Examination of the Efficacy of Dietary Supplements

Examination of the Efficacy of Dietary Supplements What has led to the popularity of dietary supplements and is their success deserved? Surname: LU First name: YIXUAN Introduction The definitions of dietary supplements are varied from different countries which specify the scope of the term differently, and this essay presents a logical common definition of dietary supplements. Dietary supplements, the forms of which are usually tablets, pills, powders, capsules or liquid preparations, are oral products taken at recommended dosage in addition to normal food intake. It contains one or more kind of nutrient which is derived from food products such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Additionally herbs or other botanicals are included in US definition. The sales of dietary supplements show that the popularity of dietary supplements among all fields and all ages of people has been rising dramatically in a few decades. In the US, sales of dietary supplements in 2001 were about $17.8 billion (Nutrtion Journal. 2011), and as reported by the latest statistics, dietary supplements annual sale has increased to approximately $30 billion (MD, 2014). In this essay, first of all, I will illustrate the reason why food supplements become so popular among general public, followed by a detailed illustration of the benefits of dietary supplements as supporting. Then some controversial issues raised by such popularity will be revealed, and the risks of taking dietary supplements are shown subsequently. In the end, I will give some suggestions to consumers when taking dietary supplements. The popularity of food supplements There are many factors accounting for the popularity of food supplements. Ransley et al. (2001) argue that four main driving forces cause this popularity. Firstly, the modern diet seems can hardly meet the strict requirement of health and life of people today especially in terms of nutrition, and the lack of the categories and quantities of nutrients can be supplied by taking dietary supplements. Secondly, eating dietary supplements are considered to be a remedy or precaution of aging-related diseases, which makes them quite popular among old people. Thirdly, in consideration of the increasing price of medicines and the inconvenience of seeing a doctor, taking dietary supplements directly is more attractive to consumers. Lastly, with the improvement of living standard, people are more concerned about their own health. Therefore he desirable features of food supplements can get people’s attention successfully. The benefits of taking dietary supplements Taking right amount of food supplements can assure an adequate dietary intake of essential nutrients. Although we can get all the vitamins and minerals we need as long as we keep a well-balanced diet every day, it is not easy to follow this good habit strictly especially among commuters and teenagers. Therefore, Webb (2006) claims that using dietary supplements, such as multivitamins and cod liver oil, usually helps ensuring the adequacy of nutritionally diet. As Walji (1995) and Mason (2001) point out, having irregular meals is quite common and this may cause nutritional deficiency. Besides, improper methods of preserving and cooking food may result in the loss of some nutrients from food, particularly those delicate and unstable vitamins, which may cause a phenomenon that people eating a lot but still undernourished (Walji, 1995). Additionally, the amount of nutritional requirements vary from person to person, even the nutrient containing in the standard diet may still be either ex ceed or inferior to some people. Therefore having a wholesome diet with the addition of supplements personally is a good way to ensure the correct amount of nutrients keeping our body in optimum condition. Besides, food supplements do have a powerful psychological effect on consumers. This is shown in a research that many consumers use supplements occasionally and take them only when the spirits are low or when they are stressful (Ransley, et al., 2001). Another benefit of taking dietary supplements is the efficacy of preventing deficiency diseases (Webb, 2006; Mason, 2001). In order to cure some diseases, people may need to increase demand for a particular nutrient in certain medical conditions or other circumstances. Take vitamin D deficiency as an example, vitamin D has the function of promoting intestinal tract absorption of calcium. Webb (2006) points out that the main source of vitamin D inside body comes from exposing the skin to the ultraviolet rays in the sunshine. People who spends less than the necessary amount of time under the sunshine, seems to be more vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency. Webb (2006) also notes that the lack of vitamin D is an essential contributing factor in the development of osteoporosis among old people. Combining with the fact that the ability of converting sunlight into vitamin D in the elderly will decrease as they grow older, taking