Health Food Supplements – Consumer Guide
Dietary supplements are one of the best-selling products on the market today. Their total consumption amounts to billions of dollars in the United States alone. According to recent studies, more than half of adults in the United States consume healthy dietary supplements such as tablets, capsules, powders, soft gels, gel caps, and liquids.
Increased consumption of health food supplements may be due to increased public awareness and living standards of health issues in our society. Many studies have shown a close link between health and nutrition. Undersupply of nutrients can weaken our body’s defenses and, in the long run, lead to medical problems ranging from standard to more severe illnesses.
Healthy dietary supplements include macronutrients (amino acids, proteins, essential fatty acids), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), enzymes (digestive and antioxidant enzymes), probiotics (beneficial bacteria in the intestine), Herbs, etc. supplement. These dietary supplements have unique functions within our bodies. For example, they help to be vibrant and healthy, regulate the immune system, detoxify the liver, digestion, and mental clarity.
Many argue that as long as you have a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, you don’t need to take health supplements. This may be true, but the fact is that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating correctly is difficult for many.
In the last few decades, the Green Revolution has changed agricultural practices worldwide. We use more fertilizers and pesticides to grow food, increase yields and shorten growth periods. As a result, soil nutrients and beneficial soil bacterial populations are rapidly depleting, and the products we produce today contain fewer micronutrients than ever.
Increased exposure to chemicals such as stressful lifestyles, wrong diets, unbalanced diets, environmental pollutants (air, water), pesticides, medicines, hormones, and heavy metals in foods is gradually increasing for me. Weaken our bodies.
Healthy dietary supplements are beneficial to our health, but consumers still need to choose their products carefully. Currently, there are few restrictions on the quality of nutritional food supplements. However, the composition of some health foods may not match what is stated on the label, and the quality of raw materials and finished products is not guaranteed. Therefore, consumers should only buy from reputable health food manufacturers who read the labels carefully and read additional literature.
Here are some general rules for buying health food supplements:
1) Supplements made from whole foods, and natural sources are better than synthetic ones. They are more bioactive, can be absorbed readily, and are less likely to be contaminated by chemicals such as coal tars used in chemical synthesis.
2) Protein-bonded vitamins and minerals (vitamins and minerals in organic form, binding to amino acids) are more bioactive than the inorganic forms.
3) Buy supplements using safe extraction methods, such as cold-pressed extraction or supercritical extraction. This can avoid the harmful residue from chemical extraction.
4) Herbal concentrate and extract are usually more effective than raw herbs.
5) Organically grown or wild-crafted herbs are less likely to be contaminated by heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals.
6) Read the labels, do not consume more than the recommended dose.
7) Be careful when consuming certain herbal supplements, such as Ma Huang / ephedra, Kava Kava, comfrey, etc. Some studies have shown that these herbs may cause severe side effects to some people. Stop use if unusual signs appear after consumption.
8) Some health food supplements may interact with drugs, either by decreasing or increasing their effects. Consult your doctor if you are currently taking medications.
9) Pregnant and nursing women, people with specific medical conditions such as consult the doctors when consuming healthy food supplements.
10) If in doubt, contact the supplement manufacturers or distributors for more information about their products.
11) Health food supplements are available in many places, such as grocery stores, health food stores, drug stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, department stores, online stores, etc. Be a smart consumer, compare the price and service before purchase.