How to Choose Health Supplements

Author: / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
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1. What is a health food? What are its differences from ordinary foods and medicines? China has used various terms for health foods, such as "curative foods," "tonic foods," "nutritional health foods," and "functional foods," which are now uniformly referred to as "health foods." The "Measures for the Administration of Health Foods" issued by the National Health Ministry on March 15, 1996, defines health foods as "foods that claim to have specific health functions, suitable for specific populations, regulate body functions, and are not intended for treatment." This provides a clear concept of health foods in China. The "General Standard for Health (Functional) Foods of the People's Republic of China," approved by the National Technical Supervision Administration on February 8, 1997, further standardizes the definition of health (functional) foods. The standard states, "Health foods are a type of food with common properties of ordinary foods, capable of regulating human body functions, suitable for specific populations, and not intended for the treatment of diseases." Health foods are a type of food with common properties, including providing the necessary nutrients for the human body, sensory functions (such as color, aroma, taste, appearance, and texture to meet different preferences and requirements), and safety and non-toxicity. However, health foods differ from ordinary foods in that they have functional properties, specifically the ability to regulate human body functions. They should at least have at least ten functions that regulate human body functions, such as immune regulation, anti-aging, memory improvement, weight loss, blood lipid regulation, and blood sugar regulation. Additionally, health foods are suitable for specific populations, which is another significant difference from ordinary foods. Ordinary foods provide people with the necessary nutrients for life activities, and everyone, regardless of age or gender, needs them. In contrast, health foods, due to their ability to regulate one or more functions of the human body, are only beneficial for people with certain dysfunctions in those functions. For those who already have well-regulated functions, consuming health foods is unnecessary and may even have adverse effects. For example, weight-loss foods are suitable for obese individuals but not for those who are underweight. Health foods must be proven to have clear and stable health effects through experiments and must have clear active ingredients. They must undergo a certain declaration process and be reviewed and approved by the National Health Ministry before being labeled as health foods. Health foods are also different from medicines because they are foods, not medicines. Medicines are used to treat diseases, while health foods are not intended for treatment and do not pursue clinical therapeutic effects or promote treatment claims. Health foods focus on regulating the physiological rhythms of the body, enhancing its defense functions, and achieving the goals of health preservation and recovery. Health foods also prioritize safety and must meet food hygiene requirements, whereas medicines are allowed to have certain degrees of toxicity and side effects. Health foods do not require a doctor's prescription, while medicines generally do, and their dosages are also limited. Human physiological states can be categorized into three forms: healthy, diseased, and sub-health (pre-disease) states. People have two main views on health: an active health perspective and a passive health perspective. The passive health perspective that health means the absence of diseases. However, some diseases have unclear pathological foundations or organ function issues that affect health, and some are in the early stages of diseases, especially many chronic diseases. If these hidden risks are still considered within the health without treatment, it will result in the loss of an opportunity to effectively control the disease. Therefore, it is a passive health perspective. The active health perspective, as defined by the World Health Organization, views health as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or weakness. Here, it highlights three fundamental aspects of health: physical, mental, and social. It also considers health as a state, where health and disease are seen as dynamic processes coexisting in a continuous unity. Therefore, for individuals in a healthy state, a regular diet can meet their nutritional needs. Currently, there are 13 widely recognized health indicators worldwide:
① Vibrant and energetic
② Cheerful and full of vitality
③ Normal height and weight
④ Maintaining normal body temperature, pulse, and breathing rate
⑤ Strong appetite
⑥ Bright eyes and pink eyelids
⑦ Less prone to illness
⑧ Normal bowel and bladder function
⑨ Pale tongue
⑩ Healthy gums and oral mucosa
⑧ Smooth skin
⑩ Smooth and shiny hair
⑩ Strong and slightly pink nails.
Disease refers to the dysfunction of normal structure and function in one or more parts of the human body. Diseases are the result of an imbalance in the internal environment, where the internal environment is insufficient to resist severe stress, trauma, infectious pathogens, toxins, congenital metabolic defects, malnutrition, or aging. During illness, the body is in a pathological state, and in addition to a good diet, the reversal of the state depends on medical (including surgical) treatment. The sub-health state is a transitional period when the human body shifts from a healthy state to a diseased state due to various triggering factors, including genetic factors. It is also called the pre-disease state. Analysis shows that approximately 45% of the population is in a sub-health state. In middle-aged and senior intellectuals in Shanghai, 75.3% are in a sub-health state, with 19.8% suffering from one or more serious diseases, and only 5% being truly healthy. Among modern corporate managers, those in a sub-health state are as high as 85% or more due to daily stress and social engagements. In China, sub-health is a serious issue that cannot be ignored. The causes of sub-health are multifaceted, such as:
① Overfatigue leading to mental and physical exhaustion
② Natural aging
③ Various discomforts in the early and recovery stages of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and chronic diseases, as well as post-surgical rehabilitation
④ Low periods in the human biological cycle.
