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Dietary Supplements
What are Dietary Supplements?
Dietary Supplements are manufactured products which include vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other substances that are needed for the body to function well. They are intended to be used to increase the amount of a certain substance if the body is not getting enough of it from natural diet or its natural source, thereby supplementing the diet. They come in tablet, liquid, powder, and capsule formats.
They come in a range of doses and combinations, but because they are regarded as natural, and therefore safe, people do not seem to be as wary about taking too many or too high a dose as they are with conventional medication.
Your body only needs a certain amount of a substance so overloading it with too much of one thing can be harmful. They can also interact with other medications that are taken and inhibit their effects or stop them from doing their jobs. As with medication, always speak to your GP or a pharmacist before trying any dietary supplements.
What are Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs?
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed for certain functions within the body. Having too little or too much of a certain vitamin can cause health problems. The Human body is generally unable to process or make these compounds and needs to get them from other sources like food, or UV rays from the sun as in Vitamin D.
There are currently 13 Vitamins that we know of. They are.
- Vitamin A – Retinol, retinal, Alpha and Beta Carotene
- Vitamin B1 – Thiamine
- Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin
- Vitamin B3 – Niacin
- Vitamin B5 – Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine
- Vitamin B7 – Biotin
- Vitamin B9 – Folic Acid
- Vitamin B12 – Cobalamin
- Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid
- Vitamin D – Ergocalciferol
- Vitamin E – Tocopherol
- Vitamin K – Phytonadione
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements or compounds that are essential for the development of things like bone and teeth and keeping your heart, liver, kidneys, etc in working order. They generally exist in the body as a form of salt. Though not metabolised into food, they are a necessary form of energy. There are two categories, Microminerals which are needed in high doses and trace minerals which are required in smaller doses.
The most essential minerals we need are.
Microminerals
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Sulphur
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Potassium
Trace minerals
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Iodine
- Selenium
- Fluoride
Herbs
Herbs are plants that are used for medicinal, infusion, flavouring and fragrant purposes. For cooking it is usually only the leaves that are used, but for medicinal and spiritual purposes all parts of the plant can be used. For use in teas some dried seeds, leaves and flowers are used, and some petals and flowers are also used for garnishing foods.
The most common herbs used for medicinal purposes include (European Medicine’s Agency Guidance on use in links)
- Chamomile
- Echinacea
- Evening Primrose
- Feverfew
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Gingko
- Ginseng
- Lavender
- Milk thistle
- Poppy
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Saw palmetto
- Turmeric
- Valerian
The most popular herbal teas include
- Chamomile
- Echinacea
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Hibiscus
- Lemon
- Nettle
- Passionflower
- Peppermint
- Rooibos
- Rose Hip
- Sage
- Turmeric
Where did dietary supplements come from?
Taking certain foods to help supplement your healthcare is nothing new. In ancient Egypt, people knew that eating liver could help those with night blindness which we now know is a deficiency in Vitamin A.
In the 18th century, a Scottish doctor discovered that lemons and limes could help to combat scurvy aboard British Navy ships, Scurvy we know is caused by a deficiency in Vitamin C. The British Navy then started adding limes and lime juice (as they were handier than lemons) to their sailors’ grog and diets to combat this, resulting, allegedly in the moniker of ‘Limey’ being applied to British sailors!
They switched to lemons when they realised that there was more vitamin C in them than in limes.
Vitamins and minerals were steadily discovered in food and in our bodies from then on and in 1910, a water-soluble complex of micro-nutrients was found in Rice Bran by a Japanese scientist Umetaro Suzuki, who named it Aberic Acid. Two years later a Polish-born biochemist Casimir Funk, working on the same complex named it ‘vitamine’. It is now called Thiamine or Vitamin B1.
Many of us now take vitamins, minerals and herbs to supplement our diets and help us with certain ailments. However, some of them can have an effect on some medical conditions and interact with medications, therefore should only be used after consultation with a doctor or pharmacist.
How do they Work?
There are several kinds of vitamins and minerals in our bodies, that are necessary to health. Some of them work as hormones, enzymes etc. They are needed for reproduction, growth and regulation of various natural processes in the body, therefore if we are limited or deficient in one or two of them, we may find certain problems creeping in, so we take a supplement to increase our intake, allowing the body to work away as it should. At least that’s the theory behind it. It may not always work.
How might it help with Migraine?
Several vitamins and minerals are said to be effective against migraine, as they affect things like brain cell energy, dilate blood vessels and combat nausea. The following may be particularly helpful for migraineurs but remember, you should ask your GP or Pharmacist as they can interact with certain meds, e.g., Magnesium interacts with Calcium Channel Blockers such as Sibelium (Flunarizine)
Good for Migraine.
The following vitamins, minerals and herbs have been found to be effective against migraine. Some ease the symptoms during and after an attack, some relax the mind and body, and others can help prevent migraine over time as they build up in the body.
- Vitamin B2/Riboflavin
- Vitamin B3/Niacin
- Magnesium
- Ginger
- Coenzyme Q10
- Feverfew – Not in pregnancy
- Lavender
- Turmeric
- Valerian – Valerian should not be used if you are using an anti-depressant medication. It can increase the effects of the medication and the risk of Serotonin Syndrome and can be dangerous. Speak to a medical professional before using this as a supplement or tea.
The information above is for information purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice or diagnosis
Please consult your doctor or a pharmacist before taking any of the vitamins, minerals and herbs above.