B dietary supplements today have a very ambiguous attitude. Some consider such additives almost a panacea for all ills, while others refer to them as "dummy", which are designed to extract money from a gullible buyer.
But in fact everything is a bit more complicated, and this black and white picture about the dangers of dietary supplements and their benefit it's time to dilute with other shades.
- Myth 1. Dietary supplements — these are regular vitamins
- Myth 2. Dietary supplements — these are medicines
- Myth 3. Dietary supplements help disease prevention
- Myth 4. «The harm of dietary supplements is too exaggerated — it is not drug»
- Myth 5. Dietary supplements are most useful for children
Myth 1. Dietary supplements — these are regular vitamins
The composition of dietary supplements can include a wide variety of substances — from extracts of medicinal plants, to animal proteins derived from bovine blood. In including vitamins and mineral components. But this does not make dietary supplements vitamin preparations, since each name and each brand has its own specialization: increasing immunity, improving the quality of hair and nails, maintaining tone or another direction.The composition of dietary supplements can be unbalanced and by using such means, you compensate for the deficiency of some substances, while completely ignoring the body's need for ten others.
Myth 2. Dietary supplements — these are medicines
This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions, since these products have nothing to do pharmaceuticals. The difference between these two categories is very significant: drugs undergo mandatory clinical trials, during which the effect of active and excipients on the human body is clarified. The only test that dietary supplements pass — a study on the content of substances that are included in the directories as toxic and radioactive.
And if they are not found — this tool is allowed for sale through a pharmacy chain or stores. At the same time, no one can say what side effects can be when taking the supplement, and really its composition includes all the components stated in instructions.
This is only half a myth, as well-chosen and high-quality supplements from well-known brands that carefully monitor their reputation can really be useful. They allow you to compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals, improve the absorption of nutrients from food, and increase the body's defenses through other mechanisms.
By themselves they — not a panacea. But in complex with other preventive measures, high-quality dietary supplements can really prevent a number of diseases. But if the state of health is already impaired, alas, but bioactive supplements will be powerless.
Read also: Do Do You Really Need Vitamin Supplements?
Myth 4. «The harm of dietary supplements is too exaggerated — it is not drug»This myth has its origins, paradoxically, in the high awareness of people taking dietary supplements. Knowing that bioactive supplements are not drugs, they can be frivolous about the correct dosage or frequency of administration. And, for example, instead of one capsule twice a day, they take three capsules four times a day, because, firstly, "dietary supplements are safe", and secondly, "so they will work faster."
Among the truly harmless (and useless) components in dietary supplements may be potentially hazardous substances.
For example, fat-soluble vitamins, which tend to accumulate in the body, and when their allowable dose is exceeded, can act as highly toxic compounds. Therefore, you should not treat such supplements irresponsibly, and you must take them exactly in the dosage indicated by the manufacturer.
Read also: About Important: Key Nutrient Rules
Myth 5. Dietary supplements are most useful for childrenAnother dangerous myth based on non-medicinal origins of supplements. Dietary supplements look safe for children's health, as they are opposed to "dangerous" vaccines, "terrible" antibiotics and other drugs recommended for the prevention and treatment of a number of diseases. The Internet and the media are full of fictitious stories about the consequences of drug treatment or present unverified and distorted information.
Against this background, dietary supplements can seem like a real salvation, and parents are happy to buy these products for their children. But it is important to remember about predominantly natural origin of additives, and this means that any plant extract or animal protein molecule can act as an allergen and lead to severe consequences.
This is especially true for children under 14 years of age, whose immune system has not yet been fully formed and is capable of reacting in the most unpredictable way. Therefore, it does not matter whether you trust "official" drugs or not — consult a doctor who will advise you on suitable supplements for your child, which are already relatively well tested in practice.
Read also: Biologically active supplements: for whom it is useful and how to choose
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