Nutritional supplements are substances or products that are added to a person's diet to ensure they get all the nutrients they need. This can include vitamins, minerals, proteins, or fats, and can be administered orally, through tube feeding, or intravenously.
Dietary supplements
are products intended to supplement the diet and not to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. The FDA is the federal agency that oversees both supplements and drugs, but the regulations for dietary supplements are different from those for prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In general, dietary supplements are intended to add to or supplement the diet and come in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, powders, sticks, gummies, and liquids.They can provide nutrients extracted from food or synthetic sources to increase the amount of your intake. This class of nutritional compounds includes vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, and amino acids. Dietary supplements may also contain substances that have not been confirmed to be essential for life but are marketed as having a beneficial biological effect such as plant pigments or polyphenols. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients such as collagen from chickens or fish. Supplements are sold individually and in combination and can be combined with nutritious ingredients.
The European Commission has established harmonized standards to help ensure that food supplements are safe and properly labeled. While prenatal vitamins are not intended to replace dietary nutrition, prenatal supplementation may be beneficial for pregnant women who are at risk of suffering from nutrient deficiencies due to dietary limitations or restrictions. The nutritional supplement (NTFactor) restores mitochondrial function and reduces moderately severe fatigue in elderly subjects. Some dietary supplements can help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients if you don't eat a variety of nutritious foods. Supplements are or contain vitamins, nutritionally essential minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and non-nutritive substances extracted from plants or animals, fungi or bacteria or in the case of probiotics living bacteria. There is little evidence of benefits when people who are healthy and have a nutritionally adequate diet consume vitamins as a dietary supplement. So what are the benefits of taking nutritional supplements? Well, there are many potential benefits depending on your individual needs.
For example, if you have a nutrient deficiency due to an unbalanced diet or certain medical conditions such as anemia or osteoporosis then taking a supplement may help you get the nutrients you need. Additionally, some studies have shown that certain supplements may help reduce the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease and cancer. It is important to note that while nutritional supplements can be beneficial for some people they should not be used as a substitute for a healthy diet. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is still the best way to get all the nutrients your body needs. Additionally, it is important to speak with your doctor before taking any type of supplement as some may interact with medications you may be taking. In conclusion, nutritional supplements can be beneficial for some people depending on their individual needs.
However it is important to speak with your doctor before taking any type of supplement and remember that eating a balanced diet is still the best way to get all the nutrients your body needs.
