Importance of Nutritional Supplements

In the current years, the number of people taking care of their diet has been on the rise. According to Bailey et.al (2013), the role of food supplements in people’s lives is important and today about 40% of the American citizens are using dietary supplements, and the figure is expected to increase due to the growth of the aging baby boomer generation. Individuals are consuming them in order to leave a healthy lifestyle. Dietary supplements have many benefits to our health. However, they have been disputed because they are viewed to contain harmful ingredients that could harm our bodies. Despite that many people argue that dietary supplements are detrimental to people’s bodies, and thus good for people’s health and nutrition. 

Dietary Supplements

DSHEA describes dietary supplement as any product intended to supplement the diet, and enhance health (Halsted, 2000). " According to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994,  dietary supplements  are products “intended to supplement the diet to enhance health,” and include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and other botanicals” (Halsted, 2000) .  Dietary supplements are also defined as drugs used to fulfill the nutritional needs of the body. According to Halsted (2000), about 40% of the American’s use nutritional supplements in their diet which come in the form of powder, capsules, pills, drinks, energy bars as well as herbal products. Notable, the supplements do not go through the same testing as other drugs do. Therefore, such supplements as calcium and vitamin D are essential for the body because they keep the bones healthy. On the other hand, Folic acid is utilized by pregnant women to prevent some congenital disabilities on their babies.

Different people have different reasons for taking dietary supplements. There are some who take them for medical reasons while others take them to boost their nutrients contents in their bodies. Therefore, supplements are available to anyone and there not prescription required from a doctor while purchasing. This is mostly the case especially for people who consume them to increase nutrients in their bodies. However, not everyone one needs them because most of the diets that people consume contains them (Dietary Supplements: MedlinePlus. 2016). 

Dietary supplements are consumed by different groups of people such as men, women, and children (Bailey et.al 2013). However, the group that benefits most from these supplements includes; women of childbearing age due to their heightened need for calcium and iron, pregnant and lactating women, children, and teenagers that show irregular eating behavior and senior citizens. Additionally, the vegetarians benefit most from the supplements because they lack essential nutrients which can be found in white meat, dieting individuals who avoid certain foods, individuals who eat a lot of processed food and those with eating disorders or medical conditions (Bailey et.al 2013). Moreover, it is important to consult a physician before one decides to take dietary supplements because the supplements work differently for different people. 

It is advisable for people to consult certain government or medical sites before buying the supplements. ConsumerLab.com provides information that would help the consumers and heath care professionals identify nutrition products that are of high-quality. The organization tests products such as nutritional supplements, foods, and beverages sports products, among others. Thus, the organization ensures that the consumers are provided with dietary supplements that are of high quality. ConsumerLab.com has high testing standards of the dietary supplements. When buying the supplements, it is also important to look at the label as see that it contains a statement of identity, net contents of the package, name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, and list of ingredients citation 

Sources

Since many dietary supplements are in form of minerals and vitamins, most of them, come from foods rich in E when got vegetable oil. Others come from foods rich in vitamin A and D when got from fish oil “Vitamins and minerals come in many different forms. Some are derived from foods, such as vitamin E when extracted from vegetable oil and vitamins A and D when extracted from fish oil” (Schmid, n.d.). Other supplements are extracted from natural herbs (Schmid, n.d.), and people should be aware of the negative consequences brought by using supplements that are derived from the natural herbs. Individuals who do not advocate for the use of dietary requirements have presented their evidence by discussing the adverse effects of the supplements. 

How they Work in the Body

When people consume dietary supplements such as protein supplements, the proteins are broken down by enzymes and are converted into amino acids which help in repairing muscles and promoting natural growth of people like athletes. However, despite the benefits, they also have adverse effects. For example, when high doses are taken, they may overload the liver and cause long-lasting damage. Due to this fact, athletes are advised not to take more than 30 grams of protein-based supplements in a day (Halsted, 2000). People respond differently to dietary supplements, and this is why it is always advisable to visit a health care practitioner before taking the supplements. 

Importance of Dietary Supplements

According to Dickinson, (2012), dietary supplements are necessary for people’s bodies because they enhance the health of an individual. The author states that nutrients deficits may bring adverse effects on people’s bodies. About one-third of the Americans do not take vitamin C in their daily requirement which is easy to get from foods, and this may lead to weak bodies. Additionally, more than a half of the American population fail to get Vitamin E average daily requirement (Dickinson, 2012),. Thus, dietary supplements may reduce the chances of getting some diseases that are brought due to lack of nutrients in the body. A good example is fish oil which has been scientifically proven to contain vitamin B12 that keeps the nerves and blood cells healthy.

