The Truth about Dietary Supplements

Supplements are biologically active additives that contain a complex of substances to be taken with meal. They have a positive effect on body functions and positioned as something in between foods and medicines.

Do Supplements Provide Clear Benefits

At the current stage of market development, there are products which are positioned as dietary supplements but are not always produced under proper control. Traditionally, advanced technologies and raw materials of highest quality  are used in the dietary supplement production. These products contain a combination of such ingredients as:

• vitamin-mineral complexes;
• supply of energy and construction materials for the body: lipids, carbohydrates and proteins;
• fiber - ballast food ingredients beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract function;
• extracts from plants, other healthy gifts of nature;
• honey and other beekeeping products.

The ingredients  may play different roles depending on the concentration, state of a particular body and the nature of interaction between themselves. Selected wisely, supplement ingredients can be a valuable addition to a treatment of a wide variety of pathological conditions. 

To decide on taking a supplement, a doctor’s advice is required. Even for using such harmless remedies, there are contraindications.

A Modern Perspective on Multivitamin Complexes

Dietary supplements are widely used today. The issue of getting a safe product is a major point of concern. Online stores are gaining popularity; here, you can buy health products at good prices and without loss of quality. For example, by taking advantage of iHerb bonuses from the world-renowned store, which sells organic goods, one can buy variety of bio-supplements. On the Internet, you can always find iHerb promo codes for the first order, which saves you 10% of the total order amount.

Multivitamin complexes are on the list of medicines. While they are over-the-counter drugs, consult your doctor before use. With certain indications for administering this category of drugs, their introduction into your treatment regimen can be beneficial provided that a smart approach is used. Dietary supplements  are typically taken as an addition to a basic treatment. There are specific indications for their use:

• post-surgery recovery;
• immune deficiency conditions;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• a period of intensive mental and physical stress;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• developmental lag in children and teenagers;
• as part of a comprehensive supportive therapy with elderly individuals.

Multivitamins can be prescribed when adequate nutrition is impossible or during recovery from a serious disease - to replenish vitamins and minerals lost during the disease. Depending on the specific state the  compositions may vary. For example, in a cardiac pathology treatment, multivitamins with the following ingredients are used:

• Vitamin A;
• Vitamin E;
• Vitamin C;
• Selenium.

You should realize that such complexes contain multiple active substances. When the concentration of a deficient ingredient returns to normal, you may find that vitamins and nutrients which were not deficient may be present in excess now.

Hypervitaminosis, metabolic pathologies and the decreased immune defense are possible as a result of taking multivitamin complexes and supplements unwisely. The undesirable effect can be avoided by strengthening your health under the supervision of an experienced doctor.