related supplements become more necessary and functional. COMA ( 1991) recommended that vitamin D supplements should be taken by all aged people only if they are regularly exposed to the sunlight with reasonable amount of time (Webb, 2006). The usage of dietary supplements also contributes to avoiding other diseases or illness such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers or skin problems. Differentiating from the supplements treating nutritional deficiencies, food supplements for other diseases may have long-term positive effects on physical condition (Webb, 2006). For instance, fish oil supplement is well known for its effect on heart diseases. A conclusive study demonstrating the function of fish oil has been done by Burr et al. (1989). He tested â€Å"the effects of dietary intervention in the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI)† (Burr et al. 1989, p757). The result shows a nearly 30% decrease in total mortality among the tested men who were suggested to eat oily fish (or fish oil capsules if some people did not eat fish) during the two years study (Burr et al. 1989). Although some variables may have not considered in the study, it is still a comparatively successful experiment verifying the efficac y of fish oil which is the main effective ingredient in fatty fish. Controversial problems following with the popularity With the growing popularity of taking food supplements, many controversial problems arise subsequently. What is the standard direction of taking dietary supplements? Are there adequate regulations of dietary supplements market especially in terms of herbs and mineral? whether dietary supplements make a worthwhile contribution to a healthy dietà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¸ All these issues point to the risks of taking dietary supplements. The risks of taking dietary supplements There are so many unknown risks of eating dietary supplements, one of the main risks is that it may be harmful if people taking supplements in wrong dosage. If people take over-dose of specific supplements in the diet, such behavior may trigger the food-drug interactions (Hans, et al., 2001). Both the FDA (Food and Drug Administration in the US, 2014) and Webb(2006) state that the excessive use of some supplements, such as vitamin and iron, may cause some health risks and needless effects before, during and after surgery. For example, large ÃŽ ²-carotene supplements are known for the efficacy of preventing heart disease and cancer, but some studies show that such supplements may have counteractive. â€Å"Rapala et al. (1997) reported increased death rates from coronary heart disease in those subjects (smokers) given ÃŽ ²-carotene supplements compared with those receiving either the placebo or vitamin E supplements† (Webb, 2006). In addition, the ‘inverse supplement hypot hesis’ claims that some people who already have sufficient nutrition are more likely to taking supplements (Ransley, et al., 2001). Here is the evidence provided by the Women’s Cohort Study. In this study, one of the informants took 9g of vitamin C from supplements and an extra 90mg from another vitamin preparation. The intake of these two was more than 200 times than the RNI (Recommended Nutrient Intakes) and this is the amount without taking her dietary intake into account (SFL, et al., 1998). The above-mentioned evidence illustrates that consumers taking wrong dosage of food supplements may also be harmful. Another risk of taking dietary supplements is the lack of informed advices. As Blendon et al. (2001) indicate that, there is a lack of connection and trust between physicians and consumers. Because consumers do not believe in the information about supplements from physicians, likewise when physicians notice some problems about dietary supplements, they do not inform the consumers. Therefore, consumers prefer to take self-meditation, such as using dietary supplements to treat their illness, which is more convenient and have private space. However, when consumers need to ensure the daily intake, they have to search sources of advice from some unidentified places, such as internet, dietary supplement shop or the media. â€Å"This approach to self-meditation will carry risks and corresponding proof is that intakes of some supplements can be toxic to health and will cause serious adverse effects such as diarrhea (vitamin C) and flushing (niacin) † (Ransley, et al., 2001, p12). Furthermore, many benefits of dietary supplements are still unknown and unproved, so taking dietary supplements should be very cautious. The FDA (2014) illustrates that many supplements contain active ingredients which may cause strong biological effects in the body and increase risks of health in some cases. Therefore, the behavior of some consumers, using dietary supplements instead of prescription medicines, is obvious unwise (U.S.FDA, 2014). Since dietary supplements are neither food additives nor drugs, they are in a special status which was established by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (Hunrer