Food Supplements

Food supplements or dietary supplements are provided to supplement the normal diet. They bridge your nutritional gap and are very low in calories. They can be taken in the form of capsules, tablets, drinks and powder. Some supplements can have vital effect in maintaining good health. For example, strength of bones can be regulated by vitamin D and calcium, protein. Folic acid can be taken by pregnant women to thwart several birth deficiencies in their baby. Soy protein is very helpful for menopausal woman. Dosage to be taken should be advised by your health care provider. Food supplements are helpful in variety of ways still you need to take care of few factors:

• Certain supplements can help you to fulfil the requirement of certain essential nutrients which may lack due to lack of nutritious food.

• Just don’t take any sort of supplement without the concern of your health care contributor.

• Follow only the recommended dose of the supplements.

• You should have the knowledge of benefits and effects of any kind of supplement youtake.

• Food supplements are not drugs which can be used to cure diseases instead they are used to supplement the food.

Food supplements are needed when a person is not getting a balanced diet. You need to be cautious while using food supplements. Some products may have active ingredients in them which may affect the liver. Diet kundali will help you to avoid usage of such food supplements.

You may come across to know several types of food supplements:

• Vitamins: Vitamins are organic compounds which are obtained from the diet. An organism requires it in limited amount. It is an     essential nutrient.

• Dietary minerals: A living organism requires certain chemical elements called minerals. Other elements presentin human body are  carbon-nitrogen-oxygen and hydrogen.

• Bodybuilding supplements: These types of supplements are used by bodybuilders and athletes. They are consumed to improve the    performance of the sportsperson, to encourage weight gain and to substitute the food. Some supplements are protein drinks,    glutamine, essential fatty acids etc.

• Herbal medicines:Herbal medicines, as the name says arrived from herbs. They are made by using plants. There is a wide scope of    these traditional medicines till today also. Since herbal medicines are not based on evidences and scientific methods, they are taken    as an alternative medicine in the modern medicine.

• Proteins and amino acids:Amine and carboxylic acid comprise the amino acids. Along with carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen,    amino acids contain other elements too. Types of amino acids:

i. Essential amino acids: Body can’t make them and they should be provided to the body by food.

ii. Non-essential amino acids: Body makes them from essential amino acids.

• Essential fatty acids:These can’t be synthesized but are essential for body for biological processes.

Deficiency of any type of nutrient can be fulfilled by various supplements provided. But before consuming any kind of food supplement, you should make sure that whether you really need that only or not.