Food supplements
A dietary supplement is a product that a person takes by mouth that contains nutritional ingredients intended to be added to the normal diet. These additional nutritional ingredients may include minerals, vitamins, plants, herbs, amino acids, organ tissues, metabolites, and glands. Ingredients such as extracts or combinations such as soft gels, liquids, oils, capsules, tablets and powders can also be used as a dietary supplement.
Dietary supplements can also be found in bar and other forms, but they are classified as foods, not drugs.
Classifications of dietary supplements
Dietary supplements can be classified into the following four classes.
Herbs and Botanicals
Herbal food supplements consist of natural products. These products are active ingredients or extracts from the roots, stems, seeds, leaves, flowers or buds of plants. A herbal product can be an extract of two or more active ingredients or it can be a whole plant. Plant extracts are used to maintain low cholesterol, good health and help control disease. People generally mistakenly think that because they are natural, these dietary supplements are good for your health.
An example of a dangerous dietary supplement is ephedra extract. This is generally used to lose weight and increase energy. It causes muscle damage, blood pressure, nerve damage and stroke or memory loss. It is prohibited, but any dietary supplement containing this herbal extract should never be used.
Many herbs prove to be very good dietary supplements. Some of them are listed below.
Grape seed antioxidant
Food supplement with grape seeds based on a concentrated extract of active ingredients from grape seeds. This product exhibits antioxidant properties and acts as a free radical scavenger.
Oxy-Gen 3 flavors
Oxy-Gen is a dietary supplement based on Aloe Vera that provides enhanced oxygen to the human body.
Other herbal supplements include cranberry, garlic, green tea, ginkgo biloba, etc.
vitamins
Vitamin food supplements contain essential vitamins necessary for many cellular reactions and body functions. Some vitamins also exhibit antioxidant behavior that scavenges free radicals from the body. Some vitamins found in dietary supplements are not made in the human body, such as vitamin K and vitamin D. A healthy body that has a good balanced diet does not need vitamin supplements because excessive use of these dietary supplements can damage the liver.
Vitamins are of two types: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and the 7 B vitamins can dissolve in water and are therefore not stored in significant amounts in the human body. Fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K are stored in body fat. Fresh fruit or a vitamin food supplement is used by people to ensure an adequate amount of water-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin A and D (25,000 IU/1,000 IU)
This food supplement is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, both necessary for many cellular functions and reactions of the body for the release of energy.
Combo B-12 / Folic Acid
Vitamin B12 and folic acid belong to the B vitamin family and support the action of vitamin C. It also helps to strengthen the acid present in the stomach for better digestion.
Other vitamin dietary supplements include Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12, B6, B3 and many more.
Minerals
Mineral dietary supplements contain minerals needed for body fluids and tissues such as bones, brain, teeth, liver, brain, blood, muscles and nerve cells. There are about 60 minerals present in the human body, but 22 of them are necessary. To have the right amounts of minerals, a good healthy diet and dietary supplements are recommended.
Food supplements contain two types of minerals needed by the body. The main minerals, which are those that the body needs in large quantities, are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides and sulfur. The body needs for these minerals are almost 250 grams per day. Trace elements are copper, iodine, fluoride, manganese, iron, zinc and chromium and are needed in small amounts. The amount of trace elements to take is about 20 milligrams per day.
Liquid Life Ultra Calcium with Ostivone
This mineral food supplement contains easily absorbable calcium as well as several other trace elements.
75 Minerals of plant origin
75 Plant-derived mineral food supplement is natural and the purest source of minerals. It provides many minerals not produced in the body.
Food supplements
These dietary supplements include fish oils, compounds found in food such as flavonoids, CoQ10 and many more.
Who needs dietary supplements?
Dietary supplements are necessary for all people who suffer from a deficiency of certain nutrients in their diet or body due to lack of foods rich in vitamins and minerals or lack of food. Athletes, vegetarians, the elderly and pregnant women can use dietary supplements for better health.
Selection and use of dietary supplements
Dietary supplements provide additional nutritional ingredients and do not replace food. Natural foods provide many complex compounds that the human body needs in many cell functions and metabolisms. These products should only be used to improve bodily functions. Before opting for a supplement, keep the following points in mind.
It may be wise to avoid all dietary supplements that have large or mega servings. Excessive use can lead to nutrient toxicity. Many dietary supplements contain plant and herbal extracts known to cause serious side effects. You must have complete and viable ingredient information. Natural vitamins are more expensive and if a company offers very low prices, they may not be authentic. Check the supplement label and note the amount of nutrients in each serving. The drug label should bear the USP inscription, which means that the dietary supplement meets the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia.
There are certain known dietary supplements that a person should not take. Some of them include aristolochic acid which is toxic to the kidneys, comfrey which causes liver disease, kava which causes liver damage, tiratricol which can cause heart attacks, chaparral which causes hepatitis and usnic acid which is toxic to the liver. There are other dietary supplements on the market that also have side effects.
