Medical uses
The intended use of dietary supplements is to ensure that a person gets enough essential nutrients.[9]
Dietary supplements should not be used to treat any disease or as preventive healthcare.[10] An exception to this recommendation is the appropriate use of vitamins.[10]
Dietary supplements are unnecessary if one eats a balanced diet.[11]
Supplements may create harm in several ways, including over-consumption, particularly of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins which can build up in the body.[12] The products may also cause harm related to their rapid absorption in a short period of time, quality issues such as contamination, or by adverse interactions with other foods and medications.[13]