Before using any dietary food supplements, one should be assured about various signs of product authenticity such as FSSAI labeling, nutritive and dietary value, natural or chemical source, authenticity of seller, online reviews, etc.

We all want to achieve the best health. By exercising regularly, sticking to healthy dietary guidelines, getting regular health checks, we make efforts to remain healthy and fit. With the current concern about spurious or duplicate and impure products, it is smart to check and use even products we consume in our routine diet. When we need something additional to augment our dietary requirements, the dietary food supplements are commonly present everywhere – from iodized salt to fortified milk. You may be aware of some factors regarding food supplements you may already use. But how to ensure that you know the important aspects of food supplements?

Here are the top points you need to know about dietary food supplements:

• Source: The source of all-natural and synthetic dietary food supplements is the most basic and important feature to consider. Good online resources and various websites have made dietary food supplements easily researchable and available. These online portals and websites offer different food supplements, with online and physical outlets of various brands that sell food supplements. Whether you choose an online source or a physical one, just check whether the brand is reliable. You can check the authenticity of the source by searching for the online presence of any food supplements or brands. These usually present positives (or negative) reviews by other users. One can find the reviews online easily.
• Way of Extraction: Natural food supplements are the best as they contain natural ingredients, which are safe and effective for human use. However, just having ‘natural’ ingredients is insufficient. The manufacturing process also plays a major role in the efficacy of any food supplements. The method of extraction is also important as different extraction methods can affect the efficacy of even natural food supplements. For instance, cold-pressed Flaxseed oil retains its efficacy while all other methods lead to loss of effective natural benefit properties required in these dietary food supplements.
• Packaging and labeling: The packaging of any product can reveal a lot about the authenticity and purity of dietary food supplements. The nutrient value should be mentioned clearly on the label. The certifications should also be checked. One of the important certifications in India is the FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. It is established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India. FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety. FSSAI has set certain guidelines for food safety and labelling. Thus, brands or dietary supplements certified by FSSAI are clearly safe and authentic to use. The FDA Ayurveda license is a similar certification that certifies the authenticity of Ayurveda products.
• Before use: Ensure that you can trust the brand’s name and value by some precautionary online research. You must also check the proper way to consume food supplements and the precautions to follow during. Normally, the key ones are mentioned on the package, with most trusted suppliers and sellers providing additional information online.
• Advertisement: Ads, especially online miracle cure ads, can be highly misleading. There are many instances of advertisements claiming or showing false results to lure customers, so keep your eyes open and do not blindly follow advertisements, even if they offer free samples, which may be a trap to mislead people into choosing sub-standard products.
• Contents: For most dietary food supplements, be careful about checking the content of natural ingredients for every serving size. Has it been mentioned? This content information will give you a greater idea about the strength, efficacy, and actual suitability of the product.
• Your health and safety are in your hands, always check, compare, and research the various natural dietary food supplements available before consuming them as the wrong product can harm both your budget and your body.