Health and nutrition supplements can be found everywhere from multivitamins to fish oil in grocery stores – but do they really provide benefits?
Dietary supplements come in the form of pills, capsules, powders, beverages and bars and may include vitamins, minerals, herbs and other compounds.
Supplements should never replace eating well; however, certain supplements such as folic acid for pregnant women may help protect against certain birth defects.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules or sets of closely related ones essential for proper metabolic functioning of our bodies in small doses. Since our bodies cannot synthesize many of the vitamins we require ourselves, they must come from food sources in our diet.
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy tissues while protecting vision; vitamin D is critical for bone formation; and folic acid plays an integral part in producing healthy red blood cells. Many foods and drinks are fortified with vitamins.
Nutritionists generally advise taking most vitamins and minerals from food rather than supplements unless recommended by a healthcare provider. High dose supplements may be harmful for certain medical conditions, including malabsorption (due to diarrhoea or coeliac disease) or those taking medications that interfere with vitamin absorption. Food provides many more beneficial vitamins and nutrients such as fibre and phytochemicals not available from single nutrient supplements or multivitamin pills.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally-occurring solids with specific chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structures. A mineral must be an inorganic substance produced by life forms; solid at room temperature and normal pressure conditions is considered a mineral. Liquids or gases do not qualify as minerals.
There are thousands of minerals in the world, but only 100 comprise most of Earth’s volume: plagioclase, quartz, orthoclase, amphibole, olivine pyroxene, calcite biotite garnet and clay are the main contributors. Each mineral has unique physical properties such as cleavage (how easily they break), tenacity specific gravity magnetism refraction or double refraction that make them uniquely interesting – some even bend light with extreme precision!
Minerals form through natural geological processes like metamorphism and the cooling of magma or lava, crystallization (where preexisting minerals form into new ones), biomineralization (in which living organisms produce minerals as part of their function – for instance calcium carbonate shells of mollusks and corals are examples of biomineralization), crystallization or crystallization. They may also form through other means like biomineralization; one such example being calcium carbonate shells found on these species!
Herbs
Herbs, or green leaves from certain plants, such as basil, oregano, parsley and thyme are an easy and delicious way to add flavour and color without adding excess fat or sodium – they may even have health-promoting properties! Fresh herbs tend to have delicate flavours so try to use them near the end of cooking time in your dish to preserve their properties.
Herbal health products and supplements (also referred to as botanical products) make up a substantial component of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments, including herbal teas, capsules, tablets, liquids and powders.
Researchers still aren’t certain exactly how herbs and plants work to treat diseases or illnesses, though many believe the whole plant contains many ingredients which work together for its beneficial effect. It is wise to consult a healthcare practitioner prior to starting herbal remedies or making decisions based on them.
Homeopathics
Homeopathy is an alternative medicine based on the belief that administering very small doses of highly diluted substances stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Homeopathy was pioneered by Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician in the late 18th century.
Many people use homeopathic products to address mild health concerns, including allergies or digestive issues. Researchers have revealed that certain homeopathic products may also be effective at treating diarrhea, ear infections, asthma attacks, fibromyalgia symptoms and symptoms associated with menopause.
However, homeopathic remedies lack sufficient evidence of their efficacy for most medical conditions and using them instead of conventional treatments may increase recovery times.
Before using any homeopathic product or medicine, always consult your physician first. Make sure they know if you’re taking homeopathy so they can monitor for possible interactions with prescription or over-the-counter drugs; note that FDA has yet to evaluate these over-the-counter options.
