What do dietary supplements do?

The core role of dietary supplements is to fill the nutritional gap in daily dietary intake. It is neither "all IQ tax" as spread on the Internet, nor can it replace a normal diet, nor can it cure diseases.

Supplementing folic acid three months in advance for women preparing for pregnancy has been widely promoted in the global public health field. It can actually reduce the probability of fetal neural tube defects. This is a clear effect supported by a large amount of clinical data. People who eat vegan all year round have almost no sources of vitamin B12 in their daily diet. Long-term deficiency is prone to numbness in the hands and feet and pernicious anemia. A bottle of medicinal B12 supplements that cost a few dollars can easily solve this problem. It is much more convenient than struggling to find various fortified foods. There are also sedentary office workers who rarely get much sunlight in winter. Their physical examination revealed that their vitamin D levels have dropped to near the warning level. They followed the doctor’s advice to take D3 supplements for two to three months. The problem of leg cramps that they often suffered from in the middle of the night can be relieved a lot.

Nowadays, many businesses are exaggerating the effects of supplements, and they are promoting whitening, anti-sugar, anti-cancer, and anti-hair loss. There is actually quite a lot of controversy in this. I have met a girl before who said that after taking grape seed extract for more than half a year, the yellowish odor on her face was indeed lighter. However, many authoritative clinical studies have pointed out that long-term excessive supplementation of these antioxidants may interfere with the body's normal redox balance and even increase the risk of some diseases. There is also the white kidney bean extract that has become popular all over the Internet some time ago. Some people say that after taking it, you will not gain weight even after eating hot pot. To be honest, if you rely on it to block the heat every time you eat high in fat and sugar, it will basically have no effect. At most, you can eat two capsules before a big meal that is rich in refined carbohydrates occasionally, which can absorb less calories from starch. To put it bluntly, it is an auxiliary to "check for leaks and fill in the gaps", and it is not a "cheating tool" at all.

I know a friend who runs a marathon. He usually runs 70 or 80 kilometers per week. He consumes electrolytes and iron every day and cannot meet his needs through a normal diet. He will follow the advice of a nutritionist to take extra iron supplements and electrolyte effervescent tablets. He rarely suffers from cramps or fatigue after training, but when he is not training and eating normally, he never takes the initiative to take these supplements. In his words, "You can get enough by eating well, so you don't have to spend extra money."

There are also different opinions in the nutrition field. Some scholars believe that as long as you can eat one pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits every day, a balanced mix of meat, eggs and milk, and a regular work and rest routine, there is no need to take additional supplements.； There are also some scholars who feel that young people nowadays are eating takeout every day and have a reversed schedule. There are very few people who can achieve a balanced diet. There is no harm in eating some basic multivitamins appropriately. The core of the debate between the two sides is actually "whether ordinary people need to take regular supplements" rather than "whether the supplements themselves have any effect."

To be honest, supplements are like the emergency power bank you keep in your bag. It can be used to save your phone when it is about to run out of power. You can’t expect to rely on the power bank every day without using the original charger, right? The correct way to take supplements is to make up for what is really lacking, follow the doctor's advice or take it according to actual needs.