来澳洲留学已经两年多了，偶尔会有亲戚朋友来请帮忙购买一些澳洲的东西（主要是奶粉，保健品，UGG等）。因为每周都会去超市，顺手能帮亲戚朋友买一下，只要是方便，我还是非常乐意的。

但是关于保健品，毕竟是吃到肚子里的东西，我自己平时不吃，也没有相关的专业知识，所以总是担心买来的保健品是否真的有用。

故现在翻译一篇澳大利亚healthdirect网站上关于保健品的介绍。（注：healthdirect是澳洲政府资助的免费健康信息网站。）

膳食补充剂（Food supplements）

Food supplements are very popular with Australians. But while supplements have some benefits, most people don’t need them. If you’re thinking about taking food supplements, talk to your doctor first – some can cause more harm than good.

膳食补充剂在澳洲非常流行。尽管它有一些好处，但是大部分人是不需要它的。如果你想要使用，你应该先和你的医生谈一下（译者注：澳洲是多级诊疗制度哦，一般会和GP医生(即国内翻译的全科医生/家庭医生)讨论这类问题），因为一些有可能弊大于利。

什么是膳食补充剂（What are food supplements?）

Food supplements (also called dietary supplements, or nutritional supplements) are products designed to give you nutrients that might be missing from your diet. They are usually taken as tablets, capsules or powders, or as a liquid.

Some common examples of supplements include vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin C, iron and calcium), oil supplements (such as fish oil capsules) and herbal supplements.

膳食补充剂（也叫营养补充剂）是致力于给你提供在饮食中可能缺失的营养成分的产品。他们经常是片剂，胶囊，粉末，或者是液体。

一些常见的补充剂包括维生素和矿物质（如维生素C，铁和钙），油补充剂（如鱼油胶囊）和草本补充剂。

为什么使用膳食补充剂（Why use food supplements?）

If your diet lacks a particular nutrient, you might need a food supplement to fill that gap.

Often, you will only need to take a supplement temporarily. For example, if you are pregnant, you might need to take supplements until your baby is born, or until you finish breastfeeding.

In some other cases, you might need to take a supplement for a longer period, including if you have a chronic health condition.

如果你的食物缺少特定的某种营养成分，你也许需要膳食补充剂来填补这个空缺。

一般情况，你只需要在一段时间内服用。例如，如果你怀孕了，你也许需要服用特定的膳食补充剂直到孩子出生，或者是哺乳结束。

在其他一些情况，你也许需要服用膳食补充剂更长的时间，包括如果你有慢性的健康状况。

谁需要膳食补充剂（Who needs food supplements?）

Studies show that many people who take supplements are actually getting enough nutrients from their diet already. In fact, most people who take supplements don’t need them. There are, however, some people who find it hard to get the nutrients they need through diet alone.

研究表明，许多使用膳食补充剂的人实际上已经从食物中得到了足够多的影响。而且事实上，大部分人不需要使用膳食补充剂。但是，确实有一些人是光凭食物是无法得到他所需的足够的影响的。

You might need to take a supplement if:

you are pregnant or breastfeeding

you are elderly, and aren’t getting enough nutrition from the food you eat (malnutrition)

you have a health condition that means your body cannot absorb the nutrients it needs (for example, if you have chronic kidney disease and are on dialysis)

you have a strong need for a particular nutrient (for example, if you are at risk of osteoporosis and need more calcium)

you have a restricted diet (for example, if you don’t eat meat and aren’t getting enough iron)

you have a nutritional deficiency (for example, a blood test shows you have a vitamin D deficiency)

也许你需要膳食补充剂，当你：

  • 怀孕或者哺乳
  • 年龄大，无法从食物中得到足够的营养（营养不良）
  • 有健康状况，也就是说你的身体无法吸收你所需要的影响（例如，你是在透析的慢性肾病患者）
  • 对某种影响有强烈的需求（例如你有很高的骨质酥松风险，需要更多的钙）
  • 限制饮食（例如你不能吃肉，没有补充足够的铁）
  • 营养缺失（例如血液检查，发现你缺少维生素D）

膳食补充剂的风险（What are the risks of using food supplements?）

While our bodies require a certain amount of each nutrient, higher amounts are not necessarily better. In fact, getting more than you need can sometimes cause harm.

For example, large doses of vitamin B6 can damage your nervous system, and taking vitamin A, C, or E supplements while you are pregnant can cause serious harm to your baby. Some supplements can also interact with other medicines you are taking.

The best way to make sure any supplements you plan to take are safe is to check with your doctor.

You can get a fact sheet on each of a wide range of dietary supplements here.

诚然我们的身体对于每一项营养成分都有一定的需求量，但是过量的影响成分不一定就是更好的。事实上，如果你获取更多，有时还可能是有害的。

例如，大剂量的维生素B6会伤害你的神经系统，在怀孕期间使用维生素A，C或者E会对胎儿有酸海。一些营养补充剂也与其他药物有相互作用。

你可以得到一个列表，关于每种影响补充剂的使用区间。（译者注：我在那个网站上没找到这给表）

膳食补充剂的替代方案（What’s the alternative to supplements?）

The best way to get all the nutrients you need is to eat a balanced diet. You can get advice about the right amount and kinds of foods to eat from the Australian Dietary Guidelines.

If you are worried that you’re not getting all the nutrients you need, talk to your doctor or consult a dietitian.

获得身体所需的所有的营养成分，最好是健康的，平衡的饮食。你可以在澳大利亚的饮食指南的网站上得到关于饮食的量和食物的建议。

如果你担心你得不到你所需的全部营养，你可以去找你的医生，或者是咨询营养学家。

Sources: National Center for Biotechnology Information (Dietary supplement use among Australian adults: Findings from the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey), Cancer Council NSW (Dietary supplements for cancer survivors), Australian Government Department of Health (Clinical Practice Guidelines: Pregnancy Care), Kidney Health Australia (Diet and nutrition), NPS Medicinewise (Malnutrition and nutritional supplements), Australian Government (Eat for health Australian dietary guidelines), Australian Academy of Science (Are vitamin supplements worth it?) Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: March 2019