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WHAT ARE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
Food supplements are a complex of vitamins, minerals, microelements necessary for maintaining human health. The composition includes a variety of useful elements aimed at restoring and supporting internal systems and organs.
In Ukraine, the law on food supplements has been in force since 2017, only high-quality and safe formulations are supplied to the market. Supplements are available in the form of tablets, capsules, syrups and are taken during meals, before or after it. Supplements are not drugs and are intended to support the body, not to treat disease.
What is included in the composition
The effect of dietary supplements is achieved due to the composition, which may include various elements:
- Vitamins;
- Minerals;
- Amino acids;
- Probiotics;
- Essential fatty acids;
- Microelements.
Supplements are needed to supplement the diet of a person if he does not get enough of them with regular food.
Important! Supplements can not replace a full treatment with medication or a varied diet. They improve the composition of the daily diet, but can not fully meet the need for certain elements. For example, the daily need for protein can not be met with dietary supplements, you need to eat enough meat.
Differences between food supplements and drugs
Whether food supplements help can be judged by their purpose and the main differences from drugs. The main differences between food supplements and drugs are as follows:
- Supplements are designed for healthy people who want to maintain their condition by getting the full set of essential micronutrients every day. Medicines are designed to eliminate specific health problems.
- The dosage of vitamins in dietary supplements is much lower. Medicines labeled as vitamins have a higher dosage. With excessive use, the reception can be dangerous.
- Supplements do not have a clear chemical formula, which is accepted as the norm and regulated by law. The compositions of the supplements are diverse.
- In the composition of drugs, 90% of substances are chemical compounds aimed at a specific effect. Supplements may contain organic compounds, have a more natural composition.
- Food supplements cannot be used to treat disease or restore health.
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS - ALL PROS AND CONS
Vitamins and food supplements have not gained the best fame for a number of reasons: manufacturers have used gaps in legislation and created a substandard product, and users have tried to treat existing health problems with a non-drug. Here there are all the pros and cons of food supplements.
|
PROS |
CONS |
|
Have a beneficial effect on the body |
Not all manufacturers treat the development of composition responsibly |
|
Allow to receive a full complex of elements every day |
Some substances may not be declared in the composition and adversely affect health |
|
The effect is felt with regular intake of dietary supplements courses |
Some brands add unnecessary substances to the composition |
|
There are all-natural supplements on the market that are extracted from plants |
Plants consist of a complex set of substances, in rare cases it is impossible to predict the effect |
|
Complement the daily diet, help create a balanced menu |
They can not cover all the body's needs for vitamins, have a narrow effect |
|
When used properly, they help speed up the weight loss process, improve digestion and memory |
|
When food supplements first appeared on the market, there were no legitimate legislative instruments to regulate their production and composition. Now the production of food supplements is controlled, the production is tested and certified. The composition of the supplements corresponds to the description, is safe and useful for humans.
It is important to monitor the composition of dietary supplements. Thus, vitamin C is added to many products with the claimed properties of preventing colds. The scientific community has proven that vitamin C helps in the fight against scurvy, but is powerless against colds.
On some food supplements you can find vivid descriptions with promises of weight loss, memory recovery, youth or beauty. Such compositions can only work in combination with other measures. For example, supplements to combat excess weight accelerate weight loss if a person additionally goes on a diet, goes in for sports. Taking dietary supplements alone will not help you lose weight.
Supplements are needed to improve the existing parameters of the body, to help its systems. With the right approach without inflated expectations, the effect really appears: the body and individual organs work better, the body is maintained in one state. Supplements help in the prevention of weakened immunity, a number of diseases.
Are food supplements safe?
Production of organic supplements is a business. But the production of drugs is also a business. About 17% of supplements on the market pose a real danger to consumers, as they are produced without certification and inspections.
In such cases, the true composition of food supplements is unknown, and the body's response is unpredictable. You can protect yourself only by buying supplements in pharmacies or directly from manufacturers. It is also important to check the availability of documents, licenses for the funds offered by the seller.
Who food supplements help
When choosing which supplements are better, you need to pay attention to the composition and the intended effect. Supplements are not intended for treatment, but for recovery. They are suitable in cases:
- There is a suspicion that with normal food the body does not receive enough nutrients. This can also be detected by medical tests. For example, the body's calcium content is low, but close to normal, there is no need to take vitamins.
- A person eats properly and has a balanced diet, but daily deals with heavy loads. Regular overload gradually wears out the body, dietary supplements will help maintain health.
- Examinations by doctors revealed minor deviations from the norm. The doctor will advise a specific type of supplement that will suit the patient.
- Proper nutrition is very expensive. If a person realises that they do not get the necessary substances from food due to the scarcity of the diet, it will be more economical to use supplements.
- Cooked food is not so useful. During heat treatment, a significant amount of vitamins is lost. Supplements are needed to restore balance.
- Regular stress. Almost all the inhabitants of modern cities suffer from lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle, mental processing. Keeping the body in shape without additional funds is almost impossible.
- There are problems with memory. Again, due to lack of sleep and constant overload, mental abilities may decrease. Vitamin complexes in supplements will help prevent and maintain brain function.
- Frequent colds. Weakened immunity leads to regular colds, a feeling of weakness. Supplements contain enough trace elements and vitamins to restore immunity.
- Excess weight and digestive problems. Dietary supplements help improve the gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important for people who are losing weight. Some formulations are designed to eliminate constipation, others help to restore the microflora of the tract.
- Aging. With age, tissue regeneration and self-healing slow down, health deteriorates, it is natural. Vitamin complexes help to prolong youth, improve appearance and well-being.
In many cases, taking dietary supplements is a necessity. They are prescribed independently, without the help of a doctor. Therefore, it is important to carefully select the appropriate composition, follow the rules of reception.
How to administer correctly
Food supplements are taken immediately during or after a meal. If you like several drugs, you can not take them all at once in the maximum dosage, it can cause rejection.
Each vial of food supplements has instructions, it is important to follow these recommendations. It is better to organize the reception courses consistently and start with the minimum doses. At the same time you need to monitor the body's response. With a normal reaction, the dosage can be increased to the manufacturer's recommended dose.
The most popular food supplements in Ukraine
According to customer reviews of food supplements, the best brands of supplements are the following brands:
- Now Foods. Supplements in capsules and tablets for resorption with natural substances in the composition. Produce means to improve the gastrointestinal tract and eliminate common digestive problems.
- Vegetarian supplements with amino acids, antioxidants and vitamins for a beautiful appearance.
- 21st Multi Vitamin Dietary Supplements at affordable prices. The most popular lines contain up to 30 trace elements in each capsule.
- Doctor’s Best. The company produces dietary supplements based on the latest scientific developments and discoveries. Have a proven effect, are carefully tested before being released on the market.
- Source Naturals. Supplements are created on the basis of extracts of medicinal plants. Help in the treatment of a number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and heart.
- Country Life. The producer guarantees conformity of structure of means to the declared, invariability of formulas. Creates rulers to strengthen hair and nails, improve skin condition.
- Supplements are produced in almost all countries of the world, in Ukraine production and sales are controlled by the state.
