Dietary Supplements : Information and Use

12 Jun

Posted by Dr John Anne as Herbal Nutriton Supplements

Congress defined the term “dietary supplement” in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement the diet. The “dietary ingredients” in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders.

Dietary Supplements uses

In general, supplements are useful for individuals who are unable or unwilling to consume an adequate diet. Physicians commonly recommend vitamins for very young children until they are eating solid foods that contain enough vitamins.

The dietary supplement industry is a dynamic one. Scientific research on the associations between supplements and health is accumulating rapidly. The number of products — and the variety of uses for which they are promoted — have increased significantly in the last few years. The role of the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces laws outlawing “unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” is to ensure that consumers get accurate information about dietary supplements so that they can make informed decisions about these products.

Dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances meant to improve your diet. They can come as pills, capsules, powders and liquids. Supplements do not have to go through the testing that drugs do. Some supplements can play an important role in health. For example, pregnant women can take the vitamin folic acid to prevent certain birth defects in their babies. Taking supplements can also be a type of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM).

Vitamins and minerals are substances your body needs in small but steady amounts for normal growth, function and health. Together, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Your body can’t make most micronutrients, so you must get them from the foods you eat or, in some cases, from dietary supplements. Dietary supplements can complement your regular diet if you have trouble getting enough nutrients. But they aren’t meant to be food substitutes. Dietary supplements can’t replicate all of the nutrients and benefits of whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

Thousands of dietary supplements are on the market. Many contain vitamins and minerals to supplement the amounts of these nutrients we get from the foods we eat. There are also many products on the market that contain other substances like high-potency free amino acids, botanicals, enzymes, herbs, animal extracts, and bioflavanoids.

Herbal medicine is the use of plants or plant parts as remedies for aches, pains, and illness. Herbs can be sold in a variety of forms-dried, finely chopped, powdered, or as liquid in a capsule. Despite the growing popularity of herbs, they are medications and are unregulated, and have not undergone the clinical testing necessary to prove they are effective and safe. With our current system of drug regulations, herbs are considered “supplements.”