Nutritional supplements

Nutritional supplements refer to the various foods or additives that may be used, in order to increase the intake of essential nutrients like vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids (fat), and fiber. Such dietary supplements may be required mainly by people who do not get sufficient quantities of such nutrients, from their regular diet. The main idea of consuming nutritional supplements is to compensate for the lack of nutrition, because of following an unhealthy or inadequate diet. It has become a very common occurrence for people to skip meals or make do with instant foods or junk food. Skipping meals usually deprives your body of the energy and nutrition that is required to meet the day to day challenges you need to face.

Following a diet that consists mainly of junk food may add high amounts of fat, calories, sodium and sugar to your body; however, the main nutrients that are essential for the functioning of the various organs in the body are missing. At times, even though people do take the time to cook vegetables or meats that are supposed to be healthy, their methods of cooking ensure that the vegetables are left with minimal amounts of nutrition.

In such cases, a doctor or a health expert may recommend that you go in for a multivitamin tablet or any other forms of nutritional supplements. Most dietary supplements can easily be purchased from a pharmacy as well as stores that sell health food and products. You may see that you have a wide variety to choose from, as there are liquid nutritional supplements, powder supplements, as well as supplements in the capsule or pill form. In some cases, you may also see protein bars and puddings, which are nothing but foods that contain supplements that are high in protein. Liquid nutritional supplements are usually added to milkshakes and are more suitable for children, elderly people or those who are on a liquid diet. Some liquid nutritional supplements can also be found in the form of flavored milk, which is especially high in protein, as well as fruit juices, which have had additional nutrients added to them. Unfortunately, sometimes the good taste of such liquid supplements, can lead to an over consumption of them, thereby causing some serious problems, especially in children. Supplements in the form of pills and capsules are more apt for working adults and senior citizens as they can be easily added to the regular diet regime.

Bodybuilding supplements

People who are trying to lose weight can also make use of special supplements that are designed to help in the weight loss process. Similarly, there are several forms of bodybuilding supplements that are usually recommended for men and women, who are working out and undergoing weight training, with the objective of increasing their muscle mass. At a gym, it is quite a regular sight to see such bodybuilders consume nutritional supplement drinks, which are mainly protein based, to help them add to the tissues of their muscles.

In some countries, nutritional supplements are regarded as foods, while in others they are considered natural health products or drugs. It is important to get as much nutritional supplements information as possible, before you decide to use any. This is because at times these nutritional supplements may contain very high doses of certain nutrients. Consumption of doses that are higher than what is recommended could cause a lot more harm to your body, than the deficiency of the nutrients can. Therefore, read the labels carefully and compare them to how much of a particular nutrient you need to take every day. Such information can be obtained from a doctor, or a dietitian.

Submitted on January 16, 2014