What is a Dietary Supplement?
The term “dietary supplement” refers to a wide and diverse range of products that you eat or drink to promote good health and supplement your diet. Supplements are not medicines, nor ought they to be considered as food substitutes. Forms of dietary supplements such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders and liquids are sold.
Dietary ingredients can be one or more of the following.
- Vitamin
- Mineral
- Herb or other botanical
- Enzymes
- Amino acids (individual building blocks of a protein)
- Concentration, metabolite, ingredients, or extract
Taking supplements to treat diseases naturally by providing our body with nutrients it needs to function properly. However, there are many supplements available in the market nowadays.
Benefits Of Dietary Supplements
Some dietary supplements can assist to ensure that you get nutrients your body needs to function. Others can assist reduce the risk of illness. However supplements should not replace whole foods that are essential for a healthy diet – so, make sure you eat several foods as well.
Contrary to drugs, the purchase of supplements for the purpose of treating, diagnosing, preventing or treating diseases is not permitted. Which means that supplements should not make sickness claims, which include “lowers high cholesterol” or “cures heart disease?” Such claims for dietary supplements cannot be made legal.
Are There Any Risks In Taking Supplements?
Sure. Many dietary supplements include active ingredients that have strong biological consequences within the body. This may make them insecure in some conditions and may harm or complicate your health. For example, the following actions can be dangerous and even fatal.
- Combining supplements
- Usage of supplements with the medication (whether prescription or over-counter)
- Make supplement substitutes for prescription medicines
- Excessive use of certain supplements, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, or iron. Some supplements can have side effects before, during and after surgery. Therefore, tell your healthcare provider, including your pharmacist, about the supplements you are taking.
How Can I Know More About Supplement?
Supplement labels ought to include name and area information of the manufacturer or distributor.
In case you want to know more about the product of a supplement which you are taking, take a look from manufacturer or distributor:
- Information to support product claims
- Information at protection and effectiveness of ingredients inside the product.
SOME COMMON DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
- Calcium
- Fish Oil
- Ginseng
- Chondroitin Sulphate
- Garlic
- Vitamin D
- John’s Wort
- Saw Palmetto
- Ginkgo
- Glucosamine and/or
- Green Tea
- Echinacea
How Can I Buy Supplement?
Become a premium supplement user. Here’s how:
- Instead of relying on vendor information when searching for supplements on the Internet, use non-commercial sites (such as NIH, FDA, and USDA).
- In case the claims sound good, then maybe they are. Beware of product claims such as “works better than (a prescription medicine),” “completely safe”, or “has no side effects.”
- Know that the term natural does not always mean safe.
- Ask your healthcare provider in case the complement you’re thinking about would be secure and useful for you.
- Safety first! Always remember it.
