Knowledge is power when it comes to supplements; speak to your healthcare provider to identify which are necessary and ensure they won’t interact negatively with any medications you currently take.
Vitamins and minerals play a critical role in how our bodies operate, and most can be obtained through diet alone; however, some may require supplements in order to meet their nutritive requirements.
Vitamins
Vitamins are chemicals the body needs for growth and function, with pregnant women or those suffering from specific medical conditions often needing supplements as additional nutrition. Certain water-soluble vitamins like Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Biotin and Folate (also called Folic acid) cannot be stored by the body and any excess is excreted through urine.
Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K and may accumulate to toxic levels within your body, potentially leading to adverse side effects. The Institute of Medicine has set tolerable upper intake limits for each one of these lipid-soluble vitamins.
Foods provide many of the vitamins found in supplements, so selecting a supplement should focus on whether it will provide benefits and potential side effects. As some manufacturers make extravagant claims about their product or ingredients, consumers should look for third-party certification such as USP seal to help determine quality.
Minerals
Minerals are vital nutrients found both on Earth and in food that our bodies need for growth and proper functioning, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Some minerals — like calcium and magnesium — require larger quantities in our bodies while others such as iodine, iron zinc copper selenium need smaller amounts.
Most people should be able to obtain enough minerals from diet alone; if not, however, supplementation may be needed.
Minerals are inorganic substances found naturally and used by human beings for thousands of years as sources of nourishment. They feature regular crystal structures with distinct chemical composition, making them easy to identify as well as being used as nutritional sources in nature.
Herbal Extracts
Herbal extracts or tinctures are created by boiling together leaves, roots, rhizomes and flower/inflorescence from plants in water and alcohol to produce liquid tinctures which are then used medicinally or nutritionally, added to food or drink or combined together into syrups, elixirs teas or salves for medicinal or dietary use.
St. John’s Wort is known to stimulate CYP3A4 and P-gp, which may decrease the effectiveness of medications such as irinotecan, protease inhibitors, digoxin, cyclosporine tacrolimus or warfarin. If you are taking one of these drugs it would be prudent to either avoid St John’s wort altogether or consult with your healthcare provider before doing so.
Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances that you can take to support or treat specific symptoms in your health. These differ from drugs which must go through rigorous FDA regulation before being sold on the market. When shopping for dietary supplements make sure they’re labeled “certified kosher,” “USP verified,” or have either an NSF International, US Pharmacopeia or Underwriters Laboratories seal of approval – that will indicate their quality.
Food Supplements
Dietary supplements are intended to supplement rather than replace regular diets. Dietary supplements may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or natural substances like amino acids or live microbes – products like these may come in the form of tablets, soft gels, gel caps bars powders and drinks. Food supplements in Europe are regulated under EU legislation as food items; manufacturers must abide by harmonised rules regarding ingredients such as vitamins and minerals found in them and where they come from; furthermore EFSA conducts safety assessments where concerns have been raised either by EU or Member states regarding particular substances found within supplements dietary supplements.
Dietary supplement labels must clearly state whether the product is intended for general or specific health use, and include information regarding ingredients per serving (excluding proprietary blends ). Furthermore, manufacturers/packagers/distributors should be listed along with contact numbers so customers may reach them easily.
