Dietary Supplement is a product that contains an ingredient intended to supplement the diet for a person. It can include vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals; amino acids; and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars and metabolites. Dietary supplements also can be extracts or concentrates and may be found in many forms, such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gel caps, liquids and powders.
Dietary supplements are available without a prescription through a number of retail outlets, including grocery stores, drug stores, general merchandise retailers, natural food stores and specialty health and nutrition stores. Many dietary supplements also can be purchased via online method.
There are many types of different dietary supplements. Some of which are
Herbs and botanicals are supplements that contain extracts or active ingredients from the roots, berries, seeds, stems, leaves, buds or flowers of plants. They range from ground-up, exotic herbs such as the kava kava root to well-known and widely used supplements such as ginseng and garlic. Many herbs and botanicals on the market hold reasonable scientific evidence of benefiting health. Examples include cranberry, Ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort, garlic, ginseng, grape seed, and green tea. And these supplements are easily available on the market.
All vitamins are organic substances that must be supplied in the diet. Without vitamins, human being cannot stay alive, as they are needed in every single organ in the body. Normal, healthy children and adults do not need to take vitamin supplements. In fact, taking excess amounts of vitamins can be dangerous; for example, they can cause liver damage. However, people who drink large amounts of alcohol, smoke cigarettes or are exposed to pollution need extra vitamins. Examples of vitamin dietary supplements include folic acid, vitamin A (beta carotene/carotenoids), vitamin B-12 and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Minerals are nonorganic substances found in all body tissues and fluids, such as bones, teeth, brain, liver, muscle, blood and nerve cells. There are 60 minerals found in the body, 22 of which are considered necessary for good health. Minerals cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be consumed in the diet. Examples include iron, potassium and zinc.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and approximately three-fourths of the dry weight of every cell in the human body is protein. Proteins are strands of amino acids shaped like necklaces, with the amino acids looking like beads. Proteins differ from one another depending on how the 22 amino acids are combined. Ingested proteins are taken apart into separate amino acids, which then are recombined into the protein chains that create hair, skin, connective tissue, enzymes, hormones, organs and muscle. Protein is a major component of muscle.
An increased protein consumption from foods or supplements helps replace lost protein and aid in the repair of tissues damaged during exercise. Still, not all amino supplements are safe. Individual amino acid supplements may disrupt the harmonious balance among amino acids in the body. so be careful while using it.
Let’s take a look at the health benefits of these supplements.
Now move towards the other side of picture.
As it has been proved by the above debate that some dietary supplements are beneficial. however, there are cases when these products can pose unexpected risks.
It’s always a good idea to work with your health care providers before taking a supplement, especially when combining or substituting them with other foods or medicine. Do not try to self-diagnose. Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure disease, nor are they designed to replace the variety of foods important to a healthful diet.