It is important to note that some foods may not provide enough nutrients, and therefore, eating a balanced diet does not mean that people are getting the required nutrients into their bodies (Bailey et. al., 2013). At times, individuals are faced with the dilemma whether they are taking meals that provide them with the required nutrients. Therefore, people opt to turn to dietary supplements to get the amounts of nutrients needed by the body. 

Vitamins and minerals are the found in the supplements are micronutrients that have specific purposes in the body (Dietary Supplements: MedlinePlus. 2016). For instance, vitamin A supports vision and bone growth. Besides, vitamin E strengthens the immune system and also helps repair DNA. If the body lacks the required amounts minerals and vitamins, it may develop an inability to protect and heal. Additionally, the micronutrients, if taken in the right doses, help in reducing depression, stress, anxiety, trauma, and ADHD. It should be noted that nutritional supplements do not make up for unhealthy meals, and thus, they should be used to add extra nutrients to a healthy meal.

Herbal supplements are different from then vitamin and mineral supplements. They are considered to be medicinal. Herbs have been for a long time been used in healthcare and even helped in the development of modern medicine. The world health organization predicts that 80 percent of the global population still uses herbs and this has been made probable by the prolonged use of herbal supplements. However, herbal supplements may contain chemicals that may cause adverse effects if used with other prescription drugs (Izzo, 2016).

Although nutritional supplements can be utilized by people in different age groups, they are significant for the old. Antioxidant dietary supplements have a positive effect in that they help in the cognitive function and eye health among the elderly. The supplements also help the lungs and the muscles to function properly. Moreover, mineral supplements and vitamins also strengthen the immune system of the senior citizens. Taking foods which have low zinc intakes may bring infections and pneumonia, and this affects the health of the elderly. Dietary supplements rich in vitamin E lessen respiratory infections (Rautiainen et. al., 2016). Due to these benefits, the elderly should always be encouraged to use mineral and multivitamin supplements.

Cons of using Dietary Supplements

Despite that dietary supplements are beneficial to the body, they may also be harmful to the body. Research that was carried out by Driscoll and others indicated that eating a lot of dietary supplements has negative impacts on the health of our bodies such as headaches and diarrhea (Driscoll et.al. 2010). Arguably, the use of dietary supplements is important as they contain useful substances such as proteins, acids, amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. However, they have the side effects outweigh their benefits. According to research that was carried by epidemiologists at Food and Drug Administration, approximately 13% of United States’ adults who use dietary supplements in their meals argued that they have side effects (Driscoll et.al. 2010).

Dietary supplements have adverse interactions with other drugs, such as painkillers. When individuals take supplements that are rich in vitamin A while taking Accutane at the same time, toxic effects of medication are increased (Driscoll et.al. 2010).. Vitamins k, E, and C can interfere with medications such as warfarin that are used to prevent and treat blood clots citation Similarly, dietary supplements that contain herbs may also inhibit drugs, for instance, a herb such as St. John’s work can help reduce depression and increase one’s mood. The herbs may also reduce blood concentrations of painkillers such as oxycodone and reduce the effectiveness of chronic pain therapy. 

Dietary supplements may lead to contamination (Halsted, 2000). Most dietary supplements have been observed to be herbal, and almost all herbal supplements were contaminated and contained heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Additionally, over 2000 dietary supplements obtained from 300 manufacturers contain heavy metals. These metals are toxic and threaten the lives of many individuals, and this may lead to birth deficits among the pregnant women. 

Conclusion

Evidently, dietary supplements are good for our health and nutrition; unfortunately, some may contain toxins that may harm our bodies. Dietary supplements are necessary for people’s bodies in that they reduce the chances of getting some diseases that are brought due to lack of nutrients in the body. The elderly and the pregnant women tend to benefit from the use of nutritional supplements. People have various reasons as to why they use the supplements. Some people use them to gain weight while others use them because of not getting enough supplements from their regular foods. Nutritional supplements come in the form of pills, capsules, powders, drinks and energy bars as well as herbal products and do not usually go through the same testing as that of drugs. However, supplements have some adverse effects on people’s body. Such effects include interactions with other drugs and contamination. However, the advantages dietary supplements outweigh the disadvantages. But, this does not mean that people should replace healthy meals with supplements; supplements only add nutrition value to a healthy meal and not unhealthy foods. It is also advisable to check the label of the supplements before purchasing it and look out for a statement of identity net contents of the package, name, and address of the manufacturer, packer, or seller, and a list of ingredients.

