Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Dietary Supplements for Health

By Jeff Cline

Dietary supplements are used by many. You can walk into any supermarket and get most of them. Many use them to supplement their diets and some use them as an alternative to prescription medications. With many Americans going uninsured they are becoming more popular.

You can find these supplements in capsules, pills, tablets and liquids. They can have vitamins, botanicals, herbs and amino acids or a combination there of. Keep in mind, just because you do not need a prescription does not mean they are safe.

Although dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA, they are not regulated the same as Food or drugs. They do regulate their labels. They can not make claims on the label. They are not permitted to sale anything unsafe, but they do not have to prove that they are.

That makes me a little uneasy about taking them and I would never recommend you take them with out first consulting a doctor. Even though they are sold without a prescription they can be harmful if not taken properly. And they can counteract with other medications and medical conditions.

The most widely used supplements are vitamins. Especially the multivitamins you find in the stores. Multivitamins often times have added herbs and botanicals as well. We take supplements for many reasons. We want to optimize our health or naturally treat a condition.

Never take more then the recommended dose of any dietary supplement. And always seek the advice of your medical provider. Even though you do not need a prescription for dietary supplements they can still be harmful and can not be taken if you have some medical conditions or take some medications.

Not all supplements are made the same. Manufacturing process differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some process may make them less effective then other process. You can find a lot of information by searching the internet.

Be sure to get a well balanced diet and some exercise in daily. If you are healthy you likely do not need any supplements. And I will say it again, always check with your healthcare provider if you are interested in taking a dietary supplement for any reason.

About the Author:
By Jeff Cline

Dietary supplements are used by many. You can walk into any supermarket and get most of them. Many use them to supplement their diets and some use them as an alternative to prescription medications. With many Americans going uninsured they are becoming more popular.

You can find these supplements in capsules, pills, tablets and liquids. They can have vitamins, botanicals, herbs and amino acids or a combination there of. Keep in mind, just because you do not need a prescription does not mean they are safe.

Although dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA, they are not regulated the same as Food or drugs. They do regulate their labels. They can not make claims on the label. They are not permitted to sale anything unsafe, but they do not have to prove that they are.

That makes me a little uneasy about taking them and I would never recommend you take them with out first consulting a doctor. Even though they are sold without a prescription they can be harmful if not taken properly. And they can counteract with other medications and medical conditions.

The most widely used supplements are vitamins. Especially the multivitamins you find in the stores. Multivitamins often times have added herbs and botanicals as well. We take supplements for many reasons. We want to optimize our health or naturally treat a condition.

Never take more then the recommended dose of any dietary supplement. And always seek the advice of your medical provider. Even though you do not need a prescription for dietary supplements they can still be harmful and can not be taken if you have some medical conditions or take some medications.

Not all supplements are made the same. Manufacturing process differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some process may make them less effective then other process. You can find a lot of information by searching the internet.

Be sure to get a well balanced diet and some exercise in daily. If you are healthy you likely do not need any supplements. And I will say it again, always check with your healthcare provider if you are interested in taking a dietary supplement for any reason.

About the Author:

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