You’ve seen ads for "natural" supplements that promise to make you thinner, more muscular, smarter, or superenergized.
The fact that something is natural or herbal doesn’t mean it’s safe or that it lives up to its claims.
Always talk to your doctor before taking any dietary supplement, so you can choose wisely. Some supplements can interact with medicines or have other side effects.
Dietary supplements include a wide range of products, like multivitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs. Some come from natural sources, like plants. Others are man-made.
You can get supplements in a variety of forms, including capsules, pills, gel tablets, liquids, tinctures, extracts, and powders.
Supplement makers do not have to test their products for safety or purity before putting them on the market. There are though guidelines they are supposed to follow. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to help you understand which supplements are best for you.
What Are Synthetic and Natural Nutrients?
Here's the difference between natural and synthetic nutrients:
Natural nutrients: These are obtained from whole food sources in the diet.
Synthetic nutrients: Also referred to as isolated nutrients, these are usually made artificially, in an industrial process.
Synthetic nutrients do not include "whole food supplements," which are made from concentrated, dehydrated whole foods.
The majority of supplements available on the market today are made artificially. These include vitamins, antioxidants mineral