THE CHEMISTRY OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: RISKS AND BENEFITS

Abstract

There is a growing number of individuals who use food supplements to improve their physical fitness, something that for a long time was almost exclusive to athletes, is now being used by common people who practice some type of physical activity. Therefore, this study arises from discussions that took place during the development of the Chemistry course at the Federal University of Piauí, which questioned the benefits and possible harms arising from the consumption of such products. Despite being advertised as 100% natural products, food supplements have a large amount of chemical mixtures in their compositions, taking into account the presence of preservatives and colorings. Thus, this study has as its main objective to analyze the consequences of the consumption of chemical substances present in food supplements and their effects on the human body. In order to achieve the proposed objective, bibliographic research is used as a methodological approach, since this type of research allows the reading of works that discuss the theme, enabling the formulation of a new understanding. The thematic approach is pertinent because it is a subject more widely discussed in academia and society in general, which leads to the construction of some questions, such as: what are the consequences, positive or negative, related to the consumption of food supplements? What is the importance of the professional nutritionist in choosing the appropriate supplement for each individual? Which will be answered in the course of this study. The conclusion of the article is formulated by the observations made through the readings of the bibliographical research, highlighting the contributions of the presentation of the theme and the new understanding about the subject in question.