and Trum, 1999). Obviously, it is not sensible to replacing the prescription medicines to supplements. In terms of herbs, herbal products do have some clinically proven benefits, but there are more facts illustrate its potential of containing toxic substances, especially regarding to the interaction with drugs (Halsted, 2003). Conclusion From what the essay has mentioned above, dietary supplement has a close relationship with our daily health. It is clear that the benefits of dietary supplement contribute to its popularity mainly. Various number of food supplements added in our daily intakes suitably enable us a nutritional-balanced diet. However the risks of taking dietary supplements are non-ignorable, which not only imply the room of the improvement of dietary supplements but also remind us necessity of taking supplements cautiously. In addition, some benefits of eating food supplements as well as the risks may be missing in this essay. It is not objective to say the popularity is good or not directly. In my view, the increasing number of people taking dietary supplements reflects a high awareness of personal health among publics. Meanwhile eating dietary supplements wisely is also necessary. To keep the balance of dietary supplement, several measures should be taken by the government. Such as strengthen the supervision of the production and sales of dietary supplements, establish detailed guideline of the usage of supplements and cultivate specialists in the field of food supplements. Apart from some regulations should be improved by the authorities, what we should do is be a savvy supplement user, thinking twice when purchase food supplements, reading the instructions of the supplements carefully before taking these products, finding out the relevant benefits of them in order to deepen the understanding of preparations and noticing the deficiency symptoms and following the measurement with cautious. References Blendon, R. J. et al., 2001. Americans Views on the Use and Regulation of Dietary Supplements. JAMA Internal Medicine, 26 March, pp. 805-810. Burr, et al., 1989. EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN FAT, FISH, AND FIBRE INTAKES ON DEATH AND MYOCARDIAL REINFARCTION: DIET AND REINFARCTION TRIAL (DART). The Lancet, 2(8666), p. 757–761. Eaglstein, W. H., 2014. What Are Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals?. In: The FDA for Doctors. s.l.:Springer International Publishing, pp. 25-27. Halsted, C. H., 2003. Dietary supplements and functional foods: 2 sides of a coin?. American Society for Clinical Nutrition, April, pp. 1001S-1007S. Hans, V., Eussen, S.R.B.M., Loveren, H. v. Rompelberg, C. J., 2001. Functional foods and dietary supplements: Products at the interface between pharma and nutrition. European Journal of Pharmacology, September, pp. S2-S9. Hunrer Trum, B., 1999. The New Dietary Supplement Label. Consumers Research Magazine, 82(9), p. 27. Mason, P., 2001. Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed ed. s.l.:London:Pharmaceutical Press. MD, W. H. E., 2014. What Are Dietary Supplements and Nutraceuticals?. In: The FDA for Doctors. s.l.:Springer International Publishing, pp. 25-27. Webb, P.G., 2006. Dietary supplements and functional foods. 1st ed. ed. s.l.:Oxford: Blackwell. Ransley, J., Donelly, J. Read, N., 2001. Food and Nutritional Supplements:their role in health and disease. Berlin: London : Springer, c2001. SFL, K., JE, C., MT, C. JH, B., 1998. Supplementary issues for women. Nutrition Bulletin, Volume 23, pp. 197-202. U.S.FDA, 2014. Protecting and Promoting Your Health. [Online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/default.htm [Accessed 27 Aug 2014]. Walji, H., 1995. Vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements : a definitive guide to healthy eating. s.l.:London :Headway. 1

Nature Nurture Debate Essay

?NATURE VERSUS NURTURE IS THE ARGUMENT OF WHETHER IT IS the characteristics that are inherited, or those that are learnt through environmental influences, which effect how we develop. ?WE ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL approaches in relation to whether it is nature or nurture that determines gender: ?Psychodynamic ?Biological ?Social Learning ?Cognitive Sex and Gender Sex and gender are often referred to as one and the same, so it is important to distinguish between certain words and phrases: ?Sex: The biological state of a person; whether they are male or female depending on their genetic makeup. ?Gender: This is the social interpretation of sex. Is an individuals classification on whether a person is male or female. ?Gender Identity/ Role: Through socialisation we learn what is acceptable behaviour from females and males. We learn that each have different expected characteristics. ?Gender Constancy: Is the realisation that gender is fixed. This happens at 4 years of age. Psychodynamic Approach ?Freud backs up both the nature and nurture, with his psychodynamic approach: ?His idea of the personality being in three parts: the Id, Ego, and Superego. ?The