Dietary Supplements PROS & CONS

 Two sides of the same coin: Dietary Supplements PROs & CONs

You might not be the only one who takes vitamin and mineral supplement every day. Infact, all of us are guilty of having our medicine cabinets filled with these supplements because of the innumerable benefits they offer. Mineral and vitamin supplements have long been associated with good health. They are said to help individuals in reducing their risk of catching a cold or the flu while assisting the body to function properly. So it comes as no surprise that the sales of supplement industry keep on increasing these days.

People consider dietary supplements as a quick-fix to all of their health problems. They want to be healthy and physically fit while still binging on unhealthy food stuffs. People let themselves engage in these unhealthy behaviors with the belief that taking a few dietary supplements will help them accomplish their health goals. Everything these days seems to have boosted levels of vitamins and minerals, from bottled water to orange juice to cereals and flours. But, as the saying goes – “Even nectar is poison, when taken in excess.” Similarly, taking too many vitamins and minerals on a regular basis might be harmful.

Dietary supplements are products that are meant to supplement the diet. They are not meant to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases. Dietary supplements are NOT marketed as drugs.

The FDA is the government agency in charge of regulating both dietary supplements and medications, but it has different rules for dietary supplements than it does for prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Before being advertised or sold, medicines (drugs) require FDA approval. Supplements are exempted from this requirement. However, it is the responsibility of supplement manufacturers to have proof that their goods are secure and that any claims made on the label are accurate and not deceptive.

Certain forms of health claims may be seen on the labels of dietary supplements. Manufacturers are allowed to claim, for instance, that a supplement supports a physiological function or promotes health (like immunity or heart health). However unlike prescription medications, over-the-counter dietary supplements don't have to disclose their potential side effects, what might occur if you consume them with other medications and vitamins, or the possibility of overdosing.

There are & active substances in many supplements, which, when taken inappropriately, may have negative or even fatal side effects. When numerous supplements containing the same vitamin or mineral are consumed together, a person poses the risk of accidentally overdosing, which can result in dangerous drug interactions and a host of undesirable side effects.

According to a study that was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, Calcium and vitamin D supplements may be associated with an increased risk of stroke. Vitamin A, E and D are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that they can accumulate in the body over time and can cause overdose resulting in medical emergencies.

According to a study, it was found that multivitamins did not significantly lower the risk of heart disease or cancer.

When taken in excess, vitamin and mineral supplements can hinder the effectiveness of the prescription medicines and the ongoing medical treatments of patients. High doses of antioxidants can hinder some cancer therapies by assisting in the protection of the cancer cells that the therapies seek to eradicate.

According to several researches, using high-dose supplements including vitamins E, C, or selenium does not reduce the chance of developing prostate, breast, or lung cancer. 

Large amounts of vitamin C may also increase your risk of developing kidney stones and dangerously high levels of iron interfere with your body's capacity to digest other nutrients.

High amounts of vitamin A can damage the skin, liver, bones, and central nervous system in addition to causing birth abnormalities.

Supplementation of high-dosage of vitamin E death has been associated with higher risks of early death.

Therefore, supplements should be consumed only when necessary, in case of pregnant women and breastfeeding women, chronically ill(cancer) patients, vegetarians or vegans, in heavy periods, food allergies, and malabsorption problems.

People should be encouraged to adopt healthier eating habits. The increase in early death risk should be a wake-up call associated with the use of particular supplements. If you suspect that you may be deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral, it may be wiser to consider altering your food habits and lifestyle rather than switching to supplements.

Remember that eating real food, rather than taking dietary supplements is the best approach to achieve your nutritional needs. We should consume more nutrient-dense whole foods, such as green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds, poultry, eggs, cereals, and citrus fruits, lean meats, milk, eggs, wholegrain breads and cereals, nuts, and protein-rich foods etc. in order to stay healthy and fit.

The final word of advice would be to maintain a diversified diet, to follow the nutritional recommendations of ICMR and if you decide to take supplements, choose just one multivitamin/mineral supplement that can meet the RDA quantities for each nutrient.

Blog Article by Sara Ahmed

MScII