Why Health Supplements Are Not Medicines, Yet Contribute to Good Health
Nutrition: The Cornerstone of Life and the Pioneer of Prevention
Nutrition is to the human body what sunlight and rain are to all living things.
When nutrients from food are absorbed by the body, they are converted into energy and substances needed by the body, maintaining the normal operation of the organism.
Nutritional research mainly falls into two phases:
Many people find the idea of "treating illnesses with nutrition" magical or even dismiss it, simply because they lack an understanding of nutrition.
Therefore, proper nutritional regulation not only helps patients recover their health but also slows down aging and improves the quality of life.
What Advantages Do Health Supplements Have Over Medicines?
Most medicines, whether Western or Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), are produced through chemical synthesis or plant extraction. Their primary function is to control disease symptoms, such as relieving pain, killing bacteria, and reducing inflammation.
Health supplements can be formulated in various ways; in recent years, formulations using Chinese herbal medicines as raw materials have emerged. Health supplements contain a certain amount of functional ingredients, which can regulate human physiological functions, exert specific effects, and are suitable for specific populations. They cannot be directly used to treat diseases—instead, they act as regulators of human physiological mechanisms and nutritional supplements.
The health benefits of health supplements can be categorized into the following six areas:
1. Vitamin-Based Health Supplements
Vitamins are organic substances essential for the body’s normal growth and development. Common vitamin-based health supplements include vitamin C, vitamin E, and B-complex vitamins. Their main functions include boosting immunity, enhancing metabolism, providing antioxidant effects, and improving skin quality.
2. Mineral-Based Health Supplements
Minerals are inorganic substances necessary for forming human bones, endocrine substances, and other bodily components. Common mineral-based health supplements include calcium, iron, and zinc. Their main roles include maintaining bone health, promoting blood circulation, and participating in enzymatic reactions.
3. Protein-Based Health Supplements
Protein is the basic unit of human cells and is crucial for maintaining bodily functions and repairing tissue damage. Common protein-based health supplements include whey protein and soy protein. Their primary benefits include promoting muscle growth, increasing metabolic rate, and enhancing bone strength.
4. Probiotic Health Supplements
Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms for the human body, capable of maintaining intestinal balance, boosting immunity, and aiding digestion. Common probiotic health supplements include lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.
5. Fish Oil Health Supplements
Fish oil is rich in various unsaturated fatty acids. Common fish oil health supplements mainly function to lower blood lipids, promote brain development, and protect cardiovascular health.
6. Herbal Health Supplements
Herbal health supplements are extracted from natural plants. Common examples include grape seed extract, curcumin, and energizing teas. They offer multiple benefits, such as anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant properties, and stress relief.
The Synergistic Effect of Health Supplements and Medicines
Medicines primarily address symptoms. Although health supplements are not medicines, they can regulate physiological functions and be used for adjuvant therapy.
For example, during chemotherapy, supplementing with antioxidant enzymes can reduce the damage of chemotherapeutic drugs to normal cells; in the treatment of diabetes, supplementing with metabolic enzymes (such as insulin) can help control blood glucose levels.
Post time:2025-10-11
