Dietary supplements are products aimed at enhancing the effects of nutrients in one’s diet. These can be in the form of vitamin or mineral supplements or multi-vitamin and fortified supplements and are available in various forms such as powders, pills, capsules etc. Dietary supplements are meant to complement the nutrient value of natural foods. Thus, the key point to remember is that fruits, vegetables and other food products ought to be consumed in a normal way for complementary benefits of the two. Some of the common ways in which food supplements are beneficial are as follows:

1. Helps to overcome deficiencies:Food supplements are enriched with certain minerals and micronutrients that help to overcome specific deficiencies. For example, iron fortified dietary supplements aid in fighting iron deficiencies. These iron enriched supplements if had in conjunction with iron rich foods, can help win the battle of iron shortage in the body, over a period of time.

2. Provides wholesome nutrition: Dietary supplements are especially beneficial to those who do not eat one or more of the food groups in the food pyramid out of carbohydrates, fats, sugars, milk and dairy products, fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses. Every human body needs a complete dose of the foods in the food pyramid. If these are not taken in the diet, dietary supplements are the best ways to provide those necessary dosages.

3. Takes care of gastric issues: Those suffering from indigestion, gastritis, post- gastric surgery trauma and similar issues are sometimes put on dietary supplements to provide the complete set of essential minerals and vitamins to the body. Many doctors recommend and prescribe these supplement powders and pills to make up for the incapacity of nutrient digestion and good absorption by the digestive tract or body.

4. Keeps daily calories requirement in check: Dietary supplements work exceptionally well for those men and women who are unable to keep up with the daily calorie intake through normal foods. This could be due to a number of reasons like health issues, post-surgery complications, food habits, allergies, lifestyle changes etc. Supplements are recommended to those men whose daily calorie intake is less than 2,600 approximately and women whose daily intake is less than 2,000 approximately. In order to reach the nutrition goals, people with calorie imbalance succumb to dietary supplements.

5. Special requirements for pregnant women and older adults: Pregnancy and ageing cause metabolic and hormonal changes in the body. The changes are drastic and food intake gets affected. In order to match up with the required daily dose, pregnant women are prescribed folic acid, iron, multi-vitamin and other food supplements, while older people are prescribed vitamin and mineral fortified powders to complement their daily dose of nutrients.

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