The Importance of Dietary Supplements in the Human Diet
By Kelly December 4, 2021
When your doctor first prescribed you to take fish oil pills or vitamin C, you may have thought, will these work, and are they safe? However, the primary thing you would have asked yourself would be, are these needed?
In most developed countries, over half of the population takes either one or more dietary supplements every day or on an occasional basis. The good thing about supplements is that they are readily available without the need for a prescription and usually can be taken in liquid, powder, or pill form. Some common supplements that are in the market currently include herbal products, minerals, and vitamin products. These are also referred to as botanicals.
Most people take these supplements to make sure that they can compensate for the dietary requirement that is not being fulfilled in their diet. A few common supplements are curcumin and beta carotene. These are not readily available in the diet but are needed by the body. This does not mean that you will get curcumin from a curcumin manufacturer and eat it. This is not the way supplements act. Supplements are chemicals present in the plant which have been concentrated and put in pills or concoctions.
There has been very less evidence supporting that supplements can reverse chronic diseases. Therefore, supplements should not be taken with this ideology into consideration. However, there is evidence that supplements can enhance and boost one’s health in many different ways. The most common dietary supplements currently available in the market are vitamins D, C, B. Calcium is needed to support bone health. Vitamin D is mainly responsible for calcium absorption. Vitamins E and C are antioxidants. They prevent cellular damage and help reduce anti-aging. Vitamin B12 is known to keep the blood and the nerves healthy. Vitamin B12 is mostly available in fresh dairy products and meat. Therefore, vegetarians and vegans find it hard to get vitamin B12 and are dependent on dietary supplements.
Fish oil promotes good heart health. It also reduces cholesterol. Other common supplements like glucosamine are used for joint pain, herbal supplements like Echinacea are used to improve immune health, and flaxseed oil is used to aid with the digestion of a person. If you wish to order natural beta carotene, you can check out the natural beta carotene manufacturer.
A few supplements are associated with mild risks. For example, vitamin K increases the production of thrombocytes which prevent blood clotting factors from coming into effect if there is an injury. Thus, vitamin K increases blood thinning. Thus, always consult with your physician or General practitioner before you decide to start with dietary supplements. You must understand what dietary supplements your body needs and how much quantity. This is crucial in the case of herbs.
This field is only beginning to be explored. There’s a large amount of work still to be done. Therefore, be wise, consult your practitioner and do not start taking any supplement on your own.