Dietary supplement
Template:TOC-right Dietary supplements are supplements used to restore or maintain health when the diet does not meet the needs of an individual. In some cases, there is strong evidence for their use, although conventional foods, such as milk, may routinely be supplemented with, for example, vitamin D. Persons at risk for osteoporosis must be sure they have adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, with supplements as necessary.
Substances marketed as dietary supplements, however, may not have undergone safety and efficacy testing.
Vitamin supplements
There are recommended daily requirement (MDR) of many vitamins, but these are agreed to be minimum requirements. Mild supplementation, as, for example, a daily moderate-strength multivitamin, is widely accepted as potentially beneficial. A dose of a vitamin that greatly exceeds the MDR may be called a megadose, or a pharmacologic dose.
High-dose vitamins
Pharmacologic doses of vitamins are used in conventional medicine, but should be used with the care used for more mainstream drugs. For example, niacin in pharmacologic doses can be an effective treatment for some dyslipedimias, or disorders of fat and cholesterol metabolism. It is available without a prescription. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too manySuch doses of niacin, however, have other physiologic effects. It is extremely common to experience skin flushing, which some patients regard as intolerable burning, shortly after taking a large oral dose of niacin. There are ways to reduce the flushing. Pharmacologic doses of niacin, however, also requires blood chemistry monitoring, as it can increase blood sugar levels, and rarely can damage cause hepatotoxicity (i.e., liver damages), muscle tissue breakdown (i.e., myolysis) or cause serious skin disease.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
Health policy considerations
Some specific supplementation has even been required by governments, although not always in a completely rational manner. For example, folic acid deficiency is strongly correlated with neural tube birth defects. There is general acceptance that all women, who might become pregnant, must ensure they have adequate folic acid intake. The U.S. requires that it be added to commercial baked goods, but, since woman does not live by bread alone, folic acid in uneaten bread benefits no one.
Although it is not standard practice, some researchers suggest widespread vitamin use may drastically cut public health spendings.[1] [2]
Mineral supplementation
- osteoporosis
- trace elements
Other supplements
References
- ↑ Bendich A, Mallick R, Leader S (May 1997). "Potential health economic benefits of vitamin supplementation". West. J. Med. 166 (5): 306–12. PMID 9217432. PMC 1304226. [e]
- ↑ Ames BN (November 2006). "Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (47): 17589–94. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0608757103. PMID 17101959. PMC 1693790. Research Blogging.