Id is what we are said to have acquired naturally in birth. It is the primitive self, who strives to survive. Psychodynamic Approach ?The ego develops a few months in, and continues to be learnt from the outside world, it is when our consciousness comes into play. A child would learn the di$erence between male and female. ?The superego is the internalisation of moral values. We strive to do the right thing. So a child may have it instilled to act a certain way because that is what is expected, so any other feelings may be pushed into the unconscious. Psychosexual Stages ?In Freuds Psychosexual stages, it is the Phallic stage at age 3 to 6 years old that children become gender aware. ?A child is aware of what sex they are biologically, but their gender is e$ected by interactions between mother and father. Psychodynamic Theory ?However the personality model Freud talks about cannot be proved. ?This approach is also deterministic in that there is no free will when it comes to the psychosexual stages Little Hans Case Study Biological Approach All that is psychological is psysiological ? rst ‘Aron’. Social Learning Approach Cognitive Approach Conclusion ? There is no doubt that sex is based solely upon nature, whereas determining gender brings together both nurture and nature as it is the how society views the sexes. All that is psychological is psysiological ? rst ‘Aron’. Thought’s, feeling’s, ect, reside in the mind and are ultimately of biological cause. Biological psychology is the study of the physiological basis of behaviour and experience, it is highly scienti+c in approach, the key areas of study include:- †¢The nervous system and behaviour †¢States of consciousness †¢Biological rythms †¢Motivation †¢Anxiety and stress †¢pain Biological Psychology Cognitive is mainly a consequence of maturation stages of innate structures Biological Biological psychology states:- †¢Human Behaviour can be explained through hormones, genetics, evolution and the nervous system †¢If in theory, behaviour can be explained biologically, causes for unwanted behaviours can be modi+ed or removed using biological treatment such as medication for mental illnesses. †¢Biological psychology believes in experimental treatment conducted using animals, this is due to our biological similarities. Biological Charles Darwin †¢Was an 18th century English naturalist and geologist. †¢Best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. †¢Whilst on a 5 year expedition, Darwin concluded species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. †¢This created the scienti+c theory to a branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process he called natural selection. †¢For 20 years Darwin worked on his theory †¢1859 The origin of species was published †¢The book was extremely controversial, mainly due to the theory of homo sapiens being another form of animal, leading to a theory of our evolution from apes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The church was not happy. Biological Studying psychology within an evolutionary framework has revolutionized the +eld, allowing di$erent approaches to be uni+ed under one banner. Darwin also pioneered one of evolutionary psychology’s most important tools, the comparative method. The results coming from this new +eld continue to change how we view our behavior and mental abilities, as well as those of other animals. Darwin’s impact in biological Psychology Biological Strengths and weaknesses biological psychology and the theories within support nature over nuture. However, it can be argued, that by limiting explanations for behaviour in terms of either nature or nurture, the complexity of human biengs is underestimated. It could be argued, that the interaction of both nature (biology) and nurture (environment) both play vital roles in our behaviour. A strength to the biological approach is its use of scienti+c methods, producing clear evidence, such as neurotransmitters. The biological approach is able to produce clear evidence, scienti+cally, for explanations A weakness to biological psychology is the reductionist explanations provided, which do not fully encompass the full scope of human behaviour. Individuals may posses a predisposition, to particular behavioural traits, however, environmental factors can also be the cause. This is called ‘Diathesis stress model’ of human behaviour. Biological Biological explanation of gender. Through evolution, men in their role as ‘hunter gatherer’, may have developed a stronger ‘+ght or ;ight response than women, who had the role of caring for the children. Due to this males and females may have developed a di$erent physiological response to stress. Taylor et al (2000) suggested that women produce a calmer response to stress due to a hormone. Oxytocin is realised in response to stress and has been shown to lead to maternal behaviour. Taylor called this the ‘tend and berfriend response’ instead of the ‘+ght or ;ight’ response. Leading to the idea women are more likely to seek social support to cope with stress.

