It appears that almost every week, some newspaper or TV show decides to wield a popular scare tactic trying to sway consumers to become skeptical about using dietary supplements. And this negativism isn’t just in the U.S. In April 2009, Professor Regan’s Diet Clinic, a TV program on the BBC2’s Horizon series, overarchingly told viewers that supplements are not necessary if you eat a balanced diet.

Well, perhaps in theory this may make some sense. But … how many people really eat a balanced diet? And of those, how many perfectly manage stress (preventing stress from creating free radicals), do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, drink no caffeine, and who exercise regularly?

Dietary supplements are … just that. They are nutrients in convenient forms (pills, beverages, powders for shakes) that fill in the gaps and in many cases, give us more optimal doses of compounds for our bodies.

However, more and more experts are proponents of consuming quality, researched dietary supplements. As a great example, more than 80% of registered dietitians who took part in a survey said they consider most Americans have gaps in their diets that can be filled with vitamins and other dietary supplements.

The research, from the “Life…supplemented” 2009 Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study, also showed that 76 percent said that supplements can address their own diet gaps, and, 96 percent stated they take supplements with 87 percent recommending dietary supplements to their clients.

Beyond this, more and more studies are being conducted on nutraceuticals and human health. Science appears to be determined to discover exactly how naturally occurring chemicals influence and impact a variety of processes in the human body and in certain states of disease.

Our lives are busier than ever and most of us do not have the time to ensure we eat daily diets abundant in vitamins and minerals which will benefit us in the long-term. Dietary supplements are the perfect solutions to top off our bodies’ empty or partially filled tanks, keeping us moving for the long journey!

For more information about the Healthcare Professionals Impact Study, visit www.lifesupplemented.org

The expression to describe an abundance of something – “more than Carter has pills” — reflects a once very popular product called Carter’s Little Liver Pills, an early dietary supplement to promote liver health. Launched by Dr. Samuel Carter in 1868 to “positively cure … sick headache and torpid liver” this was the ancestor of the modern condition-specific supplements available today, but prior to FDA/FTC rules that prohibit a dietary supplement made with nature’s ingredients to make such outright health claims.

In the intervening years since 1868, the multivitamin became the dominant supplement, the must-have to start a healthy day. Also, prior to DSHEA in 1994, many dietary supplements were individualized – individual vitamins, minerals, herbs.

Since the successful advent of DSHEA, manufacturers with help from ingredient suppliers and formulators were able to start manufacturing multi-ingredient formulas that support the structure and function of a system or organ in the human body. These formulas did something amazing:  they made it easy for any consumer to shop for what was (and remains) most appropriate and desirable for him or her. These condition-specific formulas took away much of the intimidation factor.

In fact, the industry research publication, Nutrition Business Journal, has reported, “Supplement and ingredient firms remain committed to health condition-specific products, which accounted for 92% of U.S. supplement sales in 2007.”

In 2006, Packaged Facts concluded in its report, “Nutritional Supplements in the U.S.” that condition-specific supplements lead overall sales, because consumers tend to seek out those with labels clearly communicating intended benefit of use. In 2005, Packaged Facts reported that condition-specific products accounted for a large proportion of new product introductions which rose by 33 percent that year.

The communications and collaborations between nutritional ingredient manufacturers and their brand marketing partners have never been as strong, exciting and cutting-edge as it is today in launching new condition-specific supplements and refining older formulas based on new research evidence. Consumers are more excited than ever because they have adapted to using condition-specific supplements as a long-term tool or as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Armed with this knowledge, many ingredient suppliers continue to search through peer-reviewed journals to validate safety, efficacy and mechanism of action of their ingredients. As one example, D-Chiro-Inositol, which has been found to have a positive impact for ovarian health and to help support healthy blood sugar as well.

Given the sheer popularity of condition-specific supplement formulas on the market, the dietary supplement industry’s future is secured as a reliable means to nourish health, in a personalized and easy way.