Supplement makers saw their sales grow rapidly during the 2000s. According to a 2008 survey in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," nearly 50 percent of older adults regularly use dietary aids. People enjoy the reduced expense and greater freedom of nutritional supplements, but these benefits might come at a cost. Over-the-counter hormones and herbs remain largely unregulated, and they can cause allergic reactions. Consult a doctor before taking any supplement.
Supplements Facilitate Cancer Recovery
Liver problems affect at least 12 percent of the population, according to a 2011 survey in "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology." These problems can become cancerous and require extensive surgery. Doctors have used branched-chain amino acids to improve liver health. A clinical trial described in the 2010 edition of the "Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology" tested whether this over-the-counter supplement would facilitate healing after liver surgery. Cancer patients received the amino acids or no treatment for a year. Relative to controls, patients given the supplement had a greater event-free survival rate. They also showed better liver function and had higher life quality scores. Supplement use did not cause liver toxicity or side effects.
Supplements Improve Cognitive Performance
The prevalence of age-related dementia and cognitive impairment continues to decline. According to a 2005 review in "Advances in Gerontology," the use of dietary aids might have contributed to this decrease. Many supplements, such as ginkgo biloba, improve cognitive performance and protect the brain. An analysis published in the 2010 edition of "Pharmacopsychiatry" looked at the effectiveness of ginkgo in patients with dementia. The authors reviewed six large-scale investigations testing this herb. In these studies, older women and men received the ginkgo or a placebo for six months. The clinical trials consistently showed small -- but significant -- cognitive benefits resulting from ginkgo use. This over-the-counter supplement also appears to be safe for older people to take.
Supplements Enhance Sexual Health
Sexual dysfunction -- female and male -- remains a common problem in U.S. society. According to a 2008 review in the "Journal of Sexual Medicine," medical advances offer many solutions to this difficult issue. Dietary aids such as the amino acid arginine appear to be useful in treating sexual dysfunction. An experiment reported in the 2006 edition of the "Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy" tested the effectiveness of an arginine-based product. The supplement also contained multivitamins, minerals, damiana, ginseng and ginkgo. Younger and older women received the alleged sexual enhancer or an inert treatment -- a placebo -- for a month. The treatment enhanced sexual desire in women of all ages who received the enhancer and did not cause side effects.
Supplements Lower Blood Sugar
Diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic. It affects 11 percent of the population, according to a 2011 review in "Ethnicity and Disease." You can often manage the symptoms of diabetes with a carefully controlled diet. Adding natural products to your diet, such as minerals and spices, can lower blood sugar. A study in the 2011 edition of the "American Journal of Translational Research" looked at the effect of combining these two types of supplements. Healthy adults received either a multi-ingredient pill or a placebo before consuming a meal. The pill contained cinnamon, chromium and zinc. Those who received the supplement combo showed lowered blood sugar by at least 35 percent. The authors did not observe any allergic reactions to the supplement.
References
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; "Use of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications and Dietary Supplements Among Older Adults in the United States"; Dima Qato et al; 2008
- "Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology"; "Changes in the Prevalence of the Most Common Causes of Chronic Liver Diseases in the United States from 1988 to 2008"; Zobair Younossi et al; March 25, 2011
- "Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology"; "Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acid-Enriched Nutrient for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Radiofrequency Ablation"; Hidekatsu Kuroda et al; September 2010
- "Advances in Gerontology"; "Declining Prevalence of Dementia in the U.S. Elderly Population"; Kenneth Manton et al; 2005
- "Pharmacopsychiatry"; "Effectiveness of Standardized Ginkgo Biloba Extract on Cognitive Symptoms of Dementia with a Six-Month Treatment"; B.S. Wang et al; 2010
- "Journal of Sexual Medicine"; "Epidemiology of Sexual Dysfunctions"; Leonard DeRogatis and Arthur Burnett; February 2008
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