Welcome To BP Pharmacy Online
 
Page 1 | 2 | 3
Why do we need supplements?

•

 Supplement should be prescribed by your healthcare professional. A prescribed dietary supplement is intended to supply nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids/amino acids) that are missing or not consumed in sufficient quantity in person’s diet.
Do all the foods we take contain the full strength of nutrients that food supplements provide?

•

 Yes, healthy people can obtain all the vitamins and minerals they need from eating a variety of foods. Besides, vitamin deficiency is rare unless a person's diet is limited and lacks variety.

•

 However, there are certain group of individual that may benefit form taking supplement.

•

 However, there are certain group of individual that may benefit form taking supplement.

•

 Some vegetarians, especially strict vegans who eat no meat, dairy products or eggs, may not receive adequate amounts of iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12.

•

 Individuals with certain diseases or physiological conditions may require supplementation, such as osteoporosis.

•

 Newborn infants are given vitamin K to help their blood clot.

•

 Pregnant or breastfeeding women require higher levels of many nutrients, especially folacin, iron and calcium.
For years I have been taking several types of food supplements. A friend recently told me that multi-vitamin liquid supplements are better than pills. How can a single dose of liquid provide as much supplement as I get in four or more pills? I find that pills are more convenient especially when I am at work. Please advice.

•

 A liquid and chewable form of supplement generally is absorbed quicker than tablet or capsule. It takes shorter time for digestion and breaking down to more bioavailable form in the stomach and intestines. That is why some parties claim that they need fewer liquid forms to have the same effect compared to tablet form supplement in our bodies.

BUT

•

 There are few criteria may need to consider:

•

 You are encourage to get some scientific proofs from the company mentioned if it claims that liquid is better than tablets or it makes no difference.

•

 Different age groups will need different form of supplements.

•

 Bioavailability depends on age, digestive system, health status and gender.

•

 Form of supplement may depend on the appropriate type of nutrient you wish to consume too. E.g.: Omega 3 normally available in capsule form. Oil form of nutrient will typically absorb in the intestines. The capsule layer (normally made from bovine) can protect the nutrient loss in stomach before reaching the small intestines.

•

 The most crucial is the supplement must from a reliable or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) source that approved by the Ministry of Health to ensure the quality is of high standards of purity, potency and release.

•

 Conclusion, if the source is reliable, you can make a choice after trying the liquid or tablet form of supplements in order to identify which suit your body, depends on the easiest to carry around or professional advise.
Do we need to take food supplements if we are healthy and have a balanced diet? What type of supplements do we need to provide to different age group of people (children, adult, old)?

•

 Yes, eventhough we are healthy and have a balanced diet, but all the nutrients from foods not necessary well absorbed and ultilized by our body, since nutrients deficiency may stem from

•

 inadequate ingestion,

•

 impaired digestion or absorption,

•

 dysfunctional metabolic processing

•

 increase excretion of essential nutrients

•

 Some specific age group of people such as children, adult or old, vegetarian, those allergic to certain food substances (lactose, egg, gluten...) also need additional nutrients. Supplement can be suggested for

•

 Pregnancy :

a) Folic acid – 800-1000΅g from supplement (IOM,1998) for maternal erythropoiesis, fetal and placenta growth, prevention of neural tube defect.

b) Vit B6 – synthesize nonessential amino acids for growth.

c) Ca – Mineralization of fetal skeletal.

d) Iron – It is recommended that all pregnant females who are consuming a well-balanced diet should take 30mg in divided dose of ferrous iron supplements daily during the 2nd and 3rd trimester(IOM, 1990)

e) Ginger – nausea and vomiting in the first trimester of pregnancy.

f) EPO (supplies GLA) – against pre-eclampsia.

g) Omega-3 (DHA) – prevent preterm delivery where supplementation of omega-3 F.A (2.7g/day) from the 30th week of pregnancy was associated with longer gestation.and higher birth weight (107g heavier).

•

 Chidren (> 3 years) :

a) EPA & DHA – 1 tsp cod liver oil/ 200mg DHA (from fish oil) for mental & vision development, enhance immune system.

b) Iron – impoved mental development.

c) Zinc – increase immune system.

d) Chamomile – treat colic

e) Ginger – for nausea and dyspepsia

•

 Aldolescent :

a) Ca – accelerated muscular, skeletal and endocrine development.

b) Zinc – growth and sexual maturation

c) Vit B complex – release energy, tissue synthesis

d) Vit A, C, and E – new cell growth, for smoking may be at increased risk for deficiency.

e) EPO ( provide GLA) – relieve PMS symptoms.

•

 Adults :

a) Fish oil (Omega-3 F.A) – prevent coronary artery disease, autoimmune disease, impotence, relieving hot flashes in women going through menopause, relieve PMS symptoms.

b) Lecithin (supplies choline) – for brain and nerve function and helps body ultilize fats properly, preventing arterioclerosis, protecting against cardiovascular disease.

c) Ginseng – cope the stress, treat fatigue and reduced work capacity.

d) Selenium – boots energy and immune system, prevent cancer.

e) CoQ10 – fight ageing inhibitor, increase energy levels and combat tiredness & fatigue

f) L-carnitine – promote fats matabolism,enhancing fertility for both men and women

g) Alpha Lipoic Acid – enhanced memory, cataract and liver protection, facial skin

h) Devil's claw – back pain

i) Garlic - prevent atherosclerosis, reduce high blood pressure, cold, cough, and bronchitis.

•

 Men :

a) Saw Palmetto – reduce the incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia .

b) Lycopene – prevent atherosclerosis, reduce risk of prostate cancer with 16%

c) Aloe vera + royal jelly + pollen – improve sperm quality.

•

 Women :

a) Vit B complex – relieve PMS symptoms.

b) Ca – prevent osteoporosis

c) Royal jelly + pollen – 20mg/ daily help optimize hormone balance and healthy ovum.

c) Aloe vera – protect reproductive organ.

•

 Aging :

a) Ca & Vit D – prevent osteoporosis (as per age, they experience decrease in Ca absorption)

b) Zinc – Improve immune function, wound healing, prevent pressure ulcers.

c) Vit C – Increase immune function, and reduce stress (old adults have lower serum levels of Vit C than younger adults.)

d) Vit E – reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by decrease oxidation of LDL because of its antioxidant properties, cancer prevention.

e) B12 and folate – prevent anemia.

f) Gingko biloba – prevent Alzheimer's type, dementia.

g) EPO (provide GLA) – skin healthy.

h) Fish oil (DHA) – reduce risk of dementia.

•

 Vegetarian :

a) Vitamin B12 – is only found in animal foods.

b) Iron - non-haem iron (the type of iron found in plant-based foods such as breakfast cereals, breads, legumes, nuts and green leafy vegetables), is not absorbed by the body as well as haem iron (meat sources).

c) Vit C – help the body absorb more iron from plant foods.

d) Flaxseed oil (Alpha linolenic acids) – raw material to produce the needed EPA & DHA.

•

 Hep B Carrier:

a) Milk thistle – enhance liver function by regenerate hepatocytes.
Page 1 | 2 | 3