The data prove it: Italians love food supplements, especially as a barrier to seasonal ailments. In fact, in 2020, according to the survey on the Italian food supplement supply chain conducted by the FederSalus Association, 278 million packs were sold. And among these, a real one boom has been registered by vitamins, minerals and immunostimulants. Thanks to the pandemic, people have become more attentive to strengthening their immune defenses, especially with the arrival of the first colds.
However, as the National Institute of Health points out, in the report Food supplements or drugs? Regulations and recommendations for a timely use of COVID19, «Supplements can be used to improve the state of well-being of healthy subjects, but their use for therapeutic purposes is improper and potentially dangerous for health. This is even more true of a disease new such as COVID-19. Strengthening the immune defenses through the use of supplements, if there is a lack of certain substances, is important to protect oneself from infections and diseases, but certainly not to cure oneself ». So let’s do some clarity and ask ourselves what food supplements are and how they can help us.
What are supplements
Food supplements are concentrates of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, and serve to supplement the diet. They can be found in the form of capsules, vials to drink or sachets to dissolve and provide substances that contribute to the well-being of the body. However, the ISS specifies “they should be taken if there is a need to integrate a diet lacking one or more nutrients due to an intake lower than the recommended quantities or in conditions of increased need”. Furthermore, we are not talking about drugs, but about nutrition support. “It is necessary to emphasize that food supplements are food products and as such – continues the ISS – they cannot boast of therapeutic properties nor ability to prevent and cure diseases and are subject to food safety regulations “.
There are many types of supplements, classified according to composition and function. Which? There are supplements of vitamins and minerals, which must provide at least 15% of the nutritional reference value of vitamins and minerals per dose. The supplements with probiotics and prebiotics, which contain live and active probiotic microorganisms that act on the intestinal microbiota. They supplements based on herbal substances and preparations (botanicals).
The best nutrients
According to EFSA, nutrients contribute to the proper functioning of natural immune defenses. However they do not replace correct lifestyles and they should still be taken following the recommended doses and contacting your doctor if you want to take them in the presence of pathologies or illnesses. Among the nutrients recommended by experts are Echinacea, Astragalus and Agave or probiotics of the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces.
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