Health, or dietary, supplements are not a new thing. However, with people�s eating habits now tending to focus on convenience and ease, dietary supplements are making a quick come back. The concern is that people are not able to take measures to ensure that what they eat supplies their daily nutritional needs. Hence the need for dietary supplements. Yet the question remains � are dietary supplements really necessary?

The whole idea behind dietary supplements is that the act to ADD to our food�s nutritional value and not to replace food. As the name implies, they merely assist what we normally take in during meals. There are countless types of dietary supplements out there. Perhaps some of the most popular supplements these days are those that fall under the following groups:

� Antioxidants � most known for anti-aging effects as well as cancer prevention
� Anti-inflammatory agents � as the name implies, this group prevents inflammation in the body, especially of nerve endings which may cause Alzheimer�s and similar diseases
� Chelators � serve to flush out toxins from the body
� Vasodilators � improve blood circulation

In future posts, we can take a closer look at these different groups and specific supplements that we can take. For now, to be honest, I am not totally convinced about taking supplements. I mean, they would be worth a try that is for sure. Yet I do not know if they really work and if they are worth their price. That�s another thing about them � I almost fell out of my seat when I saw the price of the supplement my trainer was offering me (but that�s a story for another day)! Anyhow, I suppose doing more research on supplements is necessary for me at this point.

Originally posted on December 17, 2006 @ 10:11 am