Transcript Vitamins, Herbs and Nutritional Supplements

Vitamins, Herbs and
Nutritional Supplements
Stephanie Brushwood
Kaplan University
HW499 Unit 4 Assignment
What is a nutritional/dietary
supplement?

According to the Food and Drug Administration:

A dietary supplement is a product intended for ingestion that contains a "dietary
ingredient" intended to add further nutritional value to (supplement) the diet. A
"dietary ingredient" may be one, or any combination, of the following substances:

a vitamin

a mineral

an herb or other botanical

an amino acid

a dietary substance for use by people to supplement the diet by increasing the total
dietary intake

a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract
(U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015)
Natural sources of vitamins A-K:
What are Vitamins and Herbal
supplements?

Vitamins:


Fat-Soluble Vitamins (stored in body’s
fatty tissue):
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A – helps form and maintain healthy teeth,

E – antioxidant, helps form red blood cells

D – helps body absorb calcium, build strong

K – important for blood clotting and health
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Herbs:
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“Herbal supplements are different from
vitamin and mineral supplements in that
they are considered to have medicinal
value.” (Paul & Smith M.A., 2016)

Most herbal supplements are derived
from plants, here are some examples of
commonly used herbal supplements:
bones, skin
bones, teeth
bone development
Water-Soluble Vitamins:

Chamomile

Ginkgo
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Echinacea
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C – antioxidant, aids wound healing

St. John’s Wort
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B – important for metabolism, brain
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Milk Thistle
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Valerian root
function, energy and blood cell formation
(U.S. National Library of Medicine , 2015)
(Nutrition.gov, 2016)
Common uses/benefits of vitamins,
herbal or dietary supplements

These items should not be used as replacements or in lieu of a healthy
diet/lifestyle!

Some special populations require vitamin/supplement use for specific health
reasons:

Women of childbearing age or pregnant women (require more calcium and iron)

Children/adolescents with irregular eating habits

Elderly people with gastrointestinal/physical eating difficulties

Vegetarians or vegans (may be deficient in certain nutrients)

Populations with absorption deficiencies/diseases/disorders
(Paul & Smith M.A., 2016)
Safety precautions and appropriate
usage of supplements

It is always important to do your
research or consult a medical
professional before beginning a
herbal or dietary supplement

Some herbs, vitamins or
supplements may negatively
affect/interact with prescription
meds

Not all supplements are regulated
by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)

“In many cases dietary
supplements and homeopathic
remedies can be marketed without
providing evidence of safety or
efficacy.” (Paul & Smith M.A.,
2016)

Just because it is “natural” doesn’t
mean it is necessarily better for
your health, prescription
medications cannot always be
replaced with homeopathic
treatments/supplements
(Pharmavite ® LLC, 2015)
Do your research first!

There are many helpful websites and research articles on the
proper/recommended use of vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements:

Help Guide/Safe Supplement Use

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
National Center for Complementary and Alternative/Integrative Health (NCCAM)
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https://nccih.nih.gov/
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https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Office of Dietary Supplements


http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/dietary-supplements.htm
https://ods.od.nih.gov/
Food and Drug Administration: Safety Alerts and Advisories

http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/
Regulation process and safety
information
(Greene, 2016)

The FDA oversees both dietary supplements
and medicines

Dietary supplements DO NOT require
“premarket” review or approval by FDA

“Manufacturers must follow certain good
manufacturing practices to ensure the
identity, purity, strength, and composition of
their products.”

A supplement's safety depends on many
things:

Chemical makeup

How it works in the body
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How it is prepared

Dosage

“Certain herbs (for example, comfrey and
kava) can harm the liver.”
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2011)
Medication Vs. Supplement interactions

Always consult with your medical provider to see if your supplement will
interact with your prescribed medication or current health issues

Examples of negative interactions:

vitamin K supplementation can negatively interact in individuals on Coumadin or Warfarin
(blood thinners)

Calcium supplementation can interact with heart medicine, aluminum and magnesiumcontaining antacids

St. John’s Wort is known to negatively affect antidepressant drugs, blood pressure
medication and birth control pills

Echinacea can affect the liver’s ability and proper process for breaking medications down

Coenzyme Q-10 can interfere with anti blood-clotting medicines and some chemotherapy
drugs

Ginseng can increase risk for internal bleeding when also taken with anti blood-clotting
medications (Ibuprofen, Warfarin, Coumadin, Aspirin)
(Paul & Smith M.A., 2016)
Vitamin, herbal and nutritional/dietary
supplement educational resources - online

The American Society of Nutrition
is a great reference tool for all
things nutrition and diet, to
include vitamin, herb and
supplement use

NCCAM is another key reference
for consumers to use when
determining which supplement is
right for them
http://cdn.guardian.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Dietary-Supplement.jpg
Vitamin, herbal and nutritional/dietary
supplement educational resources - books
Complementary and Alternative
Medicine
(Micozzi, 2011)
Herbs & Natural Supplements
(Skidmore-Roth, 2010)
References
Greene, M. (2016). Why You Need Nutritional Health Supplements. Retrieved from Common Sense
Health: http://commonsensehealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/health-supplements.jpg
Micozzi, M. S. (2011). Complementary and Alternative Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Saunders, Elsevier.
Nutrition.gov. (2016, April 01). Herbal Supplements. Retrieved from Dietary Supplements:
https://www.nutrition.gov/dietary-supplements/herbal-supplements
Paul, M. A., & Smith M.A., M. (2016, April). Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from Help Guide.org:
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/dietary-supplements.htm
Pharmavite ® LLC. (2015). How Supplements are Regulated. Retrieved from Nature Made:
http://www.naturemade.com/~/media/Images/NatureMade/PDF/Health%20Care%20Professional
s/PID8742%20NM%20How%20Supplements%20are%20Regulated%20Handout_C5_FNLpage-001%20(1).ashx
Skidmore-Roth, L. (2010). Mosby's Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements. St. Louis, MO: Mosby,
Elsevier.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2011, June 17). Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved
from National Institutes of Health: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/DS_WhatYouNeedToKnow.aspx
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2015, June 08). What is a Dietary Supplement? Retrieved from U.S.
Food and Drug Administration:
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm195635.htm
U.S. National Library of Medicine . (2015, February 02). Vitamins. Retrieved from MedLine Plus:
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002399.htm