Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplements Report
Laura S. Carlton
SCI/241
05/11/2013
Carlene Graham PhD.

Summary
Dietary Supplements come in different forms and have been used for years for a variety of reasons, from just wanting to fill in what you were lacking in your diet to trying to cure an ailment. Some may have benefits to taking them when taken properly, but there is risk in taking them if you are not careful. You should only take supplements under the supervision of your physician. They are to use with your diet to help you attain the amount of nutrition you desire. There are steps that you can take to make sure that the supplement is safe for you to take.

Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are minerals, vitamins, herbs, enzymes, amino acids, or other plants that you eat or drink to supplement your dietary nutritional needs. They come in different forms such as pills, capsule, tablets, liquids, and powders. Whether they come in pill form or any other form they can have a strong effect on the body. They are meant to be taken in addition to a well- balanced diet so that you can make sure that you are not lacking in any of the nutrients that your body needs to maintain good health. Dietary supplements are not to be taken as a meal or in place of a meal. They are widely available in the United States, in just about any grocery store, some convenience stores, online, mail order, dollar stores and nutrition stores (Nelson, 2010).
The Use of Supplements
Dietary supplements have been used for many years to prevent illnesses, cure infections, heal wounds, relieve constipation, or reduce fever. There are some herbal medicines that even help for inflammation and pain. People will often use them to cure a disease or to help with the symptoms of a disease ("Medline: Vitamin Supplements", 2013). There are vitamins such as D, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Some of the minerals include calcium, zinc, and iron. Herbs are substances such as Echinacea and garlic. There are also specialty...