Anyone who has strolled down a shopping aisle devoted to nutritional supplements is aware of - and perhaps overwhelmed by -the huge variety. Taking into account the different brands and combinations of supplements, there are literally hundreds of choices. You're not likely to encounter this many in one place, but even a more limited selection in your local pharmacy, supermarket or health-food shop can be confusing.
One reason for so much variety is that marketers are constantly trying to distinguish their own brands from others, and so they devise different dosages and new combinations and spend a lot of money on advertising and promoting their products. At the same time, scientists have found new and better ways of extracting nutritional components from plants and synthesizing nutrients in a laboratory - discoveries that have resulted in many new products.
To be able to make informed decisions, it's essential to understand the terms used on supplement labels, as well as the properties and characteristics of specific supplements. But to avoid feeling overwhelmed by all the choices open to you, its useful first to learn the basic types of supplements that are available and the key functions they perform in helping to keep you healthy.
Vitamins: A vitamin is a chemically organic substance (meaning it contains carbon) essential for regulating both the metabolic functions within the body cells and the biochemical processes that release energy from food. In addition, evidence is accumulating that certain vitamins are antioxidants -substances that protect tissues from cell damage and may possibly help to prevent a number of degenerative diseases.
With a few exceptions (notably vitamins D and K), the body cannot manufacture vitamins, so they must be ingested in food or nutritional supplements. There are 13 known vitamins, which can be categorized as either fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) or water-soluble (eight B-vitamins and vitamin C). The distinction is important because the body stores fat-soluble vitamins for relatively long periods (months, or even years), whereas water-soluble vitamins (except for vitamin B12) remain in the body for only a short time and must be replenished more frequently
Minerals: Minerals are present in your body in small amounts. Altogether, they add up to only 4% of body weight. Yet these inorganic substances, which are found in the earth's crust as well as
in many foods, are essential to a wide range of vital bodily processes, from basic bone formation to the normal functioning of the heart and digestive system. A number of minerals have been linked to the prevention of cancer, osteoporosis and other chronic illnesses.
As with vitamins, humans must replenish their mineral supply through food or with supplements. The body contains more than 60 different minerals, but only 22 are considered essential. Of these, seven - calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur - are usually called macrominerals, or major minerals. The other 15 are termed trace minerals, or micro minerals, because the amount of them that the body requires each day for good health is tiny. (Usually it's measured in micro-grams, or millionths of a gram.)
Herbs: Herbal supplements are prepared from plants - often using the leaves, stems, roots and/or bark, as well as the buds and flowers. Known for thousands of years as medicinal agents, many plant parts can be used in their natural form, or they can be refined into tablets, capsules, powders, tinctures and other supplement formulations.
Many herbs have several active compounds that interact with one another to produce a therapeutic effect. A herbal supplement may contain all the compounds found in a plant, or just one or two of the isolated compounds that have been successfully
extracted. In the case of some herbs, however, the active agents haven't been identified, so it's necessary to use the complete herb to obtain all its benefits.
Of the hundreds of remedies that are surfacing in the current rebirth of herbal medicines, the majority are being used to treat chronic or mild health problems. Increasingly, herbs are also being used to attain or maintain good health - for example, to enhance the immune system, to help keep blood cholesterol levels low, or to increase stamina and lessen fatigue. Less commonly, some herbs are now recommended as complementary therapy for acute or severe diseases.
Other nutritional supplements: These supplements comprise a diverse group of products. Some, such as fish oils, are food substances that scientists have concluded have disease-fighting potential. Flavonoids, soy isoflavones and carotenoids are phytochemicals - compounds found in fruits and vegetables that lower the risk of disease and may alleviate symptoms of some ailments.
Other nutritional supplements in this category, such as DHEA, melatonin and coenzyme Q10, are substances present in the body that can be re-created synthetically in a laboratory (DHEA and melatonin are available only on prescription in some countries). A similar example is acidophilus, a “friendly” bacterium in the body that, taken as a supplement, may be helpful in the treatment of digestive disorders. Amino acids, which are building blocks for proteins and may play a role in strengthening the immune system and in other health-promoting processes, have been known to scientists for many years. Only recently, however, have they been marketed as individual dietary supplements.
