Keep a record of all dietary supplements and medicines you take to help stay on top of when to take them, as well as to provide your healthcare provider with an accurate picture of potential risks or interactions. This will also serve to keep track of any possible interactions or adverse reactions that could arise between medications.
Keep in mind that supplements cannot replace eating healthily or engaging in healthy practices like exercising regularly and managing stress appropriately. Be smart when taking supplements – selecting appropriate form and timing of ingestion are two factors you need to keep in mind.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic molecules that cannot be produced in the human body and must therefore be obtained through diet. Vitamin classification varies based on chemical structure; most vitamins contain similar molecules (for instance vitamin E contains four tocotrienols and eight tocopherols). Food contains both vitamins and minerals which work together, while supplements tend to work independently of each other.
Multivitamins are one of the most frequently taken dietary supplements, with users often reaching higher average daily intakes for some vitamins than nonusers; folate and fat-soluble vitamins A and D were among those at greater intake among multivitamin users than nonusers, while vitamin K, selenium, zinc, vitamin B6 and C inadequate intake rates were lower among supplement users compared with nonusers – though any excess above their upper limits (ULs) can potentially be harmful.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances that form part of our bodies’ structures and assist with metabolic processes, while also playing an essential role in bone health and maintaining the acid-base balance in our systems. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur potassium sodium while trace elements include iron zinc iodine fluoride selenium copper etc.
The Institute of Mines and Metals (IMA) defines minerals as naturally occurring crystalline solids with highly ordered internal atomic structures, such as orthoclase. It recognizes several crystal shapes – pseudomorphs included – such as kaolinite after orthoclase or topaz with its characteristic elongated shape.
The NHANES 2003-2006 Study employed self-administered questionnaires about food consumption and supplements to measure mineral levels in participants’ diets. Supplement users showed higher consumption levels for certain minerals such as phosphorus, potassium and selenium than nonusers.
Herbal Teas
Herbal teas are infusions made with roots, seeds or flowers brewed using water and heated to boiling point before being steeped with various spices for flavoring. Used regularly as natural diuretics to flush excess fluid and toxins out of the body while providing essential flavonoids and vitamin C benefits, herbal teas may also serve as natural diuretics.
Herbal teas differ from true tea by being produced using any edible plant that contains polyphenols – powerful antioxidants which promote health at the cellular level.
Tinctures offer an efficient way to take herbal supplements if you don’t have time or want to prepare a cup of tea, as well as being great for acute conditions like colds, period cramps or digestive distress. Medical herbs may also come in tincture form which contains higher concentrations of active ingredients than herbal teas; however most tinctures contain alcohol, so should only be consumed by people who abstain for religious or health reasons.
Berries
Berries are nutritional powerhouses packed with an abundance of polyphenols and low in calories, boasting an abundance of vitamin C and other antioxidants as well as fiber. Berries can be enjoyed either fresh, frozen, or dried and added into recipes such as smoothies or juices for optimal nutritional intake.
Berry consumption was associated with both higher diet quality and decreased concentrations of cardiometabolic risk factors in the United States adult population using 24-h recall data, even after taking into account sociodemographic and lifestyle confounders. These differences largely persisted after adjustment was made for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables that may influence these results.
Berry consumers, such as those who eat strawberries, blueberries, or cranberries frequently, have shown improved glycemic health and insulin sensitivity as well as better lipid profiles (lower triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol) than nonconsumers. Furthermore, these fruits’ phenolic compounds may possess neuroprotective properties.
Water
The Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences have been unable to find sufficient data for an Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for water. As such, they have devised Adequate Intakes (AI). AIs are calculated based on median intakes from population surveys which show wide variation. Blood samples collected to measure dehydration status have also been used as measurements; AIs are expressed as ratios of milliliters of water per 1000kcal calories consumed.
There is one drawback with this approach, however: the ml/kcal water measure doesn’t directly relate fluid and caloric intake, making it hard for clinicians to manage energy intake and expenditure since they cannot tell whether patients are getting enough water and calories. A more practical solution would be tying water consumption recommendations to more well-studied energy recommendations.
