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Maintaining Your Diet With Nutritional Supplement

7th May, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

A nutritional supplement is a broad category that describes a group of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbal supplements, hormones like melatonin and some steroids. The Food and Drug Administration requires manufacturers of dietary supplements to be responsible for ensuring their product is safe before it hits the market.

The FDA’s role is to take action against an unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. Because the Food and Drug Administration classifies dietary supplements as foods, and not as drugs, the oversight for supplements is different than for prescription drugs.

nutritional supplements
Nutritional supplements are any product that is intended to supplement the diet and contain any of the following dietary ingredients:

A vitamin
A mineral
An herb or other botanical (excluding tobacco)
An amino acid
A dietary substance for use by people to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake, or
A concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any of the above

Furthermore, it must also conform to the following criteria:

It is intended for ingestion in pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid form.
It is not to be represented for use as a conventional food or as the sole item of a meal or diet.
It is labeled as a dietary supplement.
While hormones are not included in the above list, some hormones are labeled as “dietary supplements”.

nutritional value
Dietary supplements are permitted to make structure and/or functional antioxidant nutrition claims. These are broad claims that the product can support the structure or function of the body, as in “glucosamine helps support healthy joints”, “the hormone melatonin helps establish normal sleep patterns”. The FDA must be notified of these claims within 30 days of their first use, and there is a requirement that these claims be substantiated.

The possibility of interactions between nutritional products and a prescription drug is something you need to keep in mind before starting a new supplement regimen. A product may be from an “herbal” or “natural” source, but that alone does not ensure its safety.

Combined with other drugs, supplements can produce unwanted pharmacological side effects. Though nutritional supplements may be available without a prescription, it is a good idea to seek medical counsel regarding possible adverse side effects.

nutritionist
Before considering taking a nutritional supplement, keep in mind you may be getting the recommended daily allowances of most vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements through your daily dietary intake already. Consuming a diet that is healthy and nutritious is favorable over supplementation.

Upon further review, if you feel you are not getting the proper nutrition, talk to your doctor or nutritionist about the right nutritional supplements for you. Always investigate before you begin taking any nutritional supplements to make sure the latest studies demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of its use.