The increase in consumption of fast and inexpensive processed foods has created a struggle among many of us to get all the nutrients we need out of our diets. As a result, the dietary supplement industry has experienced a drastic growth in popularity. Confusion of what the actual benefits of dietary supplements are has increased as well. Many consider these supplements to be beneficial, but studies have proven that they can be more prejudicial than beneficial. Is it worth risking our health by consuming dietary supplements? Or should we strive for a healthy and balanced diet instead? Some risks associated with the consumption of dietary supplements are contamination from harmful substances, adverse reactions caused by drug interactions, and megadoses of nutrients. It is because of these reasons that we should not consume …show more content…
Supporters of dietary supplements argue that there are many essential vitamins and minerals found in multivitamins that can be difficult to attain solely through one’s diet. As well, they claim that the taking protein shakes repair muscles and helps the body recover after exercise. However, many multivitamins contain synthetic nutrients instead of natural ones, which are harder for the body to absorb. A study from the Government Accountability Office has concluded that twenty-five percent of more than two thousand dietary supplements from three hundred different manufactures lack the quantities of substances listed on the product labels. As for proteins, according to Dr. Ward in source one “Dietary Supplements: The Health Benefits of Pumping Up Your Diet”, proteins can be harmful to certain populations, especially people who suffer from diminished kidney function. Therefore, we can conclude that there are almost none existent benefits from the intake of dietary
Consuming energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and the 5- Hour Energy Shot, which contains caffeine and other additives, is dangerous to an individual’s health and in some cases fatal. Manufacturers of energy drinks claim consumption of their products will improve athletic performance, concentration and reaction time, as well increase basal metabolism. However, manufacturers’ of energy drinks add additional energy-enhancing ingredients such as glucose, taurine, guarana and ginseng. Each of those ingredients has numerous adverse side effects, see table 1 on page 8. Yet, energy drink manufacturers are not required to list the amount or type of additive used in their products. According to the Food and Drug administration (FDA), approval of the FDA is required in order to use additives in conventional foods. Dietary supplements, is considered by the FDA as generally recognizes safe by qualified experts therefore not considered a food additive. Unfortunately, the FDA need not approve adding them to conventional foods such as drinks. Consequently, manufacturers of energy drinks are taking advantages of this by labeling their products as “dietary supplements. “ Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be in a position to regulate the ingredients added to energy drinks. In addition, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which regulates both dietary supplements and conventional foods does not require manufacturers of conventional foods to report serious adverse events (FDA, 2012).
With all the unregulated dietary supplements being sold and recommended, our health insurance costs will continue to rise. If the product causes severe side effects, it should no longer be permitted to be sold in stores. The only way to touch the minds of many people is to inform them of the dangers of consuming dietary supplements. Disposing of all incorrect information in product labeling and ingredient lists is important. People need to recognize the faults that plague many advertisements. In addition businesses should promote safe products instead of the harmful ones that they advocate for. The United States Congress should consider regulating dietary supplements to maintain safety. If people are aware of the many lies companies present, then dietary supplements will be one less problem to worry about.
Holistic nutrition is increasingly becoming popular in healthcare practice due to the growing detoxification culture amongst the people with the aim of improving individual health. Consumption of toxic elements toxifies the body, the consumption of processed food products is the primary cause of diseases amongst the people. There is increased use of Holistic Nutrition by both healthy people and people with health conditions with the aim of achieving optimum body function and health. The increased use of holistic nutrition in the community improves health outcomes and reduces poor health outcomes that are caused by poor lifestyle choices of using processed food products. Holistic nutrition provides a natural approach of ensuring positive health
Same may believe that all the supplements are effective however not all of them are ineffective Taking too much supplements can possibly cause side effects. It is true that Supplements that have more than one herbal ingredient which can be dangerous, Supplements that sold to treat illness and Avoid supplements that claim to improve sexual ability .It is not a must to take these supplements, people who take these supplements save time and instantly they damage their health It is said by Pieter Cohen, Cambridge health alliance gave some steps to use safe supplements .The perfect way to use supplements safely is to be aware of supplements you don't need. Use supplements only if you have trusted information that the ingredient(s) will useful to you. Accurate information can be found at the National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Select supplements with onl...
For years, I have been eating what I want. Food choices are a significant factor that affects our health. What we like or crave, often, is the determining variable in what we eat. Finding the right balance of food choices is the key factor in improving our health benefits. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will provide more nutritional value than foods that are found to be low in nutrient density. Making the right choices in foods, however, is extremely difficult. Often, I find myself enthralled in the latest fad, not considering the subtext of the foods I am eating, such as nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, cholesterol and minerals. The diet project underlined a three-day food entry intake that provided a dietary analysis report
The Journal of Dietary Supplements discusses the increased use of “Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)” and how it is becoming a need among physicians to educate and train themselves so that the idea of Integrative Medicine is a realization to the public (Litchy, 2011). This holistic approach allows the ability for conventional medicine to be incorporated with alternative interventions which, further enables the patient to decide which route of care best suits their specific preferences.
