What Are Nutritional Supplements?

 Nutritional supplement is defined as a food product which is

added to the total diet, that contains at least one of the following
ingredients: a vitamin, mineral, herb or botanical, amino acid,
metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any of these
ingredients.
 Dietary or Nutritional supplement cannot be represented as a
conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or a diet.
 Nutritional supplements contain essential nutrients such as
essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, but also other
nonessential substances such as ginseng, ginkyo, yohimbe, ma
huang, and other herbal products.
 The definition of a supplement is something added, particularly to
correct a deficiency.
 Theoretically, nutritional supplements should be used
to enhance nutrition and correct a deficiency of a specific
nutrient, such as Vitamin C.

Who Needs Supplements?

 People with nutrient deficiencies People with low food energy
intakes.
 People who eat all-plant diets (vegans) and those with atrophic
gastritis need vitamin B12.
 Women who bleed excessively during menstruation need iron.
 People with lactose intolerance, milk allergies or otherwise who do
not consume enough forestall excessive bone loss need calcium.
 People in certain stages of life cycle who have increases nutrient
needs, for example, infants need iron and fluoride, pregnant
women need iron & elderly need vitamin D.
  People who have diseases, infections, or injuries or who have
undergone surgery that interferes with the intake, absorption,
metabolism, or excretion of nutrients.
 People taking medications that interfere with the body’s use of
specific nutrients.

TYPES OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

• VITAMINS: Vitamin A, C, D, K, E, Vitamin B12, B1

(Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3(Niacin), B5 (Panthothenic
acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 Folate, Vitamin B12.
• MINERALS: Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorous,
Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Iodine
• PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS: Arginine, Leucine
Tryptophan, Cysteine, Methionine, Glutamine, Lysine,
Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Valine,
Glycine
• ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Alpha- linolenic acid (ALA),
Omega- 3 fatty acid, Linoleic acid, Omega-6 fatty acid.

ADVANTAGES:
1) REDUCE DISEASE RISKS: Intake of certain nutrients at levels
much higher than can be attained from foods alone may be beneficial is
reducing disease risks.
2) C0RRECT OVERT DEFECIENCES: In the US and Canada,
adults rarely suffer nutrient deficiency diseases such as scurvy, pellagra
and beriberi, but they still do occur. To correct overt deficiency disease,
a physician may prescribe therapeutic doses two to ten times the RDA of
a nutrient.

3) IMPROVE NUTRITION STATUS: People who do not eat enough

food to deliver the needed amounts of nutrients, such as habitual dieters,
the elderly and some vegetarians who restrict their use of entire food
groups. If there is no way for these people to eat enough nutritious food
to meet their needs, then vitamin-mineral supplements should be given.
4) IMPROVE THE BODY’S DEFENSES: Health care professionals
may provide special supplementation to people being treated for
addictions to alcohol or other drugs and to people with prolonged
illnesses, extensive injuries or other severe stresses such as surgery.
These illnesses often interfere with appetite, eating, or nutrient
absorption limit nutrient intakes, yet nutrient needs are often heightened
by diseases or medications. In all these cases supplements are
appropriate.
5) SUPPORT INCREASED NUTREINT NEEDS: Nutrient needs
increase during certain stages of life, making it difficult to meet some of
those needs without supplementation. For women who lose a lot of
blood and therefore a lot of iron during menstruation each month may
need and iron supplement. Women of childbearing age may need folate4
supplements to reduce the risks of neural tube defects. Similarly,
pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding their infants have
exceptionally high nutrient needs and so need special supplements.

DISADVANTAGES:
 They are not ideal food substitute.
  Tendency of addiction.
 The special chemical properties of some substances and their interactions
with food and other substances.
 Some nutritional supplements can be very expensive.
 Supplements are not healthy in excessive amounts.
 High risk of chronic health problems.

TOXICITY:
 Users of dietary supplements often increases the dosage or frequency. As a
result, doses become less and less effective. The human organism is forced
to work harder to eliminate extra amounts of these. All these factors lead to
the appearance of side effects due to toxicity which depends on following
factors
 The dosage because the exceeding of the recommended dosage may cause
side effects.
 The duration of the substance intake. The special chemical properties of
some substances and their interactions with food and other substances.
 Person’s weight and age. The individual capacity because each person reacts
differently in the face of various substances.

GUIDELINES:
 Unfortunately, scientific data are not available to provide specific guidelines
relative to the amounts of each particular vitamin needed to promote optimal
health. For those who desire to take supplements, low levels that do not exceed the
RDA can be taken.
 Buy supplements high in beta-carotene and low in vitamin A. Avoid supplements
with more than 5000 IU of vitamin A.
 Take supplements rich in vitamin C, about 250-500 mg. Take supplements rich in
vitamin E about 100-400 IU.
 Take a supplement with 6mg of vitamin B12 if you are a vegan.
 Take supplements limited in the iron, copper, and zinc; no more than the
Reference Daily Intake for each.
 Take a supplement with calcium if you are female and do not consume adequate
dietary calcium.
 Take a supplement with about 200mg of folic acid. This is especially important for
woman who are capable of bearing children. The supplement will complement the
diet to provide about 400mg per day.
 Do not take any of the dietary supplements without recommendation from a
professional or a doctor.
IMPORTANCE OF SUPPLEMENT LABEL:
 The supplement facts label includes important information regarding the
ingredients, serving size, number of servings, and nutritional value of a
supplement.
 It is especially important for labels to provide objective and accurate information
on supplement usage to balance the claims about supplements that consumers
learn about through advertisements.
 It’s important to keep in mind that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
doesn’t regulate the safety or effectiveness of supplements the same way that it
monitors drugs. This means that there’s no guarantee that a supplement is
produced according to specified quality standards or that it remains consistent
from batch to batch. For this reason, it’s important to practice label reading while
purchasing supplements to ensure that you’re getting the highest quality product
possible.