About Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know

Nutritional supplements, also known as dietary supplements, nutritional supplements, food supplements, health foods, etc., are used as an auxiliary means of diet to supplement the amino acids, trace elements, vitamins, minerals, etc. needed by the human body.
In layman's terms, a dietary supplement is something to eat. What is eaten into the mouth is neither food nor medicine. It is a type of substance between food and medicine that can meet the nutritional needs of the human body. Most of them are derived from natural animals and plants, and some are derived from chemical compounds. Correct consumption has certain benefits for humans and can maintain or promote health.
Nutritional supplements are foods containing specific nutrients produced for the purpose of making up for the nutrients that may be insufficient in normal human diets and at the same time are necessary for the human body.
Nutritional supplements do not form a unified whole with food like nutritional fortifiers. Instead, they are mostly made into pills, tablets, capsules, granules or oral liquids, and are taken separately with meals. Nutritional supplements can be composed of amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals and vitamins, or only one or more vitamins. They can also be composed of one or more dietary ingredients, except for amino acids, vitamins, minerals. In addition to nutrients such as substances, it can also be composed of herbs or other plant ingredients, or concentrates, extracts or combinations of the above ingredients.
In 1994, the U.S. Congress enacted the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act, which defined dietary supplements as: It is a product (not tobacco) intended to supplement the diet and may contain one or more of the following dietary ingredients: Vitamins, minerals, herbs (herbal medicines) or other plants, amino acids, dietary ingredients supplemented to increase the total daily intake, or concentrates, metabolites, extracts or combinations of the above ingredients, etc. "Dietary Supplement" needs to be marked on the label. It can be taken orally in the form of pills, capsules, tablets or liquids, but it cannot replace ordinary food or be used as a meal replacement.
Raw material
The raw materials used in dietary nutritional supplements are mainly obtained from natural species, and there are also safe and reliable substances produced through chemical or biological technology, such as animal and plant extracts, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc.
Generally speaking, the physical and chemical properties of the functional ingredients contained in it are relatively stable, the chemical structure is relatively clear, the mechanism of action has been scientifically demonstrated to a certain extent, and its safety, functionality, and quality controllability meet management standards.
Form
Dietary nutritional supplements mainly exist in drug-like product forms, and the dosage forms used mainly include: hard capsules, soft capsules, tablets, oral liquids, granules, powders, etc. Packaging forms include bottles, barrels (boxes), bags, aluminum-plastic blister plates and other pre-packaged forms.
Function
For more and more people with unhealthy lifestyles today, nutritional supplements can be regarded as an effective adjustment method. If people eat a lot of fast food and lack exercise, the obesity problem will become increasingly serious.

Dietary supplement market

1. Market size and growth
The size of the dietary supplement market continues to expand, with market growth rates varying according to consumer demand and health awareness in different regions. In some developed countries and regions, the market growth tends to be stable due to consumers' higher awareness of healthy foods and supplements; while in some developing countries, due to the improvement of health awareness and living standards, the market growth rate is relatively fast. quick.

2. Consumer demand
Consumers’ demands for dietary supplements are diverse, covering aspects such as improving immunity, enhancing physical strength, improving sleep, losing weight, and building muscle. With the popularization of health knowledge, consumers are increasingly inclined to choose natural, additive-free, and organically certified supplement products.

3. Product innovation
In order to meet the diverse needs of consumers, products in the dietary supplement market are also constantly innovating. For example, there are complex supplements that combine multiple nutrients on the market, as well as specialized supplements for specific groups of people (such as pregnant women, the elderly, and athletes). In addition, with the development of science and technology, some products have begun to adopt advanced formulation technologies such as nanotechnology and microencapsulation technology to improve the absorption rate and effect of the product.

4. Regulations and Standards
Regulations and standards for dietary supplements vary in different countries and regions. In some countries, dietary supplements are considered part of food and are less regulated; in other countries, they are subject to strict approval and certification. With the development of global trade, international regulations and standards for dietary supplements are receiving more and more attention.

5. Market trends
Currently, some trends in the dietary supplement market include: personalized nutritional supplements, the growth of natural and organic products, increased consumer demand for evidence-level products, the application of digitalization and intelligence in the field of nutritional supplements, etc.
The dietary supplement market is a multi-dimensional and rapidly developing industry. This market is expected to continue to expand as consumers become more concerned about health and nutrition, as well as technology evolves. However, at the same time, the dietary supplement market is also facing challenges in regulations, standards, product safety and other aspects, which requires industry participants to work together to promote the healthy development of the market.