A dietary supplement is intended to provide nutrients that could not otherwise be consumed in sufficient amounts with normal nutrition. Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, fibre, fatty acids or amino acids. US authorities define dietary supplements as food, while elsewhere they may be classified as drugs or other products. These products are not intended to prevent or cure any disease and, in some cases, are dangerous, according to the National Institutes of Health. For those who cannot have a balanced diet, the National Institute of Health says that supplements are "of value" in people's lives. According to the United States and specifically the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), dietary supplements are products that are not drugs, food additives such as spices or preservatives, or conventional foods and that meet one of the following criteria: The product is intended to supplement a person's diet, although it cannot be used as a meal replacement. The product is or contains a vitamin, a dietary element, a plant used for phytotherapy or used as a medicinal plant; amino acids or any other substance that contributes to filling the shortage of food. The product is labelled as a dietary supplement. It is up to the manufacturer to verify and ensure the safety of dietary supplements.

1. Dietary supplements
what are they?
A dietary supplement is intended to provide nutrients that could not otherwise
be consumed in sufficient amounts with normal nutrition.
Dietary supplements include: vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids or amino
acids.
US authorities define dietary supplements as food, while elsewhere they may
be classified as drugs or other products.
These products are not intended to prevent or cure any disease and, in some
cases, are dangerous, according to the National Institutes of Health.
For those who cannot have a balanced diet, the National Institute of Health
says that supplements are "of value" in people's lives.

2. Definition
According to the United States and specifically the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), dietary supplements are products that are not drugs,
food additives such as spices or preservatives, or conventional foods and that
meet one of the following criteria:
The product is intended to supplement a person's diet, although it cannot be
used as a meal replacement.
1. The product is or contains a vitamin, a dietary element, a plant used for
phytotherapy or used as a medicinal plant; amino acids or any other
substance that contributes to filling the shortage of food.
2. The product is labeled as a dietary supplement.
It is up to the manufacturer to verify and ensure the safety of dietary
supplements.

3. Medical use
The use of dietary supplements is to ensure that a subject is ingesting
sufficient essential nutrients.
Dietary supplements should not be used to treat a disease.
An exception to this recommendation is the proper use of vitamins.

4. Types of food supplements
● There are different types of dietary supplements on the market:
● Vitamins
Vitamin is an organic compound essential for the health and survival of
the body.
An organic chemical compound (or related set of compounds) is called
a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an
organism and must be introduced into the diet. For example, ascorbic
acid (vitamin C) is a vitamin for humans, but not for most other animals.
Supplementation is important for the treatment of some health
problems.
● Minerals

5. These are the chemical elements necessary for the survival of
organisms, except for the four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and
oxygen present in common organic molecules.
● Plant Extracts
Plants have been the basis of medical treatments for much of human
history and, like traditional medicine, are still practiced today. Modern
medicine recognizes herbal medicine as a form of alternative medicine
because herbal practice is not strictly based on evidence gathered with
the scientific method. However, modern medicine uses many
compounds of plant origin as a basis for medicines. The scope of herbal
medicine is so wide that it includes fungal and bee products, as well as
minerals, shells and some animal parts.
● Amino Acids and Proteins
Amino acids are biologically important organic compounds composed of
an amino group (-NH2), carboxylic acid (-COOH) and functional groups,
together with a specific side chain for each amino acid. The main
elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen,
although other elements are found in the side chains of some amino
acids.
Amino acids can be divided into three categories: essential amino acids,
non-essential amino acids, and conditional amino acids.
Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be
supplied by food. Non-essential amino acids are produced by the body
from essential amino acids or in the normal breakdown of proteins.
Conditioned amino acids are usually not essential, except during
periods of illness, stress.
● Essential Fatty Acids Essential
Fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals
must ingest because the body requires them for good health but is
unable to synthesize them.
The term "essential fatty acids" refers to fatty acids necessary for
biological processes, but does not include fats that act only as fuel.
Bodybuilding

6. Supplements Bodybuilding supplements are dietary supplements
commonly used by those involved in bodybuilding and athletics.
Bodybuilding supplements can be used to replace meals, enhance
weight gain, promote weight loss, or enhance athletic performance.
Among the most used are vitamin supplements, protein drinks,
branched chain acids (BCAAs), glutamine, essential fatty acids, meal
replacement products, creatine.
Supplements