Some pills help our bodies.
They add good things to our food. These things can come from plants or fish. They can be small pills or liquids. They help us stay well.
Do you take vitamins?
Some pills add good things to our food.
These things are called supplements. They can be small pills or liquids. They can also be powders.
Some parts come from plants. Other parts come from fish or even chickens. They can provide things like vitamins or minerals.
Many people use them to stay well. Some people take them every day. It is a way to help the body.
A dietary supplement is a product made to help your diet.
People take them in many ways. You might take a pill, a capsule, or a tablet. They can also be a powder or a liquid.
These products provide nutrients. Nutrients are things our bodies need to stay healthy. Supplements can contain vitamins or minerals. They can also have amino acids, which are parts of protein. Some ingredients come from food. Others are made in a lab. Some parts come from animals, like collagen from fish.
In the United States, many people use them. Multivitamins are the most common type. About 60% of American adults take them. Rules say companies cannot claim a supplement treats a disease. They can only say it helps a body part. For example, a label might say it "helps maintain healthy joints." This is different from medicine. Companies must make sure their products are safe. The FDA is a group that watches these rules. They make sure products are not dangerous.
A dietary supplement is a product made to help a person's diet.
These products come in many different forms. You might find them as a pill, a capsule, or a tablet. They can also be a powder or a liquid.
Supplements provide nutrients to the body. These nutrients can be taken directly from food sources. Sometimes, they are synthesized, which means they are made to increase how much a person eats. They can also include things like plant pigments. Some ingredients even come from animals, such as collagen from fish or chickens.
There are many ways these products work to provide nutrition. One way is to extract specific parts from plants or animals. Another way is to create synthetic copies of things found in nature. For example, melatonin is a synthetic copy of a natural substance. Supplements can contain vitamins, which are organic compounds needed in small amounts. They can also contain minerals, which are essential chemical elements. Some supplements even include live microorganisms called probiotics.
These different ingredients work together to help the body get what it needs.
Rules for these products have changed over time through laws. In the United States, a big law called DSHEA was passed in 1994. This law defines what a dietary supplement is. It says they are intended to add to a diet rather than replace a meal. These products are treated as food rather than drugs. In the European Union, the European Commission makes rules to keep supplements safe. They ensure that labels are correct and easy to understand. These laws help people know exactly what they are eating.
Many people in the United States use these products every day. The supplement industry in the U.S. was worth about $151.9 billion in 2021. There are more than 95,000 different supplement products on the market there. About 60% of American adults use them. Among people over age 60, that number rises to 74%. Multivitamins are the most common type of supplement used.
Some minerals like calcium are even linked to bone health in specific studies.
It is helpful to think of supplements as a way to fill gaps. If someone does not eat a wide variety of foods, they might miss certain nutrients. For instance, humans need thirteen different vitamins to stay healthy. Some people use protein powders to help their muscles after exercise. Others might use minerals like iron or zinc. However, supplements are not the same as medicine. In the U.S., companies cannot claim a supplement treats or cures a disease. They can only say it helps a body part, like healthy joints.
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product designed to add to a person's diet.
These products can take many forms, such as pills, capsules, tablets, powders, or liquids.
They provide various nutrients to the body through different methods. Some ingredients are extracted directly from food sources like plants or animals. For example, collagen can be extracted from fish or chickens.
Other ingredients are synthesized, which means they are manufactured to increase the amount a person consumes. Some supplements even contain synthetic copies of natural substances, such as melatonin. While many supplements contain nutrients, others include substances like plant pigments or polyphenols. These are not always essential to life, but they may have beneficial biological effects.
Supplements are categorized by the types of nutrient compounds they contain. Vitamins are organic compounds that an organism needs in limited amounts to survive. A substance is called a vitamin if the body cannot make enough of it on its own. For instance, humans require thirteen different vitamins, such as Vitamin C or Vitamin D. Some vitamins, known as vitamers, actually belong to groups of related molecules. Minerals are different because they are essential chemical elements. While elements like carbon and oxygen are found in all food, other minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium are provided through supplements.
Other common ingredients include amino acids, fatty acids, and even live microorganisms called probiotics.
Proteins and amino acids are frequently used in specific types of supplements. Many products are sold as powders to be mixed into water or as ready-to-drink liquids. These are often used by athletes to increase muscle size or performance. They are also used by people recovering from injury or illness. Some people use protein supplements to help prevent muscle loss during weight loss. Popular ingredients for these products include whey, casein, soy, pea, hemp, or rice protein. Research has shown that whey protein can be a safe and effective way to help athletes with training and recovery.
In the United States, the legal definition of a supplement is very specific. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, known as DSHEA, created these rules. Under DSHEA, supplements are classified as food rather than drugs. This means they must be intended for ingestion and cannot be used as a replacement for a whole meal. They also cannot be used as nasal sprays or topical lotions applied to the skin. Most importantly, a dietary supplement cannot be approved or authorized as a new drug or antibiotic. If a product was not already being sold as a food or supplement, it cannot be categorized this way.
Because they are treated as food, the regulations for supplements differ from medicine. In the U.S., manufacturers do not need government approval to sell a supplement. Instead, the manufacturer is responsible for confirming that the product is safe. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only steps in to remove a product if it is found to be unsafe. In Europe, the European Commission has created harmonized rules to ensure supplements are safe and labeled correctly. These rules help maintain consistency across the European Union.
There are strict rules regarding what companies can say about their products. In the United States, it is illegal for manufacturers to claim a supplement can prevent or treat a disease. They are only allowed to use "Structure/Function" wording if they have scientific evidence. This allows them to say a product "helps maintain healthy joints." However, the label must include a disclaimer stating the FDA has not evaluated the claim. The label must also state that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The supplement industry is a massive global market. In 2021, the industry in the United States was valued at approximately $151.9 billion. There are more than 95,000 different supplement products marketed in the U.S. alone. Usage is very common, with about 60% of the American adult population consuming supplements. This number is even higher among older adults, reaching 74% for those over age 60. Multivitamins are the most frequently used type of supplement.
While the National Institutes of Health suggests supplements can help those with limited dietary variety, they are not a substitute for a healthy diet.
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