Dietary supplements can be a fantastic way to supplement your regular diet with additional nutrition. But some can be dangerous when taken over long periods or in excessive doses.
Supplements must be thoroughly researched using clinical trials, so UCHealth experts have provided some of the most popular supplements: St John’s Wort for depression; Ginseng for cognitive function; Saw palmetto for prostate health and Folic acid as a preventative.
Vitamins
Vitamins are vital nutrients, essential to health. You can find them both in food sources such as fruits and vegetables as well as taking them in supplement form (in pill, liquid or tablet form). While most people get enough vitamins through eating a varied diet alone, supplementation may be needed during pregnancy or in response to other health concerns.
As a rule of thumb, most people should obtain all the vitamins they require through eating a balanced diet. If supplements are necessary for you however, it’s always a good idea to first consult your physician or dietician prior to taking them.
Vitamins are fat-soluble compounds, meaning that their stores can be found in fat tissue and liver of the body, while water-soluble ones like B vitamins and vitamin C cannot be stored and any excess is excreted through urine. Vitamin supplements are found in many foods; fortifying products with specific vitamins to prevent deficiencies was made a priority by the US government in early 1930s; examples include fortifying salt with iodine to prevent goiter, or fortifying grain products with folic acid to prevent birth defects during gestation.
Minerals
Minerals are natural solids characterized by their uniform chemical composition and highly ordered atomic arrangement, distinguished from synthetic counterparts produced in laboratories like emeralds and sapphires. Furthermore, the term mineral distinguishes natural substances with crystalline structures from those without such structures known as mineraloids.
Considered essential minerals for human health include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride magnesium zinc iron copper fluoride iodine selenium. Minerals help facilitate nerve impulse transmission muscle contraction release energy from food.
Carl Linnaeus proposed in 1735 a system for classifying minerals that divided nature into kingdoms: plants, animals and minerals – and then placed each kingdom under classes, divisions, families, genera and species. Unfortunately this classification system has been criticised due to inconsistencies; for example a mineral with fixed chemical composition could have various crystal structures described by different names, like Biotite with perfect basal cleavage or Mackinawite (Fe, Ni)9S8 with sixfold axes of symmetry.
Herbal
Herbs offer an effective natural way to support overall health. These plant-based medicines are usually safe and offer an alternative or complement to prescription medication.
However, unlike pharmaceuticals, herbal supplements are not subject to as rigorous regulation as pharmaceutical products are. Manufacturers don’t need to test their products in clinical trials before placing them on the market, and you could get something less effective than advertised.
As such, it’s essential that you discuss the herbs you’re taking with your healthcare provider in order to choose the most suitable herbal supplements and address any concerns or queries that arise.
As herbal products can interact negatively with prescription drugs, it’s vitally important that you notify your cancer care team of all supplements taken for comfort or relaxation purposes, including any you take for comfort or relaxation purposes. Memorial Sloan Kettering provides a database that lists popular herbal supplements along with possible interactions such as blood thinners.
Whole Food
When it comes to health, whole foods offer numerous advantages over processed options. Their antioxidants reduce your risk for chronic diseases while their satiation helps prevent overeating and they promote a balanced gut microbiome.
No one defines whole foods precisely, but these typically consist of unprocessed fruits and vegetables, legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, fish and whole grains. Aim for short ingredient lists or at the very least avoid processed food that contain high levels of saturated fat, sugar or sodium.
An eating regimen consisting largely of whole foods combined with nutritious processed foods can be an effective way of meeting their vitamin, mineral, and fiber requirements without needing supplements. Unfortunately, too much focus on “whole foods” can sometimes create an unhealthy dichotomy between what are considered “clean” or ‘good,” such as certain proteins, and those considered “dirty,” leading to potential stress levels and mental fatigue. Cahoon believes a well-rounded diet is the key to optimal health while decreasing supplement usage.
