include calcium/vitamin D for strong bones; iron for anemia treatment and folic acid to protect newborn babies against certain birth defects.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring solid substances with highly organized internal atomic structures and distinctive external forms, typically inorganic substances typically found in rocks. Geologists categorize minerals based on their chemical composition and crystal structure. Each mineral may consist of one element or of several combined together such as halite (containing sodium chloride). Amorphous natural solids that do not exhibit clearly defined crystal structures may also be considered minerals; such as opal or obsidian; these forms are known as mineraloids.
Human bodies depend on various minerals for optimal health. Some of the key ones include potassium, chlorine, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. When deficiencies exist in any one area of health or illness treatment plans are sometimes prescribed vitamin/mineral supplements as needed to correct deficiencies or help manage illness symptoms.
Herbs
Addition of oregano on pasta, sage leaves on chicken or rosemary on roast can all add depth of flavour, aroma and visual appeal to any meal – as well as health-promoting properties! These herbs and spices have more to offer than simply beautify food – they may offer many additional health-promoting properties as well.
Technically speaking, herbs refer to the leafy green parts of herbaceous plants – those lacking woody stems – while popular usage extends the definition to include any non-herbaceous shrubs (e.g. rosemary or sage) or trees (e.g. bay leaves) as well as sea greens and mushrooms.
Herbs can boost immunity, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, relieve anxiety and insomnia symptoms, ease PMS/menopause symptoms and protect against cancer – among many other benefits. In addition, herbs contain antioxidants and other phytochemical compounds which promote overall good health while supporting weight loss efforts.
Nutraceuticals
Dietary supplements can provide numerous advantages for the body. They may help prevent disease, promote health, delay aging processes and enhance quality of life.1
Prescription drugs come in a variety of forms, such as pills, powders, liquids or gummies and energy bars. They contain vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids and enzymes; in addition, some can even act as functional foods that look similar to actual food but contain health-promoting properties (Wildman 2001; Bull 2000).
Nutraceuticals differ from pharmaceutical drugs in that they do not require FDA approval before being sold; however, they must adhere to similar labeling and manufacturing standards as regulated drugs. The term ‘nutraceutical” derives from the combination of “nutrient” and “pharmaceutical”, representing how food has always served both nutrition and medicine throughout history; using food both as nutrition and medicine goes back at least as far as Hippocrates!
