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Nutrition Supplements

Nutrition supplements are everywhere in the media today. They are on TV, billboards, the paper, magazines, and all over the internet. But what are they really? Dietary supplements are defined as “a product that contains one or more ingredients (such as vitamins or amino acids) taken to supplement one’s diet but not considered food.”

The concept of nutrition supplements had its seeds in the discovery of vitamins. In 1906 research indicated that it took more than standard carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to raise healthy cattle. And so scientists set about identifying these unknown substances. In 1911 Casimir Funk, a Polish biologist, discovered a substance he called Vitamine. This substance was later recognized as thiamine, or vitamin B1. It was found that if this substance was withheld from cattle, they developed paralysis. The paralysis could be “cured” by reintroducing thiamine into their diets.

The discovery of thiamine led to an entirely new way of looking at disease: vitamin deficiency. Thiamine deficiency leads to beriberi. Symptoms of the disease can include weakening of the central nervous system, irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and paralysis. This disease was found in Asian countries with diets high in polished white rice. Rice is naturally low in thiamine and what thiamine it contains is housed in the outer layers of the rice. Polishing removes these darker layers to make the rice whiter. It had the unintended consequence of producing thiamine deficiency in people with diet that consisted almost entirely of white rice. The cure for the disease in humans was the same as the cure for cattle, add thiamine to their diet. And thus the first nutrition supplement was born.

The discovery of thiamine set off a wave of scientific research that redefined the way we looked at health. Our nutrition became more than just what was for dinner. Now one of the first things a doctor checks for when a patient comes in with an unknown ailment is what nutrients they may not be getting enough of.

As scientists worked out what vitamins enhanced which bodily functions someone introduced the concept of nutrition supplements for ordinary people. If vitamin C boosts the immune system, why not sell it directly to people who aren’t sick yet to prevent them from getting sick? If vitamin A enhances vision, proscribe it to the elderly who have failing eyesight.

Ever since that time, new vitamins, proteins, amino acids, and elements have been shown to be essential to human life. In modern times you can buy a nutrition supplement for just about any age or bodily function. Are you anemic? There are iron supplements to enrich your blood. Are you unable to fall asleep at night? There are melatonin supplements to reinforce your ability to sleep.

The bewildering array of choices can leave you confused. What should I supplement, when should I take it, did I remember to take my pills? How many pills am I even taking now? It is important to remember that nutrition supplements are not a cure all wonder drug. When considering a supplement to alter one aspect of your life, you should try non-medicated methods first. If you want to lose weight, exercise and change your diet. If that does not work then it is time to consider a weight loss supplement. Following this rule will ensure that you are not consuming supplements that your body has no need of in the first place.

 

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