Dietary Supplements – Are They Dangerous?

Dietary supplements discuss with any health merchandise that may supplement our diet. They embrace vitamins, minerals, amino acids, digestive enzymes, Probiotics, herbal supplements, glandular extracts and dietary fibers etc.
The consumption of dietary supplements has been rising each year. Whereas many individuals believe that dietary supplements will improve their health or prevent certain diseases, some consumer groups or medical professionals have warned that dietary supplements will be dangerous. Thus, the question  is: are dietary supplements very dangerous? Unfortunately, the question  does not have a straightforward answer.
Dietary supplements, by its broad definition, embody thousands of various products. In 2004, Consumer Reports listed twelve doubtless dangerous dietary supplements. Several of them are herbal products. Some of these herbs are used by herbalists for hundreds of years and are thought-about as safe. However, when the active substances in these herbs are extracted in pure or targeted kind and consumed over prolonged period, they'll be dangerous to some people.
Many dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals are safe and will supplement what's missing in our diet. But, even the benign supplement can become dangerous in overdose. In native news, a girl was reported to convey her two teenage daughters mega dose of vitamin A for prolonged period, thinking that the supplement is good for the eyes. Both suffered from acute liver failure and one required a liver transplant to save her life. Vitamin A isn't dangerous however mega dose of vitamin A is hepatotoxic. During this case, ignorance itself is dangerous!
The quality of dietary supplement is also an important factor. The presence of contaminations, like serious metal, medication, and toxic substances will build a benign supplement dangerous. One example is that the presence of microcystin toxin in blue inexperienced algae dietary supplements. Microcystins are natural toxins from bound strains of blue inexperienced algae that may cause liver injury and liver tumors. According to the research conducted by Health Canada, solely one strain of blue green algae, Spirulina, is free from microcystins as Spirulina is harvested from controlled ponds. Most of the non-Spirulina blue inexperienced algae supplements are contaminated by microcystins, particularly those harvested from natural lakes. Daily consumption of those dietary supplements would exceed the acceptable level of microcystin intake established by Health Canada and WHO.
Sensible producing follow (GMP) is another key issue to safeguard the quality and safety of dietary supplements. Dietary supplement manufacturers in compliance of GMP standards have to check the identity of raw materials, implement a high quality control unit, provide expiration date for the finished merchandise, maintain smart records of batch production and written procedures, and rent personnel who are trained to perceive and follow GMP. This observe will reduce the possibility of having batch to batch variation in strength, composition, purity and quality of finished products.
To add up, though most dietary supplements are safe when consumed per the label, customers are suggested to educate themselves before taking these supplements. What are the functions of these supplements? How long should I be taking them? Are they manufactured by reputable companies in compliance of fine producing practices? Never consume more than the counseled dose unless supervised by health care professionals. If you are pregnant, breast feeding, or affected by pre-existing health conditions, you should additionally take further precaution and consult with your doctors or nutritionists.