There are many health supplements on the market today. The most popular ones are vitamins, minerals, appetite suppressants, amino acids, herbal extracts, and prebiotics. The supplements sale and distribution are only subject to strict federal laws, and any suspicious sales are reported to them.
Description
A health supplement is usually a manufactured entity intended to augment one’s nutritional diet by taking an oral pill, capsule, powder, or other liquid. An oral substance may provide essential nutrients either directly from food resources or artificially synthesized to increase the intake amount. Common ingredients in such substances include minerals, herbs, amino acids, vitamins, and herb extracts. Common synthetic ingredients for health supplements are artificial flavors, colors, or texturizing agents.
Formulation Processes
The form of health supplements varies depending on the purpose of the supplement. Most commonly, they are composed of a single ingredient that has a varied molecular structure that enables absorption and delivery of the nutrient. The common components of dietary supplement tablets are antioxidant compounds, probiotics (organisms that promote health), and vitamin or mineral substances.
Formulation Technique
The different methods of formulation of health supplements usually use two or more processes. The first technique involves converting the nutrients to an inactive form called non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). The second technique uses the heating of magnesium or tin ions to convert them to NEFA. Active ingredients in health supplements are sometimes also formed from the oxidation of enzymes or peptides by heat.
Biological Response
Health supplements are considered dietary supplements because they aid in the biochemical processes by which food is converted into energy. The various nutrients that health supplements contain can be classified into three main categories as primary nutrients, secondary nutrients, and nutritional vitamins and minerals. The inclusion of vitamins and minerals enhances the major biological response of health supplements.
Forms
Some dietary supplements contain only a single element, such as magnesium. Other supplements combine different elements in precise proportions, such as calcium and magnesium or potassium and magnesium. You must know how magnesium affects your body before you decide to consume it. If you have a problem with hyperactive or nervous systems, you should refrain from consuming magnesium because it can worsen these symptoms. Also, if you suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure, calcium should be taken along with magnesium.
Health supplements can be used to replace the daily intake of vitamins and other nutritional substances. This is particularly important for people who have certain health conditions since sometimes it is not possible for them to eat the required foods.