In addition to vitamins, dietary supplements may contain minerals, herbs or other botanical ingredients, amino acids, enzymes, and many other ingredients. Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms, such as tablets, capsules, gummies and powders, as well as drinks and energy bars. As mentioned before, supplements can be derived from plant or animal products. A laboratory will take a fruit and extract a vitamin from it, for example.
In the synthetic production of supplements, a vitamin (such as vitamin A) can be synthesized from, for example, an organic compound (such as acetone). According to How Are Made, there is no structural difference between supplements created using these different methods. Most of the nutrients found in dietary supplements are obtained through chemical processes to mimic the natural nutrients found in foods. Consuming too much preformed vitamin A (not beta-carotene) in dietary supplements can also cause toxicity, which can be fatal (1).
In addition, people with autoimmune diseases, anemia, and cancer, as well as those with a poor diet or exercise diets, often rely on supplements and fortified foods to prevent deficiency (39, 40, 41, 42, 4). In addition, it's important to get approval from your doctor if you're taking any supplements. While dietary supplements and fortified foods can be useful and even necessary, in many situations they can cause excessive nutrient intake and other negative side effects if consumed in excessive amounts. Eating high doses of specific nutrients from supplements or fortified foods, especially for extended periods, could cause adverse health effects (.
For this reason, along with many others (such as environmental factors, lack of sunlight, chronic diseases or nutrient absorption problems), supplements can be a good way to cover any nutritional deficiency. While some synthetic nutrients have been associated with adverse health effects, many people need dietary supplements and fortified foods. The mineral magnesium plays a key role in nearly every aspect of health, and many people take supplements to increase their intake. These “other” ingredients are listed separately from the dietary ingredients on the supplement's information label.
A recent review of 13 randomized, double-blind controlled trials found that calcium supplements were associated with a 15% increase in the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women (2). Consumers who have experienced a health-related reaction or illness (also known as an adverse effect) after consuming any dietary supplement should contact their healthcare professional. In addition, fortified foods and supplements often contain greater amounts of nutrients than natural foods. The health and wellness experts at the BodyLogicMD network can discuss any questions you may have about supplements.
Supplements can range from water-soluble vitamins (which dissolve in water) to herbal supplements, fat-soluble vitamins, and protein supplements. Dietary supplements and fortified foods can cause overconsumption of certain nutrients and have adverse health effects, but supplements and fortified foods are beneficial in many cases.
