Dietary Supplements

Everything You Need To Know About Dietary Supplements
 

Our body is a complex system, and it requires intake of different kinds of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats and carbohydrates in varying quantities to keep our body healthy. Our body can be considered to be like an engine, needing fuel to keep itself running. The fuel is normally the food that we eat, that provide us with the necessary form of vitamins, minerals, fats etc. It is the responsibility of the digestive tract to absorb these necessary vital food constituents, and provide it for metabolism. Now, as the body ages, the capacity of the body to absorb these nutrients decreases. Also, as our lives are becoming extremely hectic, and our food pattern is also changing, we have begun to increasingly rely on fast food or junk food to fill our stomach. These kinds of food do not contain the minerals and vitamins or the good fat that is necessary for us. Most of these foods are high on salt, sugar and bad fats. As a result of many such issues, our bodies become deficient in these nutrients. Lack or absence of these nutrients, affects our body metabolism, and thereby leaves us exposed to a myriad of problems arising due to low immunity, high cholesterol and age-related issues. Dietary supplements are recommended by doctors in such cases. 

So, what exactly is a dietary supplement? A dietary supplement is a consumable product, generally recommended by doctors, to help overcome the deficit of vital nutrients such as omega acids, vitamins, minerals such as folic acid, etc. These dietary supplements are constituted of mineral rich food, such that the daily recommended doses of such essential elements can be met through these supplements. 

What do dietary supplements do?
 

Dietary supplements may also include a variety of additional components in addition to vitamins, including minerals, herbs, different phytochemicals, acids, and enzymes. Dietary supplements may be found in a wide range of shapes and sizes, including pills, capsules, gummies, powders, beverages, and energy bars. Common nutritional supplements comprise those with the vitamins like B & D, minerals such as iron, herbs like Tulsi, Karela, garlic, as well as helpful things like fatty oils of fish.  

Dietary supplements marketed have a sticker that includes a list of the components, together with the quantity of each active ingredient per serving (dose) and additional substances including fillers, binders, and flavours. The serving size is recommended by the manufacturer, but your doctor may determine that a different quantity is better for you.

If you don't consume a diverse diet rich in healthy foods, several dietary supplements may be able to assist you get enough levels of vital nutrients. Supplements, however, cannot replace the diversity of foods that are essential to a balanced diet. A few dietary supplements may boost general well-being and assist in treating certain diseases. Consider this:

• Vitamin D and calcium support healthy bones and prevent bone loss.
• The risk of several birth abnormalities is reduced by folic acid.
• Some persons with heart problems can benefit from fish oils' omega-3 fatty acids.
• People with age-related macular degeneration may see a reduction in additional vision loss by taking a supplement known as AREDS, which contains the vitamins,  zeaxanthin and other ingredients.

Numerous supplements feature active components that may have powerful physiological effects. Always be aware of the potential for a negative response, particularly when taking a novel suppository. The likelihood of experiencing unwanted effects increases if you use them often, in excessive dosages, instead of your doctor's recommended medications, or for a variety of reasons. Supplements and certain drugs might interact in ways that could be problematic. 

Here are few instances:

• Warfarin, a blood thinner, loses some of its effectiveness to stop blood from clotting when vitamin K is present.
• Some cancer chemotherapy regimens may be less successful when antioxidant supplements like vitamins C and E are used.

Foods you consume, particularly morning cereals and drinks, may have vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements added by the manufacturer. As a consequence, you could obtain more of these elements than you anticipated, and as we know, excess of anything is not a good thing. Extra medication costs more and may increase your chance of experiencing negative effects. For instance, consuming excessive amounts of vitamin A may harm the liver, weaken bones, and result in birth abnormalities. The liver and other organs may be harmed by too much iron, which also produces nausea and vomiting.

Uses of Dietary Supplements
 

Let's examine the possible benefits of dietary supplements for you and if they really deliver on those promises. The market is flooded with nutritional supplements that attempt to treat a wide range of health issues, from vitamin A to zinc and everything in between.

