Nutritional supplements are used to “deliver” more nutriments to the body that it may lack for one reason or another. The market for nutritional substances is quite diverse and wide: from vitamins in a separate form to various mixtures.
Due to the fact that this market niche has no clear regulation and isn’t subject to strict control, it is not always possible to understand which substances are really useful and are qualitative products, and which are just a waste of money. Fakes or “vitamin pacifiers” can cause quite serious harm to health, and this is their main danger.
What are vitamins, blends and supplements?
They’re designed for ingestion and contain vitamins, herbs or other substances of plant origin, enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, etc. Supplements can be produced in various forms: tinctures, tablets, capsules, powders, liquids, and more. As a rule, they are perceived by people as another way to effectively improve mental and physical condition.
Other significant points to know regarding types of nutritionals are the following.
- Fat soluble vitamins decompose in fat mass and accumulate in organisms. These are vitamins of groups A, D, E and K.
- Vitamins. These substances are an essential element in ensuring the proper functioning of the body and maintaining metabolic processes. In addition, they help regulate vital functions: digestion, growth, and nerve responses.
- Minerals. These elements of an inorganic nature are necessary for the proper and complete implementation of certain functions of the organism, namely growth fluid balance, solid bones, etc.
- Mixes. These are unique combinations of ingredients that are created by supplement manufacturers. As a rule, it is difficult to determine the amount of each ingredient in the composition of the mixture, based only on the information that is indicated on the label.
An important clarification is that this is precisely an addition to the general diet, but a replacement for any of its main components.
Who needs nutritional supplements
Adults who consume sufficient amounts of nutrients in an adequate ratio do not need additional elements. However, in some cases, the organism may need additional minerals, particularly in the following:
- during pregnancy or during breastfeeding;
- children who are fully or partially breastfed;
- children diagnosed with nutritional deficiencies in the body;
- people who have congenital or acquired nutrients malabsorption;
- after bariatric surgical interventions;
- in case of limited amount of nutrients from food – for vegetarians;
- with a deficit of vitamins of one group or another. Most often, it’s vitamin D.
How to choose supplements
Medicines and Food Commission doesn’t evaluate efficacy and safety of food supplements before they are received by a vitamins shop. Thus, final products can contain a different amount of a particular substance, even within the transition from batch to batch. So, how to choose vitamins: most optimal way to really make sure products are high-quality is to find one that has been certified by a third party.
In accordance with the law, verification of products by third parties is not required. However, many manufacturers undergo such testing on a voluntary basis in order to demonstrate the high quality and safety of their products.
Objective indicators of product quality are certificates issued by independent expert companies, in particular, USP, NSF, ConsumerLab, BSCG, etc. As a rule, products are tested according to the following parameters:
- the content in the composition of the additive of those components that are indicated on the label, and in those quantities;
- availability of product standardization from batch to batch;
- the absence of potential contaminants in the composition of the additive;
- the absence of not declared ingredients in products’ composition.
If you are actively involved in sports, then you should pay attention to products with NSF certification for sports. The presence of this certification is a guarantee that the product does not contain substances belonging to prohibited sports organizations.
Among other things, it is important to discuss supplementing your nutrition with a physician. Some supplements can affect the accuracy of tests during treatment. In addition, many herbal ingredients, such as certain herbs, can have a negative effect on the heart by increasing the heart rate, etc. In its turn, acetylcysteine supplements are contraindicated in diseases of the adrenal glands and hepatic pathologies.
