The most common doubt we have is, “I eat a pretty
well-balanced diet. Do I really need to take a dietary supplement?”
“Yes.” You do need to take dietary supplements.
Read on to know why I am giving importance to dietary
supplements.
American Medical Association recommended that every individual
should take dietary supplements over and above eating a well-balanced diet, to attain
a optimum health condition.
Let us first have a look on what are dietary supplements.
What are Dietary
Supplements?
Dietary supplements include different variety of vitamins,
minerals, essential fatty acids; fiber or amino acids that are intended to
provide nutrients to your diet and help prevent nutrition related disorders.
They are available in the form of tablets or capsules that
are meant to be consumed by mouth. They are not pharmaceutical drugs or any
food additives like preservatives or spices.
They are intended to supplement an individual’s diet,
despite not being used as meal replacement.
Why Dietary
Supplements are Important in Your Life?
There is no secret that fruits and vegetables are few of the
healthiest foods in our life. The risk of getting any diseases like cancer,
diabetes, heart disease, etc. may go down if you eat more of the healthiest
foods.
However, according to a survey, people in general are not probably
eating adequate fruits or vegetables to fulfill their daily nutritional requirements.
A plant is as nutritious as the soil it was grown in. It
does not matter how many vegetables and fruits you intake, if they are grown in
nutrient poor soil, they won’t be very nutrient rich. Unfortunately, the truth
is that the nutrient content of the soil and thus our crops has been declining
gradually for decades.
This creates the need for you to add some essential
nutrients to your diet with the help of Health
supplements to balance your daily nutritional requirements.
If your diet does not contain an adequate amount of
nutrients, it can lead to malnutrition and thus cause various disease conditions
such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. eventually leading to a major
damage to your life.
Hence, supplementation of nutrients like vitamins, minerals,
fatty acids, amino acids, etc. is essential for your health and wellness.
Different Types of
Dietary Supplements
Vitamins
Vitamin is an organic chemical compound that cannot be synthesized
by the body in adequate quantities and should be acquired from your diet.
Supplementation of vitamins is essential for treating certain health conditions
and can also be consumed by any individual for optimal health.
Dietary Minerals
Dietary minerals or elements are the chemical elements
required by an individual, other than the four elements oxygen, carbon,
hydrogen and nitrogen present in common organic molecules.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine refers to the use of plants for medical
treatments. Many plant derived products are been used in Healthcare
products
for years, due to their therapeutic properties.
Essential Fatty Acids
Your body requires essential fatty acids for your overall health
and well-being. However, these fatty acids cannot be produced by your body and
hence should be consumed from diet or supplements.
Amino acids and
Proteins
Essential amino acids must be supplied to your body by food
or food supplements as the body
cannot make them.
Bodybuilding
Supplement
Bodybuilders and athletics need bodybuilding supplements to enhance
weight gain, muscle gain, promote weight loss or improve athletic performance. The
most widely used supplements are protein supplements, glutamine, branched chain
amino acids, vitamins, essential fatty acids, creatine and testosterone.
Are Dietary
Supplements Safe?
Dietary supplements are safe when you follow RDA
(recommended dietary allowance) levels, because over dosage of any nutrient can
lead to toxicity. Each nutrient has its own RDA value which you must follow,
before consuming.
They are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. If you are taking medication, pregnant or nursing, consult your
physician before using them.
So, choose your range of superior grade
qualitative dietary supplements that are manufactured within RDA levels and
stay healthy and happy.
