Dietary Supplements

There are a lot of food/dietary supplements available on the market now. Some supplements can play an important role in health because they contain concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, and other substances. They are eaten or taken by mouth and are available as pills, capsules, powders, liquids, and energy bars.

These are not drugs and can not use to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.The product is labeled as a dietary supplement. From the meaning of the word itself, supplement products augment a person's diet and not as a meal replacement. If a person cannot consume sufficient quantities of nutrients in a normal diet, a supplement is added. Dietary supplements are unnecessary if one eats a balanced diet. 

Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, supplements do not have to go through government approval to make or sell dietary supplements. They are available for sale over the counter or online without a prescription. In the US, the FDA conduct a periodic inspection to facilities that manufacture dietary supplements. Actually, there are several independent organizations offering seals of approval to give assurance to the buying public that these products are quality controlled and safe for consumption.

What we need to do:

• Talk to your doctor about your current diet and health and about dietary supplements, if recommended, for proper medical guidance.
• Check the dietary supplement label of the product to determine the ingredients.
• Take the recommended dosage in the label or as prescribed by your doctor
• Read trustworthy information about the supplement product
• Always be alert of the possible adverse effects.
• Check the seal of approval for quality assurance of the product.
• Keep in mind that these are supplements only to your diet
• Keep in mind that these does not treat any diagnosed medical condition.

Further Reading:

EU - http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/labelling_nutrition/supplements/index_en.htm
US - http://www.fda.gov/
PH - http://www.fda.gov.ph/


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