People need dietary supplements for a variety of reasons. Bodybuilders, for example, would need supplements to aid muscle buildup and strengthening of muscles such as concentrated protein, glutamine, creatine and weight gain powders. Athletes take in supplements to optimize or enhance their performance.

People with illnesses often require dietary supplements such as concentrated iron for anemia. And those on a diet also take supplements to ensure they get the required amount of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, herbs, enzymes and other nutrients. Most however take supplements for optimum overall health. A lot of people also take them to relieve stress and to boost their energy.

What are dietary supplements and how are they different from medicines and over-the-counter drugs?

The Congress in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which was enacted into law in 1994, defines dietary supplements or nutritional supplements as supplements to the diet. These supplements contain one or more ingredients or their constituents. These are taken orally in the form of liquid, capsule, pill or tablet and are labeled as dietary supplement in the packaging.

Dietary supplements come in different forms, thus the confusion with over-the-counter drugs. The market is flooded with different types and forms of supplements such as capsules, tablets, drinks, energy bars and powders. Most can be purchased even without a prescription. They are available in drug stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, natural food stores, merchandise retailers and in health stores. One can even buy supplements on line. In order to distinguish these supplements from over-the-counter drugs, always read the Supplement Facts label.

Unfortunately, most of these dietary supplements are not regulated. Unlike with drugs, the US Food and Drugs Administration does not check the safety and effectiveness of supplements before they are sold to the public. In fact, the FDA only has authority over supplements once they have already entered the market. Usually, actions are taken by the FDA once a complaint against a certain brand has been received.

Many dietary supplements are guilty of false claims. Testimonials and so-called proofs of the efficiency and effectiveness of supplements abound in print, broadcast and on line media.

Worse, some are even unsafe. And so, extra precaution must be taken when choosing which dietary supplement to take. Always check with the manufacturer for more information. With the tons of promotional materials that abound, always be wary of the information being presented.

Keen in mind that dietary supplements are not intended to cure or prevent illnesses. In addition, although some supplements have beneficial effects, a significant number of them have potential health risks. Some supplements contain active ingredients that can have negative effects on the body, specially when taken in large doses and with other supplements and medicines. Supplementslike calcium, for example, interact with heart medicines like Digoxin, vitamin K counteracts with blood thinners etc.. In addition, too much intake of certain vitamins and minerals such as oil-soluble vitamin E and A, can be toxic to the body.

Pregnant women, nursing moms, those undergoing surgery and people with chronic illnesses should take extra care in deciding whether to take dietary supplements or not.

And so, when choosing supplements, it is always best to consult with a health care provider to avoid serious side effects. Remember, safety first!

The very first step is to undergo a nutritional assessment or evaluation with a health care provider. This will find out what your nutritional needs are and what dietary supplement is best suited to your medical condition.

Dietary supplements are supplements and not are not meant to replace some of the food needed in a healthy daily diet. Thus, bear in mind that no supplement can ever replace a healthy diet.

Never assume that “natural” is always safe. Some natural ingredients, specially if taken in large doses, can interact with medicines and may even result to life-threatening situations.

In addition, there are certain considerations in purchasing dietary supplements such as the quality, availability, your nutritional needs and price.

On a final note, dietary supplements are meant to supplement the body’s nutritional needs. It can never replace the overall health benefits of regular exercise and a healthy diet. And in choosing supplementary diets, safety should always be the main consideration.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Lee Dobbins writes for www.a2z-vitamin-and-herbs.com where you can learn more about dietary supplements and learn how vitamins can help keep you healthy.

Like all the other dieters before her, Hedelyn has been there and done that. She has tried the vegetable soup diet and she swears she will never eat cabbage again for the rest of her life! She has also tried a low and sometimes no carbohydrate diet but it seemed to sap all the energy out of her already frail body.

Like Hedelyn, thousands of men and women have become victims of dieting myths that seem true and effective at first glance. However, these diet myths have proven themselves useless for most people.

People used to think that eliminating fat in their diet would keep them fit and thin. To their dismay, it has only resulted in them craving more fatty foods and sometimes also causing illnesses due to the hormonal and nutrition imbalances that have occurred in the body.

If you are among those people cringing at the thought of adding cholesterol to your body then you should think twice. Cholesterol per se is not bad because there is bad cholesterol and there is good cholesterol. Bad cholesterol can come from foods like cheese, pasties and meat and it causes blockage in the arteries. Good cholesterol is however needed by the body to bring cholesterol from the arteries where they are not wanted, to the liver.

If you are like most people I know, then you would be prone to trying any kind of diet. You saw a new diet scheme that worked for your favorite movie star? You just got to try it! The question is; will it work for you?

Most fad diets are so popular these days that even teens are trying these diets just to keep up with the demands of society. If you feel you are too fat for that dress you want to wear to next weeks party then I am sure you would resort to crash dieting.

Crash dieting can give you the body that would fit that wonderful dress but it would have serious consequences on your health. While resorting to crash diets can help you remove fats, it will also remove the important nutrients and lead to feelings of dizziness and irritation.

A person I know has succumbed to the after six in the evening diet that she no longer lets anything touch her mouth after the sacred hour. She has religiously followed this diet plan believing that eating at night can be fattening. But research shows that there is no difference if a person eats at night because what is important is the total food intake for the whole day. Of course, if you starve yourself the whole morning and you eat like a king before sleeping then you will surely be a candidate for obesity.

Most people who have tried different diet schemes and scams have failed. As most nutritionist agree, it is better to eat several small bites day rather than three very big meals.

A friend who has tried every diet without positive results has blamed her metabolism for her failure to lose weight. She said her slow metabolism is the culprit and she could not do anything about it anymore. Little did she know that she can coax her metabolism into doing more work for her by keeping herself busy and active.

You can gain weight if you eat more calories than what is being released or used up by your body. To avoid this, you should at least exert more efforts in working out your body rather than in putting food into your mouth. The amount of calories you are taking in should be equal if not less than the calories you are using up. If you lead an active lifestyle then you need calories to keep you working.

There are a lot of dieting myths that we believe and follow only to find out that these do not work for us. Contrary to what most people say, losing weight is not really very hard. What you need is a healthy eating habit, a good exercise plan and some inspiration to keep yourself healthy!

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Sayeda Habib – Author of The Definitive Weight Loss Hypnosis CD, Tape, Downloads, MP3s. Read the Facts from the UK’s Leading Life Coach for Women