Dietary Supplements: All You Need To Know About It

A healthy life requires healthy eating, but with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, keeping a tab on the diet is not always possible. And to compensate for the lack of nutrition, many people resort to using dietary supplements as part of their routine. Dietary supplements come in the form of tablets, capsules, gummies, drinks, energy bars, or powders.

These supplements can provide a boost of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, herbs, enzymes, and other essential nutrients that your body, otherwise, is unable to get from the regular diet. People from different professions or different age groups would require different kinds of supplements.

If you are in physical sports, you will need different levels of supplements than a corporate employee or a senior citizen.

It is important to know what nutrients you require before starting any supplement. Rutu Dhodapkar of the Dietetics Team at PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, in an interview with Hindustan Times, shared that vegans and vegetarians should begin with B12 supplements. For people living in hilly or cold areas, she suggested monitoring the Vitamin D intake in the body.

People on medication for blood pressure, diabetes other such illness must consult their doctors before starting any form of supplement. Women who are planning their pregnancy should also speak to their gynaecologist and nutritionist as there are certain supplements that should be avoided during pregnancy.

She went on to suggest the correct time and way to intake a supplement. For example, an iron supplement should be taken with a lemon/citrus juice for better absorption whereas multivitamins could be taken half an hour after a meal. A calcium supplement should be taken with milk at night or post-breakfast.

Some dietary supplements can improve overall health and manage some health conditions, like-

• Calcium and vitamin D help with strong bones
• Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects
• Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils may help with heart disease
• A combination of Vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein, and Zeaxanthin may slow down vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration.
• If you also have been exploring the idea to adopt dietary supplements in your routine, consult a doctor to under your body’s requirements and limitations.

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