nutrition unit 6 discussion responses

1. The function and purpose of a dietary supplement is to give individuals, those that are lacking specific vtiamins that are known to help benefit your health, as well as prevent any health problems, such as osteoporosis, or arthritis. These supplements come in a variety of substances, or forms; capsules, powder, gels, gummies, etc. One in particular I wanted to focus on is one called Umzoo ZuPOO; this supplement claims it helps with cleansing your colon of waste that has accumulated in your digestive tract that are causing an extension of the colon or digestive tract in general; the reason for bloating. They claim that the waste accumulated in your digestive tract are making it more difficult to digest, therefore, by using this product, you can eliminate the build up. They also claim that this is a method of weight loss, that the product, by eliminating the accumulated waste, can help you with weight loss. In order to see any results with any supplement, you need to have a conrtolled diet, and exercise plan, and continue this practice, considering dietary supplements aren't long term, they are short term, but in order to keep the affects and benefits of the supplements there are other factors that come into play.

They also say the waste that has accumulated in your digestive tract contains toxins that can make you sick; science and biology do not support this statement. Rather research shows that when giving your body the right amount of fiber and water daily, your digestive tract can "cleanse" itself routinely. Now, obviously, depending on what you're consuming is going to change that considering some things digest faster than other things. Also, the bacteria the resideds in your digestive tract are known to also play a role in the digestion of food, and that withtout these little microorganisms, it would make it more difficult to digest food. These bacteria are the driving force for the a clean and heatlhy digestive tract, however, there is a chance that when constantly "cleansing" your colon/digestive tract with whatever you decide to use, whether that's using this supplement or another method, you have the risk of eliminating, and "cleansing" the good bacteria that reside in your digestive tract. It's almost like the excessively, and constantly using hand sanitizer, the more you use it, the more you're eliminating the good bacteria that resides on the surface of your skin that fight off infections that reside on the surface. That's why they say washing your hands with warm water for 20 seconds is a good method to get rid of the bad bacteria without eliminating the good bacteria.

2. Dietary supplements are substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet or to lower your risk of health problems. Fish oil supplements claim to lower the risk of heart disease, reduce blood pressure,  reduce blood triglyceride levels, and might help reduce pain, improve morning stiffness and relieve joint tenderness. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good health. However, the best way to get them from a diet is by eating fish. Fish oil supplements have been promoted as an easy way to protect the heart which is one of the reasons why Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on over-the-counter fish oil. But the evidence for improving heart health is mixed. In 2018, the New England Journal of Medicine found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements did nothing to reduce heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from heart disease in middle-aged men and women without any known risk factors for heart disease. 

I think many people turn to supplements like fish oil because they find it easier to take a pill rather than eating a healthy and balanced diet. All this while not really knowing and researching for sure that it does have the health benefits it claims. In addition, I think many people fail to educate themselves first before buying different supplements that claim to have many benefits. I think today, social media plays a big factor in tending misleading information – many influencers post what they eat, drink, and what supplements they take and followers tend to take their word for it. This is very dangerous in many ways because everybody is different and at the same time consulting a doctor should be the priority.

3. A dietary supplement that is currently on the market is a probiotic called Florastor which is a daily probiotic supplement in capsule form. This probiotic claims to strengthen one’s digestive balance and support a healthy immune system. This product also claims to be resistant to antibiotics, which can help one maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract while taking certain antibiotics since medications tend to target both healthy and bad microbiota (“About Florastor - DAILY probiotic supplement”, 2021). Floraster works by lining the bowel with millions of non-pathogenic, good microbes that help combat the overgrowth of pathogens which helps the gastrointestinal tract remain in a healthy balance. Overall, this probiotic can help the bowel maintain its normal functions while maintaining a healthy balance of microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract. Florastor which contains Saccharomyces boulardii lyo CNCM I-745, a unique probiotic strain, secretes a protein that neutralizes the toxins of harmful gut microbiota such as Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli, and Cholera (“Florastor®”, 2020). 

