Dietary Supplements - Using and Understanding their Effects



By Adrian M. from Raleigh, NC on January 23, 2006
Category: Supplement Information

<span>An Introduction to Dietary Supplements</span>

The food that we eat is composed of a bewildering array of substances, chemicals, compounds, and what not. For instance, there are vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and lots of other stuff besides. There are so many important nutrients, in fact, that sometimes getting the recommended daily amounts of these nutrients can become a problem. This is where dietary supplements come in.

<span>What is a Dietary Supplement?</span>

A dietary supplement is a product that is designed to fill in any <span>deficiencies</span> in a diet. These deficiencies may be caused by any number of factors, including, but not limited to, insufficient intake of specific foods, heavy activity or exercise that tends to drain the body of nutrients, or even illness and disease that rob the body of nutrients.

According to the United States Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, a dietary supplement must satisfy the following criteria (and must supplement the diet and contain one or more of the following dietary ingredients):

  • a vitamin

  • a mineral

  • a herb or any other botanical component

  • an amino acid

  • enzymes or tissues from organs and glands

  • a concentratea metabolite, constituent, or extract

  • It must be <span>ingested</span> in capsule, tablet, pill, liquid, or powder form.

  • It must not be labeled as conventional food to be consumed as the sole item of a meal or diet.

  • It must be labeled as a “dietary supplement.”


It's important to note that under this Act, dietary supplements are regulated as food items and not as drugs. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not screen dietary supplements before they are released on the market, in contrast to the normal procedure for drugs. Supplement manufacturers are also not required to prove the quality or safety of their products. Most other governments emulate the US FDA's practices.

<span>Using Dietary Supplements</span>

Generally, the use of dietary supplements is approached in two ways: one, as conventional medicine, or two, as complementary and alternative medicine. Conventional medical use of a supplement is based on scientific findings, while the complementary and alternative medical use is based on beliefs that largely have not been scientifically proven. To give an example of conventional medical use, folic acid has been scientifically proven to prevent certain birth defects in newborn babies. An example of the complementary and alternative usage would be using large quantities of <span>vitamin C</span> (in excess of 1 gram per day) to quickly cure or prevent the common cold. This has not been proven but is generally accepted to be true.
Like regular drugs, it's important to be careful when using dietary supplements. Obviously, the first important reason is that supplements are not tested for safety or efficacy by any governing body before they are sold on the market. A less known reason would be that certain supplements have interactions with certain drugs. For example, <span>ginkgo biloba</span>, when taken with anticoagulant or anti-platelet drugs, can <span>increase the risk</span> of bleeding. There is also a probability that ginkgo might interact with certain psychiatric drugs and drugs that affect blood sugar levels. It is always imperative to consult one's physician on the use of supplements. They can provide dosage information as well as warn about possible side effects or interactions with drugs.

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