Vitamins, minerals and herbs are an essential part of a balanced diet; however, too much or taken with certain medications could pose potential problems.
Supplements may come in the form of pills, capsules, liquids or powders. When selecting any dietary supplements it’s a good idea to consult your healthcare provider; they will help select appropriate ones based on your unique needs and goals.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds consumed by the body to fulfill numerous metabolic processes, but cannot be produced naturally; thus they must be obtained through food or supplements.
Vitamin supplements can be found without a valid prescription in pharmacies, supermarkets and health food stores as pills, capsules, gels, powders drinks or energy bars. Their labels display both an amount per serving as well as its Daily Value (DV). The Daily Value provides an estimate of what that nutrient might contribute towards meeting daily needs.
Some vitamins are water-soluble and move through your system quickly; others are fat-soluble and remain stored in the liver and fatty tissues for extended periods. Examples of water-soluble vitamins are B-complex vitamins and vitamin C; those stored in liver cells and fat tissues for longer include A, D, E and K vitamins. Most people can get all their necessary vitamins through eating well-rounded meals, but those who lack variety or have specific deficiencies may require supplements.
Minerals
Minerals are essential to our bodies’ mental and physical processes. You can find these minerals both in food sources as well as as supplements.
Many minerals can be identified based on their crystal structures, which represents their internal atomic arrangement. Other characteristics can include lustre, streak, specific gravity and radioactivity.
Lustre refers to how light is reflected off of minerals, and mineralogists typically describe this with adjectives such as metallic, nonmetallic, dull, greasy or pearly. Specific gravity measures the weight in relation to water; it is one of the most reliable measurements a mineral possesses. Radioactivity can also be an identifying feature; some minerals like Uraninite and Autunite contain Uranium for example.
Numerous minerals possess unique tastes, with halite (rock salt) having an exquisite salty flavour. Other substances, like sulfur-containing carnotite which smells of rotten eggs, and fluorescent or glowing minerals such as apatite, pyrite, and selenite having unique characteristics that set them apart from each other.
Herbs
Herbs are plant-based products used in numerous ways to add flavour, aroma, and colour to food products; as well as supporting health.
Herbal supplements come in many forms, from dried herbs and teas, syrups and oils, liquid extracts (tinctures) and dry extracts (pills). Echinacea has long been used to strengthen immunity and avoid colds; feverfew helps treat migraine headaches and premenstrual syndrome, while garlic helps lower cholesterol.
If you experience any severe adverse reactions while taking supplements, be sure to notify both your health care provider and the FDA by using their contact details located on the product label.
PubMed database from the NIH contains information about natural products studied for possible health effects, while you can search specific ingredients on FDA website dietary supplement list to identify suitable herbs and other natural products to meet your specific needs. These searches will allow you to find products tailored specifically to you.
Other Ingredients
Dietary supplements are subject to the same labeling rules as food and must adhere to them. However, unlike conventional food items, dietary supplements must also declare all nutrients apart from those specifically claimed; this includes providing percent daily values of calories, sodium, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol and carbohydrates in their supplement facts panel.
To clarify, if a supplement claims to contain Omega 3 fatty acids from fish, it must also disclose whether or not it contains methylmercury, which is a mercury-containing compound. Furthermore, products designed to increase male sexual performance must declare whether or not they contain sildenafil (Viagra).
The FDA and Federal Trade Commission monitor dietary supplements. Both can take legal action against companies and individuals making false or misleading claims about them, while the National Institutes of Health provides scientific information regarding nutritional supplements and health topics; finally, the Office of Dietary Supplements at FDA provides additional consumer support.
