What are diet supplements?

What are diet supplements?
Supplement are products made of one or more of the essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and protein. Herbs or other botanicals (except tobacco), and any substance that can be used to supplement nutrition are included supplements. A few supplements are

• herbs and botanicals
• amino acids
• extracts from animal glands
• fibers such as guar and gum psyllium
• compounds not recognized as foods or nutrients such as enzymes and hormone-like compounds

Many substances formerly classified as drugs or unapproved food additives have become readily available as diet supplements. For example, the synthetically manufactured prohormones melatonin and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) that exert drug-like effects on the body are supplements.

Who benefits and uses diet supplements?
There are select groups that are more likely to use and benefit from using supplements. These include the following -

Athletes with less than the best possible nutritional status compromise their physical performance. Nutrition plays a very important part in athletic performance, yet many active people fail to consume a diet which would helps them perform at their optimum level. They need to increase the energy intake in proportion to the energy used. To fulfill their extra nutritional requirements, athletes may turn to supplements such as vitamin, mineral, protein and carbohydrate supplements.

For weight-loss also, supplements have been used. The thought of taking a pill to lose weight never fails to attract interest. Many supplement manufacturing companies sell products that claim to be able to assist in weight loss by "stimulating metabolism" or "blocking fat digestion."

Old people i.e. those who are more that 65 years of age also need supplements. This is because older adults (65+) are at increased risk for poor nutrition. With age, reduction in lean body mass takes place which reduces the body's energy requirements. Older adults eat less total food. Thus complementing the diet with a daily multivitamin-and-mineral supplement is a sensible precaution for them to help avoid nutrient deficiencies.

Pregnant women have to consider both their own requirements and the requirements of their baby. Vitamins and minerals are needed during pregnancy for the maintenance of the mother's health, to support the developing infant's growth, and also to help prevent developmental defects. For pregnant women, thousands of supplements are on the market. Many contain vitamins and minerals to supplement the amounts of nutrients gained from the foods we eat.

Be careful with the supplements you choose In case of any doubts about the supplement you are taking or thinking of taking, it is vital that you consult your physician. When consulting a physician about a supplement, the name of the preparation is not enough. The other ingredients in the supplement must also be evaluated to determine if the product is safe or not. You must provide your physician with a list of the entire ingredients on the label. Choose your supplement carefully so that it helps you.