Dietary supplements and its Types

A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement the diet when taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or synthetic, individually or in combination, in order to increase the quantity of their consumption. The class of nutrient compounds includes vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids and amino acids. Dietary supplements can also contain substances that have not been confirmed as being essential to life, but are marketed as having a beneficial biological effect, such as plant pigments or polyphenols. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients, as for example collagen from chickens or fish. These are also sold individually and in combination, and may be combined with nutrient ingredients. In the United States and Canada, dietary supplements are considered a subset of foods, and are regulated accordingly. The European Commission has also established harmonized rules to help insure that food supplements are safe and properly labeled.

The term “dietary supplement” describes a broad and diverse category of products that you eat or drink to support good health and supplement the diet.  Dietary supplements are not medicines, nor should they be considered a substitute for food.

Dietary ingredients can be one or a combination of any of the following:

• Vitamin
• Mineral
• Herb or other botanical
• Amino acid (the individual building blocks of a protein
• Concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract

Although some herbal and mineral compounds have been used for hundreds of years to treat health conditions, today dietary supplement manufacturers are not legally allowed to say their products cure, treat or prevent disease.  Supplement makers can say their products support health or contribute to well-being.

That is because Congress does not regulate dietary supplements the same way it regulates medicine. Except for new dietary ingredients, dietary supplement manufacturers do not need to prove to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that a product is safe or effective to be able to sell them. And, unlike medicines, which are required to meet USP standards to help ensure product consistency across multiple manufacturers, USP standards are voluntary for dietary supplements.

Dietary supplements are widely available in health food stores, drug stores, grocery stores, fitness centers and online and they come in many forms including: 2 piece capsules, soft gels, tablets, bottles of liquid, powders and gummies.

Types

Vitamins

Minerals

Proteins and amino acids

Bodybuilding supplements

Essential fatty acids

Natural products

Probiotics

Adverse effects

In the United States, manufacturers of dietary supplements are required to demonstrate safety of their products before approval is granted for commerce.  Despite this caution, numerous adverse effects have been reported, including muscle cramps, hair loss, joint pain, liver disease, and allergic reactions, with 29% of the adverse effects resulting in hospitalization, and 20% in serious injuries or illnesses.

Journal of Food and Clinical Nutrition is a peer reviewed open access journal. Interested can submit their manuscript through online portal. Submit manuscript at https://www.pulsus.com/submissions/food-clinical-nutrition.html or through mail at foodclinnutri@eclinjournals.com. For membership contact:

Media contact:

Maegan Smith           

Managing Editor

Journal of Food and Clinical Nutrition 

Mail ID: clinicalnutrition@emedicalsci.org

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