Introduction to Dietary Supplements
There are significant differences between dietary supplements, and sports supplements. Sports supplements are designed to enhance physical performance in one way or another, either through superior recuperation and rebuilding of damaged muscles, or by promoting better energy delivery to muscle cells during effort or training.
Dietary supplements, on the other hands, are designed to supplement a regular normal diet, with the goal of bringing to the body acceptable levels of all essential nutrients. They will not enhance sports performance, for example, but may allow the body to maintain itself at a normal level, depending on age, fitness and level of activity.
Depending in which category they are, dietary supplements can contain vitamins, minerals, botanicals or other substances. In terms of marketing, supplements are not allowed to make specific claims as to how they may cure or prevent a disease, but are rather allowed to make general statements as to their benefits – for example, “Calcium is essential to bone and dental health”, or “Glucosamine may help maintain healthy joints”.
Use of Dietary Supplements – They are used to ensure that the body gets all the essential nutrients it needs and that it may not be getting in its normal diet. For example, people need more calcium as they grow older, as calcium is essential to maintaining good bone health. Calcium supplements are often prescribed to older people to delay the onset or mitigate the progression of osteoporosis. Many professionals and supplement manufacturers also claim that Vitamin C is helpful in boosting the immune system, as well as being a powerful antioxidant.






