People often turn to health and nutrition supplements such as multivitamins, folic acid tablets or gummy bears in an attempt to stay healthy. Unfortunately, no supplement can replace eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables as part of an overall balanced diet.
Although most prescription and over-the-counter drugs are subject to FDA oversight, supplements tend to fall outside its purview; however, the agency still monitors them and can take legal action against companies making false or misleading claims about them.
What is a supplement?
Dietary supplements should serve to enhance rather than replace a balanced diet, providing extra vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals and amino acids to the diet.
Supplements in the US are regulated as food under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994; unlike drugs, however, supplements don’t need to undergo rigorous clinical studies prior to entering the market.
When purchasing dietary supplements, it’s essential to read labels carefully and discuss them with your healthcare provider. Furthermore, write down which supplements you take each day at what time in order to keep track of how much has been consumed. Manufacturers must comply with standardized good manufacturing practices to ensure identity, purity and strength in dietary supplements; this helps prevent contamination as well as mistakes like adding too little or too much of an ingredient.
Vitamins
Vitamins are micronutrients essential to human health. Found in food sources, vitamins are generally well absorbed by our bodies. Most individuals should receive enough through diet alone; however, pregnant women may require extra supplementation like multivitamins or folic acid tablets to support gestation.
Excessive vitamin consumption can be hazardous. Vitamin A in high doses has been known to cause birth defects, headaches and liver damage while excessive iron can cause nausea, diarrhoea and interfere with certain medical tests.
Many pharmacies and supermarkets sell various vitamin dietary supplements that are unregulated, yet some manufacturers make claims about them which don’t jibe with scientific evidence and may be misleading.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic solids with a definite chemical composition and highly ordered internal atomic structure, such as one element or compound. Mineraloids, which have the same chemical composition but differing internal structures, are considered minerals as well.
Most people get all of the essential minerals through diet alone; however, supplements may be needed. Calcium for healthy bones, magnesium for muscle and nerve function and potassium to maintain balanced blood pressure and heart rates may all be important components.
Most minerals possess properties such as hardness, lustre, streak, diaphaneity and cleavage – how easily they break apart when rubbed against rough surfaces – among many others. Other characteristics may include their radioactivity, magnetism and acid resistance. Some minerals, like anorthite or olivine gems are prized for their beauty while others are utilized in glass production, pottery production, fertiliser application or concrete applications.
Herbals
Herbs like parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme and mint add both flavour and vivid color to food, as well as health benefits that include prevention of heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. These powerful antioxidants have also been linked to cardiovascular protection.
Addition of herbs to meals is an easy and tasty way to increase fiber, vitamins, and minerals without adding salt or fat. Plus, their natural antimicrobial properties may help fight harmful bacteria within the body.
Herbs, like vegetables, contain many health-promoting phytochemicals (plant-derived chemicals). Polyphenols found in herbs have been linked to reduced cancer risks as well as heart disease, inflammation and arthritis symptoms.
Other supplements
Supplements provide extra nutrition while helping prevent medical conditions like hypertension or birth defects such as spina bifida. Before taking a supplement, make sure to speak to a healthcare provider; they understand your individual nutritional requirements and can advise whether any adverse interactions exist between medications taken at once and potential supplements taken as supplements.
As with purchasing any supplements, it’s crucial that they come from reliable companies that follow good manufacturing and labeling practices and regulations. Be wary of supplements with excessive claims claiming to treat specific health conditions or burn fat. It is also wise to be wary of forms in which nutrients come as some can be more difficult for the body to assimilate than others.
