Often we hear about certain herbal or vitamin supplement that cures chronic conditions or improves the quality of living of a person. Nonetheless, information concerning food supplements is often unclear or confusing. It is difficult to determine which provide real health benefits and which are providing false promises and running the danger of damaging the health.
What are Food Supplements?
A food supplement is a product that adds support to the food you consume. It contains certain dietary ingredients such as minerals, vitamins, herbs, and amino acids. They come in tablet, pill, capsule, or liquid form. There are diverse forms of nutritional or diet supplements. Mineral and vitamin supplements are diet supplements that have micronutrients to aid in the functioning of the body. Diet supplements have medicinal purposes as well. They support areas of the body such as the liver, skin, or bones.
Although a balanced diet offers a source of minerals and vitamins, taking diet supplements may prove an advantage in making sure that the body has all the nutrients it needs. Diet supplements that are not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration are promoted as preventative measures for certain disorders. You can find these at some essential health foods store in Melbourne area.
To obtain the benefits of taking dietary supplements, it is best to seek the advice of a health specialist prior to taking any them to help prevent the adverse side effects. Below are some of the ways by which food supplements benefit health.
Improved Metabolism
After eating, the body would break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates from your food, and likewise absorbs the nutrients. Absorption of these nutrients depends on the vitamins present in the body. Supplementing your foods with Vitamin B can aid in the prevention of vitamin deficiencies that could result to joint pain, skin disorders, anemia, and nerve damage. When the body metabolism slows down, fats tend to accumulate in some parts of the body resulting to additional body weight. Through food supplements, such as fiber, the breakdown of food follows a normal pace where toxins and unwanted fats are eliminated from the body. Improvement in metabolism therefore boosts the functionality of the digestive system as well other vital organs in the body.
Promotes Maintenance and Repair of Tissues
Consuming food supplements may likewise help in the maintenance and repair of tissues, processes that transpire all through life. The everyday activities place strain on tissues, and cells in the body generate proteins that contain new tissues to substitute the damaged and the old tissues. Any defects in the maintenance and repair of tissues result to diseases, including osteoporosis that evolves from bone wasting. This typically happens as the person ages. You can have proper growth of the tissue as well as the strength of the bone by taking Vitamin D and calcium. Food supplements speed up the healing process of wounds, cuts and lesions as caused by accident or surgery. Examples of these supplements are: vitamin C with collagen protects cells from damage; Bromelain reduces muscle and tissue swelling; Rutin protects the blood vessels and prevents bruising; Grape seed extract combined with vitamin C help build new blood vessels, strengthen the cell membranes and prevent scarring in the tissues.
Disease Prevention
Diet supplements may help in the prevention of certain diseases such as cancer. Essential vitamins, such as Vitamins A, C, as well as Vitamin E, function as the body’s antioxidants. They work by balancing chemicals known as the free radicals. These chemicals trigger oxidative damage in the cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, oxidative damage promotes the development of cancer. While research on the impacts of antioxidant supplements in cancer prevention proved to be inconsistent, taking moderate amounts of these antioxidants may be beneficial to the health.
There are various diet supplements available in the market today. However, it is advised that prior to purchasing them, make sure they are TGA approved. Furthermore, supplements should not be perceived as medium of cure. They only serve as an add-on to food in case some nutrients are missing. Food supplements can be beneficial to the body especially when taken in the right amount and frequency. Hence, the best way to ensure safety is to seek advice from a physician.
