Understanding Nutritional Supplements

Do you take nutritional supplements? Do you wonder if you should take nutritional supplements? Do you want to know about nutritional supplements? Are you confused by all the information about nutritional supplements? Then this course is for you! Economic data indicates 75-80% of American adults purchase nutritional supplements. This data also indicates nutritional supplements are a multi-billion dollar market in the United States. The popularity of nutritional supplements and the enormity of available information and advertisements can lead to confusion for health conscious consumers interested in purchasing nutritional supplements. It can also be difficult to understand all the available information and to know what should be considered when deciding whether to purchase a nutritional supplement. This introductory course is intended to familiarize students with what nutritional supplements are and how nutritional supplements are marketed in the United States. Students will explore some specific nutritional supplements and discover characteristics associated with each covered supplement. The general nutritional supplement information covered in this course also offers students a better understanding of how to evaluate nutritional supplement information and advertisements. This increased understanding of nutritional supplements will assist students in discussions with their personal health care providers to determine if nutritional supplements are right for them.