Dietary supplements contain nutrients such as vitamins and minerals or certain nutrients in concentrated form. Many people want to use it to promote healthy eating or to increase their performance.
What are dietary supplements?
Food supplements are legally classified as food and are products that provide nutrients in a concentrated form. Therefore, according to food law, they are presented in a form that is not typical for food. They are displayed and checked as food. Unlike pharmaceuticals, they do not have to be approved. That’s why you can usually buy them outside of pharmacies, for example in supermarkets, in drugstores or on the Internet. However, supplements must comply with the so-called health claim regulation. This regulates that health and nutritional statements about a product must be scientifically proven and approved.
Dietary supplements: When to take them?
Many people worry about developing a nutrient deficiency without dietary supplements. However, this is unnecessary in most cases. In healthy people who are sufficiently supplied with nutrients, supplementation is therefore superfluous.
However, there are groups of people who are recommended to take vitamins and minerals in addition to a balanced diet. For example women who want to have children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women or people with certain chronic diseases can take dietary supplements. Even a vegan diet may require supplementation with certain nutrients. Speak to your doctor to clarify your nutritional needs and the correct dose for any supplements. You should also read Protetox reviews if you plan to buy Protetox products when losing weight.
Dietary supplements: Benefit not proven
Some nutritional supplements are repeatedly attributed a performance-enhancing effect by the manufacturers, but also by the media. However, for most of these products, there is no scientific evidence of any positive effects on athletic performance. Performance-enhancing effects have only been proven for caffeine, creatine and sodium bicarbonate/citrate, of course, only in combination with sport.
Undesirable effects can also occur. In particular, interactions between individual supplements, food and between supplements and pharmaceuticals are often overlooked, as is possible contamination from undeclared ingredients.
In the event of an overdose, acute or gradual poisoning, for example with vitamin D, may also be possible. As a fat-soluble vitamin, the substance can be stored in fat tissue and muscles.
Because of possible side effects, you should only take dietary supplements after consulting a doctor.