When it comes to supplements, I feel that there is a lot of misleading health benefits from actually taking them. As I learned from monitoring my own nutrient intake, our diet sometimes is lacking of important vitamins and minerals. There are so many supplements that promise curse and longevity by taking their pill, however, their claims have not been to my standards scientifically supported. In contrast, vaccines still have a negative stigma or attitude concerning side-effects which sway parents away from having their children receive these lifesaving vaccines. There is volumes of clinical research that supports the benefits of vaccines against deadly diseases and dispels most concerns over any serious
A well-balanced diet contains all the necessary vitamins, and most individuals who follow such a diet can correct any previous vitamin deficiencies. However, persons who are on special diets, who are suffering from intestinal disorders that prevent normal absorption of nutrients, or who are pregnant or lactating may need particular vitamin supplements to bolster their metabolism. Beyond such real needs, vitamin supplements are also often popularly believed to offer "cures" for many diseases, from colds to cancer; but in fact the body quickly eliminates most of these preparations without absorbing them. In addition, the fat-soluble vitamins can block the effect of other vitamins and even cause severe poisoning when taken in excess.
According to the book “Understanding normal and clinical nutrition”, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein intake is, 0.8g/kg of body weight for non-athletes; according to nutrition professionals this amount can be achieved through a healthy diet (Rolfes, Pinna, & Whitney, 2012). It is well known that athletes, due to their high energy expenditure, need to ingest a greater quantity of nutrients with the purpose of repairing and building muscle cells, besides reestablishing energy storage; The International Society of Sports Nutrition (2007) states that athletes and exercising individuals amount of protein to be consumed depends on the intensity of the exercise training sessions, the quality of the protein ingested in their whole foods diet, besides their carbohydrate intake. Meanwhile, athletes’ protein needs should be about 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg of body weight, and even though dietary supplements are a safe way to meet protein requirement, it would be healthier to obtain the necessary nutrients ingesting high quality foods as part of a daily diet (Campbell et al, 2007).
They often promise to make a person more muscular, super energized, smarter, and/or thinner. Just because they are natural or herbal doesn't mean they are safe or even that they live up to their claims. People always want to ask their doctor before taking any dietary supplement and can choose wisely. Some supplements can interact with other medications and/or have other side effects. They can range from a variety of products. These products include, but are not limited to: multivitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs. Others come from natural sources, like plants, then there are others that are man-made. They come in a variety of forms like capsules, pills, gel tabs, liquid, tinctures, extracts, and powder. However, supplements are not tested by their sellers for product safety and their purity standard before putting them onto the
Moderation is vital in all aspects of life and is necessary for overall health, including with one’s food intake. Protein is one of the many important nutrient building blocks that is necessary for proper growth and good health. However, eating excessive amounts of any nutrient or inadequate amounts, can cause various health concerns. Scientists have been able to estimate the amount of nutrients that the body requires. However, the amount of any particular nutrient varies from person to person, depending on your “age, sex, general health status, physical activity level, and use of medications and drugs” (Schiff 2013). It is also important to remember that consuming the required amount of nutrients that meets your dietary guidelines does not
A supplement that is progressively becoming more popular in the United States are diet Pills. The purpose of consuming these pills is to help individuals lose weight in a easy manner. Diet pills come in many different variations that contributes to certain tasks in the body. Diet pills alone can have a dangerous effect on the body let alone being knowledgeable in knowing what diet pills are best for your body is very important. People who are consuming or looking into consuming diet pills often forget to look further into the product due to desperation. Everyone already knows that the best way to lose weight is by exercising and eating healthy; but since people are not taking that into consideration, it’s best to believe they are to the point
Vitamins, a group of organic substances required in our diets in small amounts for growth and nutrition, are usually found in foodstuffs or taken as supplements. Yet vitamins probably present a wider gap between myth and reality in the layman's understanding than almost any other area of our diet. Surveys have found that while a majority of Americans do take vitamin supplements on a regular or occasional basis for reason of health concerns, there exists enormous confusion about the actual purpose and benefits of this practice ("Use of Vitamin and Mineral Supplements in the United States," 1990:161). Most people have a recognition that Vitamin C prevents scurvy, that Vitamin A is found in fish-liver oils, or that Vitamin D is found in dairy products; many people believe that Vitamin E preserves youth and prevents sterility, or that Vitamin C can present colds and cancer. Beyond this, however, there is still considerable ignorance and widespread myth.
Looking beautiful is something all people openly (or secretly) aim for. And for them to achieve this, good health should always come first.
Over the centuries, ancients made use of several treatment methods. Two of them are modern medicine and traditional medicine. Alternative medicine is older than modern one. That effective therapy has used for many centuries on the patience when modern medicine has not occurred in the world. Because it has improved in China, it can be called Traditional Chinese Medicine. In contrast, modern medicine has been in used since 1900’s. In this system, drugs’ testes are done in safety laboratories with care and nicety, and their side effects are located before they are given to the patient. However, sometimes the side effects are not blocked so, people have to take another pill to get better. It makes people to take more chemicals into their bodies. Further, modern medicine has splendid efficacy on the fatal diseases. Even, alternative medicine which people’s ancestors utilized stayed in the background when modern medicine has just found, it works at the present time efficaciously. ****** Therefore, using alternative medicine is more helpful to get better than modern medicine because there are fewer drugs, side effects; there is placebo effect and holistic therapy.