Supplements include pills, capsules, tablets, and liquids containing vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that should be factored into an estimate of daily dietary intakes. It’s crucial that supplementary foods and beverages be considered when making such calculations.
Be mindful that supplements should only ever serve to supplement an already nutritious and healthful diet, not replace it. When starting any new supplement regimen, consult with your healthcare provider first.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds produced in small amounts by our bodies to aid with various metabolic processes. Most individuals should be able to get all of the vitamins they require through eating healthily; however, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions may require supplementation as a part of their treatment. Before taking vitamin or mineral supplements, be sure to discuss it with your healthcare provider as excessive doses could be harmful.
Vitamins are essential nutrients needed by our bodies in small amounts in order to function correctly and remain healthy. Most individuals can obtain all of the vitamins they require from a well-rounded, varied diet.
Vitamins are commonly known by their alphabetical names and chemical descriptions; they’re then divided into two groups: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Common vitamins include A, C, D, E and folate/folic acid. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and can be expelled through urine while fat-soluble ones like A D E K are stored by your body for later use.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements needed in small amounts for human wellbeing, including calcium and sodium. Too much of either can lead to vitamin or mineral toxicity; to protect their consumption safely, the Food and Drug Administration sets daily recommended intakes (known as Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).
Most healthy adults can meet their vitamin and mineral requirements by eating a varied diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, lean proteins, dairy products, and unsaturated fats. People with physical limitations, chewing/swallowing difficulties or polypharmacy may have more difficulty meeting these nutrient needs through food alone or supplementation.
An insufficient diet containing important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium increases the risk of chronic diseases that are prevalent among older adults. Ongoing observational studies have also demonstrated that an increase in zinc and selenium intake lowers disease risks among elderly individuals.
Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts form the cornerstone of many herbal products. These liquids are created by soaking whole herbs (leaves, flowers, berries roots twigs or bark) in water or alcohol* solutions and then straining off. Tinctures can then be taken directly from their bottle using a dropper; added to water beverages foods or combined with other herbal extracts to make tinctures, syrups or teas of various sorts.
Herbal extracts are usually standardized – this means that each batch guarantees to contain at least 95% of an active constituent such as OPCs in every batch of extraction. As an example, pine bark extract could be standardised to contain >95% antioxidant OPCs.
Herbal supplements come in many different forms – powders, tablets, capsules, tisanes or glycerin extracts – that may be hard to understand from their labelling alone. Mg and % refer to the concentration of an herb extract; for example a 10:1 moringa leaf extract would contain 10g of raw material per 1g of dried extract – this is important given that herbs often have multiple chemical components working together for therapeutic effects.
