Supplements

Anatomy or system affected: All

Definition: Chemical compounds, concentrated into pills, powders, and capsules, that are taken to prevent or treat diseases

The Role of Supplements

Adequate nutrition is the foundation of good health. Everyone needs the four basic nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is important to choose the proper foods to deliver these nutrients and, as necessary, to complement the diet with supplements.

Health-conscious adults have heard the message repeatedly that they can get the vitamins they need from the foods they eat, but surveys have shown that people in many countries fail to eat adequate amounts of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. Should public health officials or registered dieticians recommend that people take supplements to compensate for poor eating habits? The answer to this question can be found in a discussion of vitamin supplements.

The 1990s brought to light much new information about human nutrition, its effects on the body, and the role that it plays in disease. The fuel for the body’s engine comes directly from the food that one eats, which contains many vital nutrients. Nutrients come in the form of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats). These nutrients provide people with the basic materials that human bodies need to sustain life.

One form of dietary supplements are nutraceuticals. These supplements are obtained from naturally derived chemicals in plants, called phytonutrients, that make the plants biologically active. They are not nutrients in the classic sense. They are what determine a plant’s color, ability to resist disease, and flavor.

Nutritionists have discovered that fruits and vegetables, grains, and legumes contain other healthful nutrients called phytochemicals. Researchers have identified thousands of phytochemicals and can remove these chemical compounds and concentrate them into pills, powders, and capsules. Phytochemicals are believed to be powerful ammunition in the war against cancer and other cellular mutations. In simple terms, cancer is a mutation of body cells through a multistep process. Phytochemicals are hypothesized to fight that disease by stopping one or more of the steps that lead to cancer. For example, a cancer process can be kindled when a carcinogenic molecule invades a cell, possibly from foods eaten or from air breathed. Sulforaphane, a phytochemical commonly found in broccoli, is then hypothesized to activate an enzyme process that removes the carcinogen from the cell before harm is done.

Researchers and pharmaceutical companies sell concentrated forms of various phytochemicals found in such vegetables as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage. Because no single supplement can possibly compete with nature, some nutritionists recommend a shopping basket full of fruits and vegetables, as opposed to using expensive bottled supplements. Tomatoes, for example, are believed to contain an estimated ten thousand different phytochemicals.

Natural food supplements can be high in certain nutrients. Examples are aloe vera, bee pollen, fish oils, flaxseed, primrose oil, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic, and oat bran. In general, natural food supplements are composed of by-products of foods that can provide a multitude of health benefits. One caution, however, is that supplements of this type may not have the same kind of quality control or oversight as medications prescribed by a doctor and bought from a pharmacy. As such, the effects and amounts of supplements may vary from pill to pill and bottle to bottle. As its popularity rose in the early twenty-first century, the medical community and regulatory agencies began discussing whether cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, should be considered a drug or supplement. The FDA decided to regulate CDB closely and determined it was illegal to market the product as a dietary supplement.

The Promise of Antioxidants

No discussion of supplements would be complete without mention of antioxidants. They are a group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that help to protect the body from the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are groups of atoms that can cause damage to cells and impair the immune system. This damage is also thought to be the basis for the aging process. Free radicals are believed to be formed through exposure to radiation and toxic chemicals, such as cigarette smoke, as well as overexposure to the sun’s rays.

Some common antioxidants are vitamin A and its precursor, beta carotene; vitamin C; and vitamin E. Zinc and the trace mineral selenium are thought to play an important role in neutralizing free radicals. Each vitamin or mineral has a recommended daily allowance (RDA).

Some in the field of nutrition have recommended higher supplementation doses of antioxidants and specific use of four antioxidant supplements—vitamins C and E, selenium, and mixed carotenes—to protect the immune system even further. Recommendations such as this are numerous and related to different kinds of supplement use, and they must be weighed carefully against data obtained from controlled clinical trials. While many of the substances touted as beneficial to health may have some benefits, supplements can be harmful in the wrong person; at the wrong dose; if taken in combination with the wrong medications or diet; or if taken in the presence of certain health conditions. For example, it is possible to overdose on vitamins, such as A, B, and E or on iron supplements. Some supplements, like St. John’s wort, may create a side effect of light sensitivity, and discontinuing drugs, such as valerian root, can lead to heart problems. Also, it is easy to succumb to the temptation to seek “health in a bottle” instead of engaging in proven preventive practices. For these reasons, careful consideration and consultation with one’s doctor should occur before embarking on any regimen of supplements.

Perspective and Prospects

The use of supplements is based both on modern research and development and on discoveries by mainstream scientists about the benefits of various substances. Substances such as garlic and aloe vera are examples of home remedies that have shown some promise for different kinds of ailments. Natural supplements have been used for centuries in many parts of the world as alternative medicines.

Continued, considered, and careful examination of supplement regimens in controlled clinical trials will serve as the ultimate test of the utility of these substances for health purposes. Simultaneously, consumers must remain aware that personal use of these supplements may, at times, be somewhat experimental. Quality control concerns and interactions between supplements and prescribed medications are important considerations. Additionally, knowledge of the supplements found in pills or popular beverages and how they may interact with street drugs of different types is also important to avoid unnecessary harm. This is especially true for children and elders.

Bibliography

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Hendler, Sheldon Saul. The Doctors’ Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.

Murray, Michael. The Pill Book Guide to Natural Medicines: Vitamins, Minerals, Nutritional Supplements, Herbs, and Other Natural Products. New York: Bantam, 2002.

“Office of Dietary Supplements - Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know.” NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 4 Jan. 2023, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer. Accessed 26 July 2023.

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Weil, Andrew. Eight Weeks to Optimum Health: A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Body’s Natural Healing Power. Rev. ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2007.