here's my opinion:

1st the word supplement :
Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

so, if the person is fine and healthy.......why take supplements? i think there's no need for it...

a person should take supplement when the person is deficient of certain element......and i also think that supplements should not be taken for long period of time because it is not necessary to do so.....
as for side effects.......there should be none when taken in therapeutic dose.....

as for the origin of the drug whether it is natural, synthetic, or a modified natural form.......it does not seem to matter much..........
the action of the drug is about the same......
action of modified natural drug and synthetic drug can be more potent though...

NB!
supplements do not replace the need for minimum daily dietary intake of nutrients.....


i disagree
here's an analogy : the vegetable you eat takes it's nutrients from fertilizers and the soil ............so are you eating fertilizers, the soil?

This post has been edited by slimey: Jun 4 2010, 01:14 AM

take note that process chemical =/= final product

there's no chemical difference in the structure of natural and synthetic vitamin....unless the synthetic vitamin is modified such that there's other attribute such as easier to absorb, less toxicity, longer half-life...........

so the action of synthetic and natural drugs is the same in essence
and yes, synthetic drugs are just as effective as natural ones....

as for the chemical name of the vitamin... they refer to the same thing actually and the terms can be interchanged...
eg:
ascorbic acid = ascorbate =vitamin C
ethanoic acid = ethanoate
aspartate = aspartic acid

side effects is none if there's no overdose of the vitamin/mineral