There have been over 60 years of use and research regarding this product, and it is considered one of the most clinically researched probiotics/supplements worldwide (“Florastor®”, 2020). There have been several clinical trials performed with the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii lyo which is the main ingredient in Florastor. Clinical trials have shown that Florastor is an effective probiotic in maintaining healthy microbiota and helping those with chronic digestive diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. However, Florastor does not recommend using this as a primary treatment for these gastrointestinal diseases, but as a supplement to help combat symptoms (Kelesidis et al., 2012). According to the CDC, much of the research gathered on Florastor is from postmarketing, monitoring the safety of the supplement after being on the market. This means that a lot of the current research regarding this probiotic is from case reports since the FDA does not require premarketing evaluations for safety and efficacy prior to releasing supplements on the market (“Regulatory oversight and safety of PROBIOTIC use”). Overall, most of the research gathered regarding this supplement shows that it is effective in maintaining healthy gut microbiota which promotes a strengthened digestive system and a healthier immune system. 

4. The dietary supplement that I decided to choose was chlorophyll. While scrolling on TikTok these past couple of weeks, I kept seeing videos describing chlorophyll and how it was an amazing supplement. Of course like any other trend, I eventually caved in. Before I bought the supplement I of course did my research. Chlorophyll, or chlorophyllin, is described as a green molecule that is found in plants that absorbs the sunlight during photosynthesis and converts it into energy. It is responsible for giving the plants the vibrant and beautiful green color that they have. This particular supplement is said to help detox your blood, control odor, promotes wound healing, improve health in your abdomen, provides you with a generous amount of energy, promote weight loss, improve your immune system, and helps fight against cancer. This supplement sounds like a miracle and honestly had me sold! Many people on TikTok described this supplement as an 'internal deodorizer' and I was curious as to how exactly that works. From these videos, I was also informed that by misusing this supplement, you can send your body into shock. The side effects are gastrointestinal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Like many other supplements on the market, chlorophyll comes in many different forms. There is a powder version, a liquid version, and pills/capsules. After doing extensive research, I decided to partake in the chlorophyll craze. I purchased the liquid chlorophyll and I began taking the supplement today. To consume this supplement, you can mix the liquid in smoothies, water, etc. Some people have described the taste as very 'earthy' or 'minty' but I found that it has no taste when mixed into water. Hopefully, I can benefit from all of the amazing benefits that come with this supplement. 

5. Dietary supplements are items that contain at least supplement with the ability to improve a person's diet when there isn't doing them any good. Dietary supplements do not have anything to do with basic food, drugs, exceptional dietary food, or explicit classifications of people. An unorganized eating routine can decrease the amount of key supplements that our bodies need such as micronutrients, and macronutrients. These supplements are required for everybody. One of the main supplements that our diets need in it that also keeps us fit is called Garcinia cambogia. In the article that I have read the author stated that “Garcinia cambogia supplements are made from extracts of the peel of the Garcinia gummi-gutta fruit. They contain high amounts of HCA, which is linked to weight loss benefits” (Bjarnadottir, 2018). This supplement can be very helpful for someone who wants to burn off weight quicker. In this article the author also stated that “The supplements generally contain 20-60% HCA. Nevertheless, studies show that those with 50-60% HCA may provide the most benefit” (Bjarnadotti, 2018). It is important to make sure that the body is consuming the right amount of supplements so that you can stay as healthy as a horse.

This dietary supplement claims that it has been portrayed as the fruit of the Garcinia cambogia, also known as Garcinia gummi-gutta. This supplement also claims that the peel of the fruit contains high amounts of HCA, which is the reason why it benefits weight loss. Garcinia is a pumpkin shaped yellow-greenish fruit that tastes so sour that it only has to be used for cooking not eating. These supplements are prepared from the extraction of the peel of the fruit. Many research studies have been done on weight loss and how garcinia had a big effect on it. Many of these quality research studies indicate that this supplement can cause a small amount of weight loss.