Dietary supplements can help protect you against illness, remain healthy, and look their best. But you must inform any of your healthcare providers of any supplements you are taking.
FDA is constrained in its resources for dietary supplement analysis. Therefore, priority is given to public health emergencies or products which could pose potential harm or injury risks.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules essential to life that cannot be synthesized by the body; therefore they must be consumed through food sources. There are 13 recognized vitamins; most forms of these molecules exist as groups called vitamers (for instance there are eight vitamers of Vitamin E).
Dietary supplements contain nutrients extracted from food or produced synthetically, sold as tablets, capsules, gummies, powder or liquid products and may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or botanical extracts, amino acids or any number of ingredients.
FDA does not evaluate dietary supplements prior to public sale; rather, its role is regulating their manufacturers. This involves inspecting manufacturing establishments, reviewing new dietary ingredient notifications (NDI), monitoring marketplace activity for these supplements, investigating complaints against them and verifying they meet U.S. requirements when imported.
Minerals
Minerals are micronutrients essential to health that must be consumed in smaller amounts than vitamins. They help your bones, muscles, heart, brain and nervous system function normally and also play a key role in producing enzymes and hormones in your body.
Mineral supplements come in two varieties: macrominerals and trace minerals. Your body requires large quantities of macrominerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium; while smaller amounts are required of trace minerals like iron selenium zinc cobalt cobalt.
Minerals are naturally occurring solid substances with a fixed chemical composition that occur naturally in nature. While some elements such as gold (elemental) or carbon (graphite or diamond) exist as pure elements, most minerals consist of compounds combining multiple elements with one or more non-metals; although some minerals possess unique crystal structures that allow for different chemical properties.
Thorne Research offers a selection of highly absorbable mineral chelates designed to support hormone and neurotransmitter function as well as act as cofactors in various enzymatic reactions, helping improve bone health, blood sugar regulation, muscle mass gain and more. These comprehensive blends have been shown to have multiple uses such as improving bone health, blood sugar regulation, muscle growth and more.
Herbal
Herbal medicines are plant-based products that may help maintain or improve your health, such as tablets, capsules, teas and powders. Since herbal medications are not subject to rigorous testing like drugs are, it’s essential that you know whether a product contains what it promises and its side effects before purchasing it.
Herbal remedies have the ability to have multiple effects in the body and are particularly helpful for relieving stress, supporting sleep quality and digestive health, and relieving joint discomfort. It’s important to remember that not all herbs are equal and each can vary greatly in terms of effectiveness, safety and quality.
Dietitians should disclose any financial relationships they may have with supplement companies and provide objective advice when recommending herbal supplements to clients. They must be mindful of risks related to using herbs that have been contaminated with metals such as mercury, lead or arsenic; any interactions between prescription drug interactions with herbs; as well as any potential drug-herb interactions. Dietitians are encouraged to search out high-quality herbs which have been independently tested for both contamination and potency.
Whole food supplements
Most experts agree that diet should be the main source of vitamins and minerals, yet supplements can fill in any gaps or help correct nutritional imbalances or deficiencies.
Whole food supplements differ from synthetic vitamins by being more closely aligned with natural food sources, which allows our bodies to more readily absorb them.
Our whole food products utilize nutrient-rich ingredients such as fruits, vegetables and herbs that are organic or non-GMO and require less processing than conventional supplements. They tend to be more bioavailable as well. In order to reach maximum potency for certain health claims – for example 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid which the FDA suggests for pregnant women – supplementation may sometimes be necessary in addition to using organic whole food ingredients.