Annotated Bibliography

Bailey, R. L., Gahche, J. J., Miller, P. E., Thomas, P. R., & Dwyer, J. T. (2013). Why US adults use dietary supplements: JAMA internal medicine, 173(5), 355-361. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23381623

Bailey and others give the various reasons why many adults in the United States use dietary supplements. According to the authors, the main reasons why these adults use drugs is for medical purposes and supplement their daily nutrient requirements.

Dickinson, A. (2012). The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements The Science Behind Supplements. 

Dickinson in his article, the benefits of nutritional supplements, talks about the benefits of taking a nutritional supplement. Dickinson outlines the benefits provided by the supplements such as helping women during pregnancy, helping the senior citizens, and for medical issues such as reducing chronic diseases. 

Dietary Supplements: MedlinePlus. (2016). Medlineplus.gov Retrieved 4 November 2016, from https://medlineplus.gov/dietarysupplements.html

Mediplus explains what nutritional supplements are and the purposes they serve in the body. The website gives examples of the supplements that are helpful to the e body. Froe example vitamin A supports vision and bone growth and vitamin E strengthens the immune system and also helps repair DNA. 

Driscoll, M. S., Kwon, E. K. M., Skupsky, H., Kwon, S. Y., & Grant-Kels, J. M. (2010). Nutrition and the deleterious side effects of nutritional supplements Clinics in Dermatology, 28(4), 371-379

Driscoll and others argue that nutritional supplements have their side effects. The authors give examples of how some dietary supplements are contaminated with chemicals like zinc and copper which have toxic effects. 

Halsted, C. H. (2000). Dietary supplements and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition The American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(2), 399-400 http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/2/399.full

Halsted explains how dietary supplements have been prevalent in the American society and explains the positive and the adverse effects of the supplements. The article can be used by people using the supplements for their first time since they will understand the risk factors associated with them.

Izzo, A. A., Hoon‐Kim, S., Radhakrishnan, R., & Williamson, E. M. (2016). A critical approach to evaluating clinical efficacy, adverse events and drug interactions of herbal remedies Phytotherapy Research , 30 (5), 691-700.

Izzo explains how nutritional supplements may interact with other substances such as herbal medicine. Thus, this information would help any person who wishes to gather information concerning how nutritional supplements interact with other drugs. 

Rautiainen, S., Manson, J. E., Lichtenstein, A. H., & Sesso, H. D. (2016). Dietary supplements and disease prevention [mdash] a global overview Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Rautiainen and others define what dietary supplements are. The authors explain how dietary supplements improve the health of individuals if they target the people who are in need such as the elderly. Rautiainen explains how nutritional supplements help in preventing some diseases. 

Schmid, R. Dietary Supplements What The Industry Does Not Want You To Know . http://www.drrons.com/dietary-supplements-industry-facts-4.htm

Schmid, in his article “Dietary Supplements What The Industry Does Not Want You To Know ,” explains the sources of dietary supplements, their benefits, how they work in the body, and other aspects associated with the use of dietary supplements. The book can be utilized by anyone who wants to have an insight on dietary supplements. Similarly, healthcare providers can use it to gather more information concerning the use of dietary requirements

References

Bailey, R. L., Gahche, J. J., Miller, P. E., Thomas, P. R., & Dwyer, J. T. (2013). Why US adults use dietary supplements: JAMA internal medicine , 173(5), 355-361.

Dickinson, A. (2012). The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements : The Science behind Supplements.

Dietary Supplements: MedlinePlus. (2016). Medlineplus.gov Retrieved 4 November 2016, from https://medlineplus.gov/dietarysupplements.html

Driscoll, M. S., Kwon, E. K. M., Skupsky, H., Kwon, S. Y., & Grant-Kels, J. M. (2010). Nutrition and the deleterious side effects of nutritional supplements : Clinics in Dermatology, 28(4), 371-379.

Halsted, C. H. (2000). Dietary supplements and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: the American journal of clinical nutrition, 71(2), 399-400.

Rautiainen, S., Manson, J. E., Lichtenstein, A. H., & Sesso, H. D. (2016). Dietary supplements and disease prevention [mdash] a global overview Nature Reviews Endocrinology

Schmid, R. Dietary Supplements. What The Industry Does Not Want You To Know . Retrieved 4 November 2016, from http://www.drrons.com/dietary-supplements-industry-facts-4.htm

Wang, G. (2002). Dietary Supplements : A Historical Examination of its Regulation.