Therefore, in the sub-health state, symptoms such as physical fatigue, emotional abnormalities, weakness, decreased resistance, frailty, premature aging, dizziness, insomnia, and lethargy may occur. Broadly speaking, the sub-health state also includes post-illness recovery periods and some hidden physiological abnormalities, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, blood pressure fluctuations, increased blood viscosity, and endocrine disorders. Once chronic diseases develop, recovery requires a longer time and can be challenging. Therefore, when the body is in a sub-health state, it is essential to promptly exit this state. The best approach is to identify the cause and, while maintaining a normal diet, use corresponding health foods for correction or prevention. In addition, specific functional foods, such as sports foods, anti-aging foods, intelligence-enhancing foods, and immune-boosting foods, can enhance the physiological functions of normal individuals or those in the normal age period, allowing their latent functions to be realized.
1.10 How to Determine the Need for Health Foods?
We know that when the human body is in a healthy state, ordinary foods are sufficient; when it is in a diseased state, treatment primarily relies on medicines; and when it is in a sub-health state, functional foods are needed to promote the body's transition from a pre-disease state to a healthy state. Therefore, the need for health foods depends on whether one's physiological state is sub-health. If it is, targeted health foods should be chosen, and blind consumption should be avoided. Health foods have the function of regulating the human body and are suitable for specific populations. Therefore, only specific populations with the following conditions need to consume health foods.
1. Populations with Nutrient Deficiencies
Nutritional surveys in China have found that children lack VA, VB1, and VB2, with anemia prevalence rates of 20%–30%. The general population lacks calcium, with normal daily calcium intake accounting for only about 50% of the recommended amount. Infants, pregnant women, and the elderly are particularly severely affected by calcium deficiency. Bone softening, rickets in children, and osteoporosis in the elderly and postmenopausal women all indicate calcium deficiency. Therefore, for populations with nutrient deficiencies, timely supplementation with corresponding nutritional supplements is necessary.
2. Populations with Abnormal Biochemical Indicators
For populations with abnormal biochemical indicators such as high blood lipids, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, blood pressure fluctuations, high blood viscosity, and obesity, health foods that regulate blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight loss should be consumed.
3. Populations with Various Symptoms
Physiological symptoms such as memory decline, physical fatigue, poor sleep, impaired vision, poor gastrointestinal function, emotional abnormalities, weakness, frailty, and premature aging indicate the need for corresponding health foods, such as those for memory improvement, anti-fatigue, sleep improvement, vision improvement, gastrointestinal function improvement, immune enhancement, and anti-aging. For example, there are over 200 calcium supplements on the market, each with different chemical compositions, such as calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium acetate, calcium gluconate, calcium tartrate, and calcium caseinate. When choosing calcium supplements, it is essential to select products with high calcium content, good absorption rates, safety, minimal irritation, and affordable prices.
4. When Choosing Health Foods, Carefully Review the Packaging and Labeling
Only products that meet regulatory requirements should be purchased. The main labeling content includes: health food name, production unit, health food approval number, main ingredients, active ingredients, health functions, target population (unsuitable population), precautions, and date labeling (shelf life). In recent years, the Health Ministry has repeatedly inspected health food products, and some products still violate regulations by promoting or implying therapeutic effects. For example, the Health Ministry reported more than 60 products, such as Baoli Tang lipid-lowering capsules, which have no approval numbers and excessively promote supposed health functions like improving sexual function and preventing liver cirrhosis. Some even claim to be effective treatments for high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and diabetes. These labels violate regulations and severely mislead consumers.
5. Choose the Appropriate Dosage Form for Yourself
Currently, health foods in China come in traditional food forms, such as tea bags, grain products, and alcoholic products, as well as pharmaceutical forms like capsules, oral solutions, powders, and tablets. Pharmaceutical forms account for 80% of current health food products. Since different populations have varying needs (e.g., some are not suitable for alcoholic products), it is best to choose a dosage form that suits your characteristics. Different dosage forms may sometimes affect health functions. For example, health foods containing lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, if packaged as oral solutions, may not preserve live bacteria well, resulting in few or no live bacteria reaching the consumer and thus affecting their health benefits. In contrast, if beneficial bacteria are freeze-dried and made into tablets or capsules, they are revived during consumption, with high live bacterial content, long shelf life, and each capsule or tablet containing billions of live bacteria.
6. Avoid Purchasing Counterfeit or Adulterated Health Foods
Consumers should buy from reputable stores or health food specialty shops and avoid purchasing cheap or heavily discounted products from street vendors. It is particularly important to choose health foods with the "blue hat" mark to avoid counterfeit or adulterated products that may harm health. Due to the vast number of health food products, it is difficult to choose the right one at first, so consulting a health physician, nutritionist, or general practitioner is highly necessary. When purchasing health foods, also note the following:
① Do not blindly follow trending products. Just because a product is popular does not mean it is suitable for your health condition. This not only wastes money but may also be harmful to your health.
② Do not buy based on advertising claims. Some manufacturers, driven by profit, may exaggerate the health benefits of health foods, misleading consumers with claims like "making one hundred million people smarter" or "losing X pounds in a week." Pay special attention to distinguishing the content of street newspapers and privately distributed advertisements, as they may lead to being deceived.
③ Do not overly trust imported health foods. Imported health foods are not only expensive but may not be more effective than domestic products. China's health foods still have advantages and unique characteristics in many aspects.