Dietary supplements: myths and reality

MYTH 1: "Dietary supplement is medicine"

– Alexey, what is dietary supplement: medicine or, nevertheless dietary supplement to food?

– In Russia, as well as in the majority of other countries, the legislation carries the dietary supplements (DS) to food. Unlike medicines of additive are not used for diagnostics and treatment of diseases, and promote maintenance of substances necessary for an organism at the level of physiological requirement. In our country for many years society treated dietary supplement as to "light" drugs or even as to means of nonconventional medicine. This absolutely not correct representation. Additives cannot treat, they help our organism to resist to various adverse factors.

– Whether it is possible to consider dietary supplements as medicamentous means?

– No. On one of classifications, dietary supplements divide into nutritsevtik – sources of feedstuffs and parapharmaceutics. The last can be used for prevention and auxiliary therapy of diseases and also normalization of functions of an organism. But also in that, and in other case, additives in itself do not bear medical effect. In it essential difference of dietary supplement from drugs.

– In what cases can they be applied to treatment of concrete diseases?

– At the state registration of dietary supplement bodies of supervision very accurately define the field of their application. As a rule, it is limited to their use as a source of the substances possessing favorable impact on a human body. Therefore dietary supplement can be used at treatment of diseases only as an auxiliary component of therapy, promoting recovery.

MYTH 2: "Dietary supplement has no contraindications"

– How truly this statement?

– Not truly. Dietary supplement are a part of a diet which we make taking into account many features, including our health and specific features of an organism. A number of food products which can have adverse effect on a human body in excess quantities or in the presence of certain states (pregnancy, allergic reactions, chronic diseases, etc.) is well-known. For the choice and the use of dietary supplement it is necessary to show consideration also, as well as for planning of our food.

– Whether is at contraindication dietary supplement and in what cases it is necessary to consult to the doctor before accepting them?

– Before a conclusion of a new product to the market the conscientious producer carries out long work on identification of contraindications about which possibility he warns the consumer in information on the label. In Russia safety and existence of contraindications of dietary supplement in addition is confirmed in the course of the state registration of medicine. As the general rule, we always recommend to see behind consultation a doctor to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.

MYTH 3: "Accepting dietary supplement, you will not be ill"

– Influence of dietary supplement on the immune system of an organism and its ability to resist to various diseases is how effective?

– So, how healthy balanced nutrition from fresh and qualitative products effectively influences the immune system and enhances ability of our organism to resist to external negative factors. The science about food rather well studied the whole classes of biologically active components and their important role for human health does not raise any doubts. However for anybody not a secret that today most of us simply have no opportunity to provide the daily diet with all nutritious components and in this case is shown urgent need in additional intake of dietary supplement. Minerals, minerals, polynonsaturated acids, fibers, etc. which directly participate in protective functions of an organism and whose deficiency it is characteristic of the modern person, it is possible to receive at daily intake of 1-2 additives.

– Whether it is possible to consider them as an analog of the all-strengthening vitamin medicines and medicines increasing immunity?

– No, in medicines concentration of vitamins B tens of times exceeds physiological requirements of an organism. The therapeutic effect of drugs demands confirmation by clinical trials, as well as confirmations of contraindications. For dietary supplements of concentration of components are in limits of the established adequate norms.

MYTH 4: "Only doctors can appoint dietary supplements!"

– Who and how has to issue recommendations or instructions on use of dietary supplement?

– Everyone solves what active additives to it to accept. Unlike the majority of medicines, dietary supplement does not require the recipe and appointment of the doctor. When choosing this or that product it is necessary to be guided by instructions of the producer, professional advice and physicians. Also the reputation of the producer in our country is important. Fortunately, in our market there is a number conscientious domestic and the dietary supplements foreign developers from year to year confirming high quality of the products today. We strongly recommend to study composition of dietary supplement upon purchase, to find out the nature and purpose of components, unfamiliar for you. The conscientious producer or the seller will always help you with information of such character.

MYTH 5: "From dietary supplements there is no advantage at all!"

– Similar statements are how right?

– Are not true. Dietary supplement as additives to food, help the person to balance and enrich the food allowance with the most important components, including minerals, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. For the weakened organism active additives can render the irreplaceable help in process of restoration from influences of stresses and physical activities. It is necessary to remember that dietary supplement have no fast effect and full influence of dietary supplement requires long and regular reception. Here when you, after a multi-day course, will note the general strengthening of an organism and improvement of these or those functions, here then it is possible to consider that dietary supplement which you accept was to the taste to your organism.

MYTH 6: "Accepting dietary supplements, is possible more in general is nothing!"

– Whether can replace dietary supplements normal food?

– By definition, dietary supplement are additives to food, but not its substitutes. Nothing will replace a unique set of nutrients of foodstuff which were created by the nature. Of course, modern technologies seek to bring closer as much as possible composition of dietary supplement to components of foodstuff, however it is not a main goal in production of dietary supplement. Development of unique compositions of biologically active agents with the expressed favorable effect which can strengthen our diet is more important and cover the deficit created by these or that negative a factor.

MYTH 7: "Dietary supplements – the best means for weight loss or, on the contrary, for typesetting of weight"

– Whether the truth that dietary supplements – an effective remedy for weight loss and establishment of optimum weight?

– From all variety of dietary supplement products for the persons controlling body weight can be allocated in separate category. As well as in a case with concept dietary supplement in general, purpose of such products is absolutely incorrectly treated in our society. Media dazzle with announcements of magic tablets and hundreds of lost kilograms of happy patients. It is obvious to us that with live demand the population on magic means, such will always have offers much. Unfortunately, yet there are no medicines which intake will lose suddenly weight, without having caused at the same time collateral reactions and adverse violations in a natural metabolism. Similar violations can lead to serious consequences for health and "move" the kilograms dumped wonderfully. Correction of weight is the comprehensive program consisting of a special diet, the dietary supplements set and physical culture, i.e. fitness. When choosing the program it is necessary to consider specific features, contraindications, motivation level, etc. The diet is a stress for an organism, and in programs of correction of weight dietary supplements are designed to increase amounts of nutrients. Other dietary supplement group is directed to improvement of processes of a metabolism in an organism. The third – contributes to normalization of functions of intestines. In all cases of dietary supplement have to be considered as a component of the program of correction of weight which success depends on all its components.

MYTH 8: To Podsazhivaniye on dietary supplements – it is harmful to an organism"

– Whether there is an accustoming of an organism to nutritional supplements?

– The list of the ingredients allowed for use in dietary supplement is formed and approved by public authorities with participation of the leading industry institutes of Russia and taking into account the international experience. Purpose of this list – definition of standards for turnover of products, not containing substances, dangerous to the person, including causing dependence. Therefore, the dietary supplement conforming to all regulatory requirements cannot cause accustomings to any of components. On the other hand, quality dietary supplement which entered daily use and become habitual addition of a diet of all family has to bring only benefit.