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All dietary supplements can be divided into several functional groups. These are, first of all, substances that are either not synthesized at all in the body (they are irreplaceable), or their synthesis is often disrupted for one reason or another. Of this group of food supplements, vitamins are the best known. The very word "vitamins" was coined to denote substances that must enter the body in small quantities and the lack of which leads to various health problems - vitamin deficiency.

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Now, along with vitamins, it is recommended to pay attention also to essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 acids), which are contained in certain oils (for example, in fish oil, flaxseed and rapeseed oil, black currant, borage and evening primrose oils), some minerals (calcium, selenium, zinc, magnesium), essential amino acids. Drugs in this group are most consistent with the name "food additives", as they are designed to fill the lack of certain substances in the diet. In the meantime, do not forget that a proper balanced diet remains the most natural way to get all these really important substances. And only in the case of an inadequate diet, which obviously does not meet the body's needs for essential substances, nutritional supplements become necessary. For example, a strict vegetarian diet may be deficient in vitamin B12 and calcium, while a low-fat diet or diet dominated by animal fats and margarines may lack essential fatty acids.

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Another group includes drugs that improve the body's ability to withstand harmful influences. Here antioxidants are in the lead - substances (among them, by the way, there are many vitamins) that neutralize free radicals (reactive oxygen species), which play a leading role in aging processes and the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Vitamins E, C, and A have antioxidant properties. Of the non-vitamin antioxidants, the most popular are plant polyphenolic compounds (flavonoids) and plants containing them, such as green tea and red grapes.

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Among herbal preparations with antioxidant action, pycnogenol, an extract of the bark of the seaside pine (Pinus pinaster), should be mentioned. The producers of this food supplement claim that, since the seaside pine grows in harsh conditions, being exposed to temperature extremes, intense exposure to the sun and harsh salty winds, it accumulates especially a lot of powerful antioxidants - anthocyanidins, which can protect not only pine, but also the human body. Pycnogenol is also found in grape seeds and skins. Green tea extract is also used as an antioxidant supplement, which gained popularity after it was discovered that green tea reduces the likelihood of developing malignant tumors.

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Many herbal antioxidant preparations have a number of other beneficial properties: they improve the properties of the walls of blood vessels and blood circulation, have wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects. Examples of multifunctional herbal antioxidants include silymarin from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), which protects the liver from damage, and resveratrol from red grapes, which has anti-neoplastic effects and strengthens the cardiovascular system.

Almost in the same way as antioxidants, phytoestrogens are popular - plant substances that resemble female sex hormones in structure (see Science and Life, No. 5, 2008). They are recommended not only for women to eliminate the troubles of menopause, but also for the elderly of both sexes for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Soy and red clover are the most commonly advertised sources of phytoestrogens.

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Some plants contain substances that improve the functioning of the immune system, increasing resistance to infectious diseases. Echinacea and garlic are most popular here.

As in the case of vitamins and minerals, the result that nutritional supplements give can be achieved by adjusting the diet - drinking green tea and, if there are no contraindications, red wine (in moderation), eating more fruits, berries and vegetables, not forgetting about garlic ... Many spices have antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, so it is useful to include Indian and Oriental dishes in your meals from time to time. The phytoestrogenic effect can be obtained by including more soy foods in the diet. By the way, the first information that phytoestrogens alleviate the symptoms of menopause and prevent cardiovascular diseases was obtained precisely as a result of the analysis of morbidity statistics in Asian countries, where people traditionally consume a lot of soy products (see Science and Life No. 5, 2008 .).

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Most controversial is the third group of drugs, which includes substances that can affect physiological processes, although they are not formally drugs. For example, ginkgo biloba is said to normalize blood circulation in the brain and is therefore recommended Inflated to improve brain function, especially in the elderly. Herbs containing ephedra and caffeine are used in fat-burning formulations. And preparations of St. John's wort and kava-kava are taken to raise the mood. There are also many drugs to influence the functions of certain organs and systems - to improve vision, cleanse the liver and kidneys, increase joint flexibility, etc. They can contain combinations of two or three herbs or complex multi-ingredient cocktails of herbs, minerals and vitamins. On the one hand, we are talking only about medicinal herbs that have been treated from time immemorial. On the other hand, these herbs are increasingly recommended to healthy people as a scientifically based way to insure themselves against possible ailments.