Health Matters
MARKETING AFRICA
Health Matters
Kepha Nyanumba
Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know
The use of dietary supplements to improve health dates back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, and Indians used herbs, minerals, roots, and plant extracts to manage illnesses and maintain wellbeing.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, scientists began identifying the relationship between nutrients and diseases. Deficiency diseases such as scurvy, rickets, pellagra, and beriberi helped researchers understand the importance of vitamins and minerals in human health. Vitamin C deficiency was linked to scurvy among sailors, while lack of vitamin D caused rickets in children.
These discoveries led to the production of purified vitamins and mineral preparations to prevent and treat nutrient deficiencies. In the twentieth century, the supplement industry expanded rapidly due to scientific advances, industrialization, urbanization, and growing public interest in health promotion.
What Are Dietary Supplements? Dietary supplements are products taken to 80 MAL72 / 26 ISSUE supplement the diet by providing vitamins, minerals or other nutrients that may be lacking in the body. Supplements are available in different forms such as tablets, capsules, powders, liquids, and soft gels. Common examples include vitamin C tablets, iron supplements, calcium tablets, omega-3 capsules and multivitamins. Their role is to help people who may have increased nutritional needs, nutrient deficiencies, or medical conditions affecting nutrient intake or absorption.
Dietary supplements should not replace a healthy diet. The body requires nutrients from balanced meals containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Many people use supplements without understanding their proper role, risks or limitations. As a result, misuse of supplements has become a growing public health concern.
Misconceptions about Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements have become increasingly popular across the world as many people search for quick and convenient ways to improve their health. Supermarkets, pharmacies, online stores, gyms, and social media platforms are filled with supplements claiming to boost immunity, increase energy, improve skin appearance, build muscles, enhance weight loss, and preventdiseases.
Although taking the right dietary supplements, when necessary, can help provide the body with important nutrients, many misconceptions about supplements still exist. Below are some of the myths you should know about dietary supplements.
You Cannot Overdose on Vitamins
Many people believe that vitamins are always safe because most supplements are made from natural sources and can be bought without a prescription. However, taking excessive amounts of certain nutrients can be harmful because the body may not be able to excrete the extra nutrients effectively. This may lead to toxicity and increase the risk of health problems. For example, too much vitamin A may damage the liver and cause birth defects during pregnancy, excess vitamin B6 may lead to nerve damage, while high amounts of vitamin C may cause diarrhea and stomach cramps.