Diet supplements are nutritional supplements promoted to help you burn fat, lose weight or provide nutrients above what you may be able to obtain from foods to help you manage your health. Supplements may contain a mixture of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other biochemical ingredients. Supplements have beneficial effects, side effects and, in some cases, harmful effects.
Beneficial Effects
Diet supplements are not intended to substitute the essential nutrients you need from whole foods, but they may help you boost your nutritional health if you don't eat a healthy diet or have certain health conditions. Carnitine, a substance in your body that converts fat into energy, is an ingredient in some diet supplements. Research by Sharon A. Center, DVM, published in the "Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine" in 2000, found that orally administered carnitine increases weight reduction by 20 percent in obese cats.
Side Effects
Supplements may cause side effects in some people. Research by Mary E. Palmer, M.D., published in "Lancet" in 2003, reviewed the records of over 2300 phone calls to 11 poison centers in the United States about negative effects from ingesting dietary supplements. The research discovered that a third of the events were greater than mild in severity and included bleeding, liver failure, seizures, heart attack and death. Increased symptom severity was associated with the use of several ingredients, although the ingredients responsible for the adverse reactions were not specifically identified. About 28 percent of these cases were due to taking supplements for treatment of disease. Research by Babgaleh Timbo, M.D., published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" in 2006, found that 4 percent of total supplement users experience an adverse event and that over 13 percent of these events are attributed to multivitamin and mineral supplements.
Harmful Effects
You may experience harmful effects from supplements, particularly if you take an excessive dosage or use them concurrently with prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Research by Rekha Cheruvattath, M.D., published in "Liver Transplantation" in 2006, reports a case of a 60-year-old male with severe liver disease as a result of taking large doses of vitamin A. The American Council on Science and Health says that you may be at risk for drug-supplement interactions if you take both medicine and supplements. These risks are greater for older adults because of physiological changes due to aging and increased use of both drugs and supplements. Vitamin E, calcium, zinc, melatonin and herbs -- such as St. John's wort, ginkgo biloba, kava and licorice -- are some of the supplements that are most reported to interact with drugs. Supplements may affect the absorption, metabolism and mechanism of action of the drug and vice versa. Talk with your doctor about taking supplements if you are prescribed any medications.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Supplements: Nutrition in a Pill?
- PubMed.gov: The Clinical and Metabolic Effects of Rapid Weight Loss in Obese Pet Cats and the Influence of Supplemental Oral L-Carnitine
- PubMed.gov: Adverse Events Associated with Dietary Supplements: An Observational Study
- PubMed.gov: Dietary Supplements in a National Survey: Prevalence of Use and Reports of Adverse Events
- PubMed.gov: Vitamin A Toxicity: When One a Day Doesn't Keep the Doctor Away
- American Council on Science and Health: What's the Story? Drug-Supplement Interaction
Member Comments