Dietary Supplements – What Are They?

12/25/2023  Jane Jackson, RN, CRC – Nutra-Files

Dietary supplements are a wide range of products intended to add/or supplement the diet.  Supplements are ingested and come in many forms, including tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders, bars, gummies, and liquids.

Common supplements include:

• Vitamins (such as multivitamins or individual vitamins like vitamin D and biotin).
• Minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, and iron).
• Botanicals or herbs (such as echinacea and ginger).
• Botanical compounds (such as caffeine and curcumin).
• Amino acids (such as tryptophan and glutamine).
• Live microbials (commonly referred to as probiotics.

Dietary supplements don’t have the same requirements as prescription medications.  Dietary supplements can be sold without having to prove safety or effectiveness as long as the maker doesn’t claim it can treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure a disease.

Some dietary supplements contain ingredients that can have strong side effects such as interacting with other medications, interfering with or altering lab tests, or causing an adverse/unexpected response.

Before taking a dietary supplement, talk with a healthcare professional for guidance in deciding which supplement, if any, is right for you.  Please,

• Review all ingredients
• Read all information
• Take only as directed
• Set realistic expectations – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.