Introduction to dietary supplements
Dietary supplements are products designed to enhance health by providing nutrients that may be lacking in a person's diet. These supplements can take various forms, including pills, powders, gummies, and liquids, and are commonly categorized into vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and probiotics. While vitamins and minerals have been available since the 1930s, the practice of megadose therapy emerged in the 1960s, involving high doses of supplements to achieve specific health benefits—though this approach can raise safety concerns. The dietary supplement industry has grown significantly in the 21st century, raising important medical and ethical questions regarding the efficacy and safety of these products. In the U.S., dietary supplements are not regulated as drugs, meaning their quality can vary widely, and consumers must be cautious and informed about what they choose to ingest. Not all substances marketed as supplements are essential for survival; some, like isoflavones and glucosamine, may provide health benefits without being vital. Staying educated about dietary supplements is crucial for anyone considering their use, as responsible supplementation can be a valuable aspect of modern health care.
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Subject Terms
Introduction to dietary supplements
DEFINITION: Dietary supplements used to promote health.
Overview
One of the twentieth century's great medical discoveries was identifying the nutritional substances necessary for life. Along with the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, and protein), these nutritional supplements, or micronutrients, make up the essential ingredients of a healthy diet. Supplements include pills, powders, gummies, flavored liquids, bars, and patches, and they are most commonly classified as a vitamin, mineral, botanical or herb, botanical compound, amino acid, or a live microbe.
Vitamins and minerals have been available as supplements since the 1930s. In the 1960s, however, a new way of using supplements came into vogue: megadose therapy. The megadose approach involves taking supplements at doses far above nutrition needs in hopes of producing a specific medical benefit. Essentially, megadose therapy means using nutrients as natural drugs.
The original (and still important) method of using nutrients involves taking them at around the level of nutrition needs. This method may be considered nutrition insurance for the majority of people who do not get all the nutrients they need from food. The dietary supplement industry continued to expand in the twenty-first century, and with that expansion came medical and ethical implications that presented myriad issues. Responsible supplementation for dietary needs is one of the conveniences of medicine in the twenty-first century, but patients must remain informed about their bodies’ needs and what substances they decide to ingest.
The global dietary supplement manufacturing industry is a multi-billion dollar business, and in the United States, supplements are not regulated as drugs. This means the quality, efficacy, and safety of each brand and type of supplement is relatively unknown. While the US Food and Drug Administration provides supplement manufacturers with good manufacturing practices guidelines, it is important for consumers to remain vigilant and informed about the contents of the supplements they consume.
Finally, there are a number of substances that are sold as supplements but are not nutritional in nature. While these substances might offer health benefits, one does not need them to stay alive. Examples include isoflavones, which are chemicals found in soy that may reduce the risk of cancer and some forms of heart disease; glucosamine, which is a substance found in gristle that is useful for osteoarthritis; and melatonin, a hormone that is not found to any great extent in foods but is helpful for sleep.
Bibliography
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