College tuition Essay

College tuition soars, but aid grows along with it, students are paying up to 9% more to attend school. It is said that the lifetime earnings of a college graduate is at 1 million more than the overall earnings of someone with only a high school diploma. So in the end something good is coming out of spending the money to graduate from college. How are the students affected and how may it affect schools, why is tuition increasing, and what are the colleges doing with the revenues they receive. Students are affected by this increase because they are forced to take out larger loans, work full time or may even have to take fewer classes. They face opportunity costs because they are willing to sacrifice working for school hoping that school will help them more in the end. This increase not only affects the student, but the parents as well, that means that taxpayers are subsidizing a smaller share of the cost of their state universities, while students and their parents are paying an even larger slice. State funding now accounts for about 36% of revenues at public colleges, down from 45% in 1980, while tuition accounts for 19% of state university revenue, up from 13% twenty years ago. Tuition, room and board, plus the cost of books transportation and other expenses have all increased. States have been warned for months of big tuition increases because falling state revenues have forced them to cut the subsidies they provide their public universities. Colleges both public and private attribute rising tuition because of increase in faculty salaries and rising technology also construction costs. Students want better computer labs, high speed internet connections, lavish dormitories, and high tech fitness centers somebody has to pay for these accommodations after all there is â€Å"no free lunch†. Tuition at public colleges just took its biggest jump in a quarter century. Tuition at four-year public colleges and universities is up to 9. 6% from a year ago, or about seven times the rate of inflation. Private college tuition increased by 5. 8% and tuition at community colleges where laid off workers go for retraining during a weak economy. Increased by 7. 9%. Private college tuition rose to an average $18,273 but combined with living costs, books and transportation, that comes to a total of 27, 677 a year, community colleges remained the higher education bargain at 1,735 but when other costs are added, even they total $10, 458. College tuition soars, but aid grows along with it students are paying up to 9% more to attend school. Prices may be going up for tuition, but it seems like its for a good cause when the money is used to improve campus living and student well being. Students and parents may be paying an extra 7-9%, but financial aid has also increased to those who really need financial assistance. The price jumps for four year public colleges was an increase of 9. 6%, four year private college 5. 8%, and community college7. 9% these increases could be accredited to the increase of staff. Hopefully when the students graduate, they will make all the money back they spent, and plus more.

The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 1177 Words

Shannon Haessly Mrs. Warren English 11 CS 3 October 20, 2014 The Crucible In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, written in 1953 the main character Abigail Williams is to blame for the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts around 1692. The most despicable character in The Crucible is Abigail Williams because she is the reason for many peoples’ deaths. Abigail’s lies and manipulative actions lead to pain for others characters in the play. Abigail’s lies caused destruction and harm to the Proctor family. Such as when Abigail convicted Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft just so Abigail could be with John Proctor. Abigail’s main goal is to see Elizabeth dead because she and John had an affair seven months prior to the play. These points demonstrate that Abigail is the most despicable person in The Crucible. Abigail Williams has no respect for marriage. Abigail’s relationship with John Proctor and her friction to Goody Proctor are reasons why Elizabeth Proctor was accused as a witch and later the death of John. Abiga il used to work for John and Elizabeth Proctor at their household until Elizabeth found out about the affair and threw Abigail out. Abigail tries to convince John to fall for her when Abigail knows he is in love with his wife, Elizabeth. But Abigail wants to refer back to her affair with John and continue a relationship with him. Although John told Abigail that the affair was over and she tried desperately to continue their romance. â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from timeShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1269 Words   |  6 PagesAt first glance, the playwright Arthur Miller in The Crucible highlights the historical significance of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, but in fact it is an allegorical expression of his perception of McCarthyism. 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