Should You Be taking Dietary Supplements?

Some of the popular dietary supplements have been around for years, while some like cocoa flavanol products are relatively new in the consumer market. Most people are already familiar with multivitamins, oils, and herb-based supplements. But thanks to advancements in food processing technology, scientists have been able to extract unfamiliar supplements such as peptides and cannabidiol supplements.

What this means is that there are now more choices on the store shelves for dietary supplements consumers. This begs the question, why are so many people into nutritional supplements? What are they really for, and how can you benefit from taking supplements?

Well, this is a hard nut to crack; it depends on where you stand and the results you’re hoping to achieve. However, it would help to understand all this if you learned some of the main reasons why most people take these supplements.       

Enrich Nutrient Intake

The nutritional value in some modern food products, especially in the developed world, is questionable and sometimes misrepresented. With GMOs, lab-made foods, and the scarcity of organic produce in the food market, many people are concerned about nutrient deficiencies in the food they consume. This issue is further driven by the popular modern lifestyle of consuming highly processed foods and sticking to unhealthy feeding routines.

Some dietary supplements contain high concentrations of specific food nutrients, essential minerals, or vitamins. Those who worry about lacking certain valuable nutrients often end up using nutritional supplements to balance their diets by substituting the missing ingredients. In fact, doctors sometimes recommend supplements to patients struggling with eating disorders and malnutrition.

Improve Physical Health

Some dietary supplements are aimed at improving specific aspects of the consumer’s physical health. For instance, fitness enthusiasts and athletes take some types of nutritional supplements to boost their physical vigor and performance, and to cut down on recovery time after physical exercise or injuries.

Although supplements are not an alternative to conventional medicine, the FDA approves some of them as part of treatment for specific conditions. For instance, flavanol supplements are known to improve cardiovascular health, especially in hypertension patients by relaxing the inner walls of blood vessels, thereby relieving pressure on the heart and the entire circulatory system. Some studies have shown that flavanol also lower the chances of heart attacks and strokes in high-risk patients.

Keep in mind, however, that the health benefits depend on the specific supplement in question. And even similar supplements can have varying results in different individuals. 

Promote Mental and Emotional Wellness

Some people take dietary supplements as a way to relieve mental and emotional stress. The link between certain supplements and stress levels depends on how the body reacts to the chemicals in the supplements. Some of these chemicals trigger the body to produce particular hormones that promote a somewhat elated felling.

Some supplements such as those rich in omega-3, vitamin B12, flavanols, and magnesium can also improve brain activities, cognitive abilities, memory, and spatial awareness, making them helpful in combating conditions such as dementia and learning disorders.  

So, Should You Take Supplements?

If you have a good reason to take supplements – maybe to enrich your diet, try to lose weight, or improve your health, then, by all means, go ahead. Dietary supplements, like drugs and food products, are heavily monitored and regulated by industrial authorities and the FDA; so, you don’t have to worry about safety. However, exercise caution when trying new products or brands, and always take every product as recommended by the manufacturer or doctor.