Prescription medication is part of the lives of many adults and children, likely due to chronic ailments or birth defects.
However, with more people being at risk of malnutrition, it’s easy to see how Prescribable nutritional supplements have come into play.
There are plenty of pharmaceutical companies that promote the benefits of their products and while this is something that hasn’t always been necessary, it seems like people need it more than ever.
These oral nutritional supplements can provide you with the missing nutrients to find out more check out Aymes.
Treatment and Identification of Malnutrition
One of the main reasons for dietary supplements requiring a prescription is mainly due to the growing number of cases regarding malnutrition.
This costs the NHS £13 billion per annum as it affects three million adults. Those suffering from malnutrition are more likely to have longer hospital visits and more visits to the doctor.
With so many people having poor nutrition, the identification of malnourishment is pivotal to the overall well-being of the person.
While the use of a malnutrition universal screening tool has played a role in identifying 5% of cases, BMI and weight analysis collectively identified 78% of cases that required oral nutritional supplements (ONS).
Effectiveness of Dietary Supplements
There’s no doubt that nutritional support comes with a set of benefits. This is especially true if you’re lacking certain nutrients in your diet.
For instance, vitamin D and calcium are known to enhance the strength of bones while also reducing their deterioration. Omega-3 fatty acids obtained from fish oil capsules are known to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Side Effects
Certain supplements have strong ingredients that can put you at increased risk of certain ailments in your body.
This is why it’s important to consult a doctor if you’re using a specific type of medication. Some supplements can do more harm than good as they can interfere with certain types of medicines.
For example, St. John’s wort can reduce the overall effectiveness of some medications as it speeds up the breakdown process, this is especially evident with oral contraceptives, transplant drugs, anti-HIV medicines, antidepressants, and heart medications.
Some manufacturers of beverages and breakfast cereals will add ingredients to supplement your diet, this means that you could be getting a lot more nutrients than you think.
This could lead to a higher risk of side effects such as liver damage and headaches from too much vitamin A or organ damage and nausea from too much iron.
Overall Quality
Disease-related malnutrition is something that’s been taken very seriously and the companies that are manufacturing the supplements have been provided with strict guidelines by the Food and Drug Administration.
This is regularly enforced to ensure that companies don’t add too much or too little of a particular ingredient.
There are also third-party testing agencies that provide testing on a variety of supplements, especially those used by athletes such as protein powders and creatine. High-quality products ensure patient safety and adequate nutrition support.
However, this doesn’t make it safe for high doses despite having a seal of approval.
Regardless of what you think, appropriate prescribing is always necessary to ensure that patients can take proper care of themselves.
Many supplements claim to provide plenty of potential benefits, but the only advice you should be taking is from healthcare professionals.
