Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements are dietary components produced or manufactured to provide nutrients to the body. The supplements take different forms which entail capsules, tablets, powders, energy bars and energy drinks (Webb, 77). Currently, nutritional supplements comprise enzymes, amino acids, herbals, vitamins, minerals, and botanicals among other products. Some supplements are more common than others for instance vitamins E and D, calcium, and iron supplements. In addition, herbal extracts such as Echinacea, and garlic, as well as, specialty products; fish oils and probiotics are also very common. Nutritional supplements intended use is to supplement a person’s diet in cases whereby a person falls short of certain nutrients in the body. In other cases, they are used to boost a person’s immunity without necessarily having a shortage of nutrients in the body. According to the U.S National Institute of Health nutritional supplements are not meant to treat or prevent any illness (Webb, 201). Furthermore, the U.S NIH considers these products to be dangerous when used inappropriately.

Nutritional supplements have multiple advantages in the body. Correct use of these products yields significant benefits in terms of improved health, immunity and disease resistance abilities. Use of supplements is recommended for people with poor dietary habits, which can be either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary, poor dieting results from ignorance and preference of junk foods. In addition, people may fall short of essential nutrients because of eating unbalanced diets. Involuntary poor dieting is resultant from circumstances such as ill health, poverty, inaccessibility of healthy foods and illiteracy. Nutritional supplements raise a person’s immunity thus increasing disease resistance abilities in the body (Ransley, 55). Availability of these products is beneficial for people who are unable to feed properly or appropriately as recommended. They are also used by pregnant mothers to boost immunity and provide the unborn child with nutrients that are rarely found in every day diet. Furthermore, being pregnant requires someone to add their intake of certain nutrients such as iron and calcium.

Controversial reports on the use of nutritional supplements are regularly published. The reports raise concerns such as the approved efficiency and benefit of supplements and possible long-term effects (Ransley, 77). Many factors contribute to the problems associated with the use of these products. Some of these factors include a person’s understanding of the product, the manufacturer’s clarity on usage, the balance and viability of ingredients used and evidence on safety of product consumption. Nutritional supplements are associated with side effects when taken together with other substances or in the case of an overdose. Some of these products increase the rate of bleeding- a good example is vitamin K. Vitamin K reduces the ability of Coumadin thus negatively affecting blood clotting process. Vitamin E and C are antioxidant supplements that can reduce the effectiveness of some chemotherapy medications for cancers (Ransley, 99). In addition, other supplements such as St John’s Wort speed up drugs’ breakdown processes, which can in turn reduce the effectiveness of the drugs.

Nutritional supplements have significant advantages. However, the risk factors associated with their consumption cannot be ignored. Thus, caution is recommended when using these products so as to minimize potential side effects (Webb, 112). Moreover, it is important for an individual to ascertain that they take only prescribed supplements. Furthermore, producers and manufacturers of these products should provide adequate information on use such as what to avoid when taking these supplements, for instance alcohol and some or all medical treatments.