Both vitamins and supplements are taken by people to boost their nutrient intake or fill a nutrient deficit in their diet. However, these types of medicines are firstly, not often over-the-counter drugs and secondly they do not need to be FDA-approved. This therefore creates confusion among many people and restricts them from using these products to their full potential.
Here’s how you can set vitamins and supplements apart.
Definition
Vitamins are characterized by a natural substance which can be found in foods and can help your body regain the health you need. On the other hand, supplements have one or more ingredients. This is why you can call vitamins as a type of supplement.
Function
It should be noted that vitamins are naturally occurring nutrients that our bodies are unable to synthesize on our own. Meanwhile, supplements act more like a “top-up” to your body’s nutrition. It is not meant to replace your source of nutrients.
Ingredients
There are only 13 types of vitamins essential to the human diet. Once a vitamin is combined with another nutrient, it becomes a supplement. That nutrient can range from vitamins and amino acids to probiotics, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Effectiveness
There is no solid evidence that these type of medications work 100%. Vitamins and supplements are both categorized as dietary supplements by the FDA and, therefore, not highly inspected as other medicines are. Customers must take proper care when shopping for supplements with scarce scientific evidence and get convinced by advertisements making huge claims that are too good to be true.
Risks
Both vitamins and supplements have their own benefits. However, it is important that you don’t overdo it, as taking too much or too little can cause problems. For example, excessive calcium can cause kidney problems and hypercalcemia while calcium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
People with certain health conditions need to consult their doctors first before they take any kind of vitamin or supplement. The list also includes those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or will undergo surgery. This is because some supplements might interfere with their medications’ effectiveness or even side effects to the patient.
Consult your General Practitioner before taking any vitamins or supplements. Book with our Doctors Care Clinic GPs in Boronia and get longer consultation time and highly personalised approach.