Weight loss is something a lot of people struggle with. The one thing that we can all agree on is that losing weight is a balance between a better diet and working out. If you want to lose weight through dieting, you might need to fill the gaps in your nutrition. The best way to do this is by the use of supplements. These supplements can provide the nutrients you need without adding to your caloric count for the day.
Safety and Efficacy
Because supplements are talked about a lot, a lot of emphasis has been placed in making sure they live up to the manufacturers’ claims and that they are safe. Dietary supplements have come a long way and they are now as safe as the medications a pharmacist would prescribe. Most of them have also been proven to have massive health benefits, especially for those who would like to lose weight or would like to make lifestyle changes to ensure that they do not gain any more weight.
Dietary supplements have also been shown to be handy for those who have gaps in their nutrition, especially those dieting and cutting back on lots of different kinds of foods for weight loss reasons. For these cases, supplements can come in very handy.
Forms and Claims
Dietary supplements come in various forms including capsules, tablets, bars, powders, and liquids. If you like, you can also create your own supplement capsules if you would not like to buy them from a pharmacist.
These supplements are often marketed with claims that they can help reduce your appetite, thereby reducing the amount you eat, your body fat, weight, and micronutrient absorption. Some of them are also touted as having the ability to increase thermogenesis and metabolism.
Most dietary supplements contain a lot of ingredients with some of them boasting up to 90. The most common ingredients are herbs and plant components, fibre, vitamins, caffeine, and minerals.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
One of the most important things to remember is that dietary supplements are not a replacement for food. If you take them exclusively without eating proper meals, you might harm yourself or even be diagnosed with malnutrition. The best way to use these supplements is to reduce the amount you eat and then use the supplements to cover any gaps left in your nutritional needs.
Most dietary supplements are very expensive. They get more expensive as the number of ingredients increases. The length of time that you use these supplements can also factor into how much they will cost you over time.
If you are taking any other medications, you have to be careful about the supplements you take because some of them can interfere with other medications you might be taking. If you are pregnant or have any pre-existing conditions, talk to your physician or doctor to see if you can take the supplements you are interested in.
Are Dietary Supplements Regulated?
The simple answer is that it depends. It depends on the country that you live in. Most countries have some rules governing the manufacture, marketing and sale of supplements, especially if their manufacturer makes a lot of claims. Some countries have lax oversight because these countries do not classify dietary supplements as drugs and therefore do not see the need to regulate them. One thing you can be sure of is that your government and relevant authorities will always check and investigate any dietary supplements that make misleading or untruthful claims.
Dietary supplements are a very good way to fill the gaps when you are dieting. You just have to remember that they are not a replacement for food and they should be used in conjunction with a reduced amount of food.