They will be grouped into the following three categories:

• Supporting overall well-being: This includes a list of probiotics, multimineral, multivitamin formulations, etc. Maybe you'd take them every day to make up for a subpar diet, sleep schedule, or exercise routine. These try to improve daily physical and emotional well-being instead than focusing on specific health conditions.
• addressing certain health problems: You may follow a vitamin program with a particular health goal in mind. For instance, you can consume calcium and vitamin D to strengthen your bones. 
• avoiding disease or harm:  You can think of supplements as a preventative strategy rather than a way to aid with a condition that is already there. This too could include using a particular supplement for a certain goal.

In summary, there are a vast array of dietary supplements that may be beneficial for a vast array of physical and mental health issues. 

The effectiveness of dietary supplements is something that needs to be understood. The effectiveness of them can be ascertained using controlled and observational studies on select patients.  Numerous current studies are observational, which means that no control groups were used by the researchers. This can make the results a little distorted. Results from controlled randomised experiments can diverge dramatically from those of observational research. There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the efficacy of other supplements since they don't always have a tonne of research to support them.  Clearly, further research into the effects of supplements would be beneficial for all of us.

Best Time To Take Dietary Supplements
 

When is it impossible to get nutrients from food? It may be much more beneficial to get your nutrients from a balanced, healthy diet rather than from supplements. It may also be more affordable and delicious!  However, for a number of reasons, some individuals cannot get all of the nutrients they need from food alone; in these cases, supplements may be necessary. Some persons may develop nutritional deficiencies as a result of dietary limitations (vegans, for example). The inability to adequately absorb vitamin B12 or increased dietary requirements found in hypermetabolic conditions like cancer may also be to blame. Whatever the reason, dietary supplements may fill up these essential shortages. A vitamin D shortage may also be successfully treated with supplements. Since vitamin D doesn't appear in many foods, this kind of shortage is quite frequent. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is much higher among obese individuals and those with certain medical disorders.

Dietary supplements should be taken only on doctors’ recommendation. One should not consume such supplements without the expert consultations of medical professionals. The doctor will advise how to take the supplements. For example, Vitamin D supplements have a weekly followed by a monthly consumption pattern, and should never be taken daily. It is recommended to have the supplements at a fixed time every day, preferably after breakfast in the morning. One must ensure they follow the recommended plan, as advised by the doctor. 

Conclusions:

There are many factors that prevent the body from receiving important nutrients from the food. Therefore, it becomes vital that supplements of these foods must be given to overcome this problem. Nutrient and dietary supplements have become a big business across the world, and given our unhealthy lifestyle of fast food, sleepless nights, overworked days, it becomes essential to consult medical professionals to evaluate our body health. Dietary nutrients must be taken for the prescribed dose, and for the duration. 

FAQ: Dietary Supplements
 

Q. What are the negative effects of a dietary supplement?

Ans. Excess of anything is bad, and thus, excess of dietary supplements is also a dangerous thing. As discussed in the article, excess nutrients might lead to anxiety, obesity, heart conditions or even blood thinning, beyond the recommended level. Always consult a doctor to know the safe dosage for you. 

Q. Are dietary supplements safe?

Ans. Yes, Dietary supplements are approved by the food and drugs authority. Only use those supplements that have proper certification. In India, there are many companies that create herbal medicines without any certification, and Indians buy it believing in the promised benefits. Always buy these supplements from recognised retailers, prescribed by doctors.

Q. What happens if you take a lot of dietary supplements?

Ans. It might lead to other problems, which would be detrimental for our health. Always take dietary supplements, as recommended by your doctor. Do not consume them at the recommendation of family, friends or well-wishers, who do not understand medicines and supplements. 

Q. Do dietary supplements cause weight loss?

Ans. Dietary supplements can definitely lead to weight loss, if not taken as prescribed by the doctor.