Supplements is the term used to describe any type of mineral, vitamin, fatty acid, amino acid or other substance added to ones diet. These are also known as dietary supplements and are used to provide the body with nutrients that are deficient, due todiet, disease and many other reasons.
Vitamins
The most common of these dietary supplements are multi vitamins, which are consumed by many everyday. Multivitamins are just additional supplements taken bymost, to either prevent or treat health problems and diseases. Without an identified nutritional deficiency, this supplementation could be more harmful to the body, than helpful.
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, some supplements may bevaluable and help ifyoudo not follow a balanced diet. Most of these multivitamins though, have not been tested for their effects and many of them are not well regulated.
With this being said, randomized clinical trials of some supplements have shown increased mortality. Beta carotene, Vitamin E and Vitamin A have beenscientifically tested, showing their use can increase mortality if not used in the correct manner and for an identified condition of deficiency.
Supplements to the diet
Supplements to the diet can add harm to your health more than help. For those ofyou eating a balanced and healthy diet, supplements are unnecessary and can lead to over consumption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.
Many of these are not easily excreted if not used and can build up within your body, causing toxicity and other related problems. Added nutrients to your diet, in the form of supplements, are absorbed quicker and easier into the blood stream within a short period of time. This can cause problems with contamination or reactions with other medications and foods.
Other than multivitamins, there are other supplements out there, which may beeven more harmful to your health. There is a massive production of bodybuilding and weight loss supplements, which are use by a great number or “health conscious” people. These supplements often lead to health problems, especially liver damage. This is due to the concentration of supplements that the liver is overloaded with and cannot handle.
The same goes for natural supplements, which are believed tobe less harmful because they are “natural”. They again have a high concentration of a certain vitamin, mineral of substance that can cause damage to the liver or all round unhealthy results.
Green tea, for example, contains catechin, which accelerated metabolism. Green tea pills are produced and sold as fat burners, but containing double or even triple the amount of catechin than in one cup of tea. This can be toxic to the liver, cause hepatitis and even death. Just because itis natural, doesn’t always make it healthy.
Most supplements, beit multivitamins, natural supplements or bodybuilding supplements, should be avoided unless there is a distinct deficiency or need toimprove lowered health. An over consumption of any nutrient or supplement can have many adverse effects.
