What Are Dietary Supplements Used For?

People worldwide use dietary supplements to improve health and prevent disease. Dietary supplements may contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids and other nutritional substances. The USDA says you should first derive your nutritional needs from nutrient-dense foods, and that supplements may be used to increase your intake of a specific vitamin or mineral. Consult your doctor or nutritionist about your health, diet and use of supplements.

Increased Intake of Nutrients

Certain diets, such as a vegan diet, may be deficient in specific nutrients. Taking dietary supplements can help you obtain the nutrient that is missing or deficient in the foods you eat. Vegans do not consume animal products, which are the primary source for vitamin B-12, a nutrient that is involved with a healthy nervous system and production of red blood cells.

Increased Bioavailability

Aging, alcoholism, smoking and other conditions can affect the bioavailability of vitamins. Bioavailability is the rate at which your body is able to absorb and use the vitamin. Consuming dietary supplements can enhance your nutritional intake of vitamins if you lose your ability to digest and absorb certain nutrients from foods as you age or if you drink excessive amounts of alcohol or if you smoke. Research by scientists at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Zeist, The Netherlands and published in the "International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research" in 2002 reports that excessive alcohol consumption increases your risk of malabsorption of vitamins, and smoking causes inactivation of vitamins, especially vitamins B-12 and C, folate and beta carotene.

Prevention

You can use dietary supplements to prevent or reduce the risk of certain medical conditions. Consuming calcium may help you to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a condition characterized by loss of bone and increased susceptibility to fractures. Although the best way to obtain calcium is by eating dairy, nuts and other foods that contain high amounts of the mineral, taking calcium supplements can provide sufficient amounts if you do not consume enough from foods. Post menopausal women require higher amounts of the vitamin and are at increased risk of osteoporosis, particularly if they consume large amounts of alcohol, caffeine or soda or take corticosteroid medications.

Treatment

You can also use dietary supplements to treat a certain medical condition. If you have high cholesterol levels, you may benefit from taking niacin, a form of vitamin B-3 that increases HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol. However, you may experience side effects that include flushing or excessive redness of your facial skin.