food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins,minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet. Some countries define dietary supplements as foods, while in others they are defined as drugs or natural health products are included as a category of food in theCodex Alimentarius, a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety. These texts are drawn up by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an organization that is sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and theWorld Health Organization (WHO).
How important of supplementary food
Why supplementary food is so important?
An easy result from surveys conducted in many countries reveals that in present, people are having insufficient nutrition for health such as having 50% less calcium and the nutrition contained in plants, vegetables, and fruits are less than those in the past. Environmental pollution and our lifestyle such as smoking, drinking alcohol, sun bathing or even stress can cause health damage as well.
Thus, we need to consume nutritious and health food in every meals. However, the best source of vitamins and minerals are vegetables and fruits. Only 15% of women and 13% of men have sufficient volume of vitamins and minerals as suggested. Therefore, supplementary food helps fulfilling the missing amount of nutrition but not replacing main food. It also helps our body not to lack of necessary nutrition and is an easy way to earn nutrition.