Can Dietary Supplements Prevent Illness? Here’s What You Need to Know

Have you been worried about your health lately? If your answer is yes, you may have wondered already if it is worth it to regularly take nutritional supplements that contain vitamins or minerals, or a combination of both.

An approximation presented that over 50 percent of Americans are taking one or more dietary supplements each day, or occasionally. 

Research also showed that pills are widely consumed in Europe, as well. Essentially, based on an estimate, the dietary supplement market costs more than $14 billion in 2018, even though the study has suggested that consumption may differ extensively based on the country of its availability.

Therefore, it is essential to know the possibility of putting oneself to danger by consuming a high dosage. It is important to know, too, the health benefits of consuming supplements regularly.

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Healthy Diet First

Adding supplements, health experts said, does not apply to everyone. It makes sense though, for some, experts continued, like pregnant women, the elderly, breastfeeding infants, and those who have certain health conditions that may impact the absorption of nutrients, possibly leading to nutritional shortages.

In fact, alleviating deficiencies in nutrition is where dietary supplements are best consumed. This was according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Deputy Director Craig Hopp.

Meanwhile, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Melissa Majumdar said, "Anytime a person lacks major food groups," the first question is if the lack of nutrients with food can be targeted.

However, health research indicated, there is a difference between taking dietary supplements as "nutritional insurance" if a person's diet is "low in one or more nutrients" against consuming it in the hopes of averting illness.

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Not a Substitute for Healthy Diet

Health professionals claimed that even if an individual pops a pill to increase his calcium intake or Vitamin C merely, it cannot be considered an alternative to a healthy diet.

Nutrition experts explained that "Eating a healthy diet" may do far more for an individual than any dietary supplement he can take, and yet, there is a whole sector that's based on selling the public all types of supplements.

When one is to look at health results, no single supplement is likely to impact a completely healthy diet when it comes to either invulnerability or lingering illness.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Lisa Young said, "Fruits and vegetables fiber and phytochemicals" that when one pops a pill, he will never get similar results.

Health experts are apprehensive about "high doses of nutrients" as they can lead to "a false sense of promise. They added that frequently, one would feel he wouldn't necessarily need to focus on getting such nutrients from their everyday diet.

Relative to fruits and vegetables, Hopp added, a diet high in both of these comprises a lot of vitamins and minerals. More so, he explained, "It is epidemiologically linked to a reduced occurrence of an entire host of chronic disease.

However, the health expert elaborated that they have not seen that individuals can depend on dietary supplements as a pathway to achieving good health. They are "dietary supplements, but not substitutes," he emphasized.

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