The maximum percentage of young adult people of the United States take at least one or more than one dietary supplements once a weak or every day. Nowadays, dietary supplements contain vitamins, minerals, herbals and botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and many other products. There are various forms of dietary supplements are available in the market. Some are traditional and some are newly invented, such as traditional tablets, capsules, and powders, as well as drinks and energy bars. The major and famous dietary supplements include vitamins D and E; minerals like calcium and iron; herbs such as echinacea and garlic; and specialty products like glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oils.
The Dietary Supplement Label:
The label of all the dietary supplements have the list that contains the measurement of ingredients a single capsule has or the total amount of things the whole bottle contain, and the other has fixings like fillers, flavoring, and binders. The company which manufactured the supplements assured the size of the serving. But we advised you to take the dietary supplements according to the doctor’s advice, as different dose can be prescribed by the doctor according to your physical condition and which will comparatively more perfect for you than taking dietary supplements according to the bottle’s label.
Effectiveness:
If your food chart does not contain any nutritious food then some of the dietary supplements can provide you the nutrition which you are not getting for not having the balanced food chart. Not only that, the variety of foods can be replaced by the dietary supplements to provide you a healthy diet. Good sources of information on eating well which also include the Dietary Guidelines for Americans external link disclaimer and My Plate external link disclaimer.
Researchers have shown that some dietary supplements are beneficial for the overall health and some dietary supplements are good for some particular and specific health conditions. For example, calcium and vitamin D are important for keeping bones strong and reducing bone loss; folic acid decreases the risk of certain birth defects, and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils might help some people with heart disease. Other dietary supplements need more researchers to find their usefulness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot decide whether the dietary supplements are effective before they are marketed.
Safety And Risk:
You can find some active elements in many dietary supplements which can heavily affect your body. Always be careful about this. Every time while taking dietary supplements especially while taking new dietary supplements to be aware of the side effects. Observe carefully whether it causes any harm or not.
Taking various dietary supplements at a time or taking dietary supplements instead of prescribed medications are the main reasons where side effects of dietary supplements are extreme. The most common side effect is that it increases the risk of bleeding. Not only that, it affects the response of a patient to anesthesia if the patient takes these dietary supplements after or before the surgery. The dietary supplements are can also come with the clash with prescribed medicine and can do many harms to the health. In below we give some examples of the side effects of dietary supplements;
- The ability of the blood thinner Coumadin reduces which prevent blood from clotting due to vitamin K.
- Many dietary supplements can break down some drugs such as anti-depression pills and birth control pills which resulted in the ineffectiveness of these drugs.
- Antioxidant supplements, like vitamins C and E, might reduce the effectiveness of some types of cancer chemotherapy.
Have Side Effect:
Always remember that some elements found in dietary supplements are increasing value to a growing number of foods, which includes breakfast cereals and some beverages. As a consequence, you are having more of these ingredients than you think, and as we all know excess of anything is not good, so this is also not good for health. Having more than your requirements is always harmful and can also increase the risk of experiencing side effects. For example, having too much vitamin A can result in headaches and liver damage, can also reduce bone strength, and can cause birth defects. Taking excess iron may cause nausea and vomiting and may harm the liver and other organs.
Caution:
Be careful about having dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be aware of advising them (beyond a basic multivitamin/mineral product) to a child. Most dietary supplements have not been well tested for safety in pregnant women, nursing mothers, or children.
If you sense that you are having a serious problem after taking the dietary supplements, consult your regular doctor or a doctor who is a specialist in it. The doctor can deliver your experience to the FDA. You may also submit a report to the FDA by calling 800-FDA-1088 or completing a form online external link disclaimer. Not only that, share your experience with the manufacturer company by using the contact number or address that is written on the product label.
Quality:
Dietary supplements are complex products. For dietary supplements, the FDA has established good manufacturing practices (GMP) to help assure their identity, purity, strength, and composition. These GMPs are there to prevent the wrong and harmful elements to be included in dietary supplements, to maintain the correct measurement of ingredients, not too much or too little, the possibility of contamination, and the improper packaging and labeling of a product. The FDA periodically inspects facilities that manufacture dietary supplements.
Not only that, many independent companies provide quality tastes for these dietary supplements and the products that pass all the tastes have got their approval seals and other mention. These seals of approval give us the assurance that the product was properly manufactured, has the ingredients listed on the label, and does not include any harmful levels of contaminants. But take note that these seals of approval do not guarantee that a product is safe or effective. Organizations that offer this quality testing include:
Keep In Mind:
Don’t decide to take dietary supplements to treat a health condition. You have diagnosed yourself, without consulting a healthcare provider.
- Don’t take supplements instead of, or in combination with, prescribed medications without your health care provider’s approval.
- Consult with your doctor about the supplements you take if you are scheduled to have any type of surgical procedure.
- Please remember that the term “natural” doesn’t always mean safe. A supplement’s safety depends on various things, such as its chemical balance, its working method on your body, its preparation process and the dose in which you have to take it. Many herbs, like comfrey and kava, can cause harm to the liver.
Before Taking a Dietary Supplement, ASK Yourself These Questions:
- What benefit does it brings to me or my health?
- Do these dietary supplements have any safety risks?
- Which does is perfect for me?
- How, when, and for how long should I take it?
- What are the general health advantages of this dietary supplement product?
If you don’t know these question’s answers, search the information sources listed in this brochure and consult with your healthcare providers.
Talk to Your Health Care Provider:
Always consult with your health care providers, which can be your doctors or pharmacists or dietitians or whoever may be about the dietary supplements you’re having so that you can consult what’s best for your complete health. Your health care provider may help you fix which supplements, if any, might be suitable for you.
Keep a note of the supplements you are having or had have or will have in one place, just as you should be doing for all of your medicines. Note the specific product name, the dose you take, how often you take it, and the reason why you use each one. You can also bring the products you use with you when you see your healthcare provider.
Federal Regulation Of Dietary Supplements:
Dietary supplements are products which intend to supplement the diet. They are not drugs, so they are not made to treat, prevent, or cure diseases, diagnose, mitigate. The federal agency that oversees both dietary supplements and medicines is the FDA
Generally, the drugs that are prescribed or can found in the over the counter are very much different than the FDA regulations for dietary supplements. Unlike drugs, which must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed. Dietary supplements do not require premarket review or approval by the FDA. While the supplement company is responsible for having evidence that their products are safe. And the label claims are truthful and not misleading. They do not have to provide that evidence to the FDA before the product is marketed.
Appropriate Labeling
Dietary supplement labels may be labialized certain types of health-related claims. Manufacturers are granted to say such things. For example, that a dietary supplement addresses a nutrient deficiency, supports health, or is linked to a particular body function (like immunity or heart health). Such a claim must be followed by the words. “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
The makers must obey several good manufacturing procedures to assure the identity, purity, strength, and composition of their products. Otherwise, if the FDA can detect a product to be unsafe or find that it is unfit for human consumption. It may take necessary action to withdraw the product from the marketplace. Or work with the makers to voluntarily recall the product.
Also, once a dietary supplement is marketed. The FDA has a close eye on the information of the product’s label and package insert to make sure that information. The supplement’s content is correct and that any claims made for the product are truthful and not misleading. The Federal Trade Commission (FDA), which polices product advertising. Also requires all information about a dietary supplement product to be truthful and not misleading.
The federal government has the power to take legal action against manufacturers. And also Web sites that liable to sell dietary supplements. When the companies make false or deceptive claims about their products, if they promote them as treatments or cures for diseases, or if their dietary supplements are not safe.
