A liquid dietary supplement is a drinkable form of nutritional or herbal products and remedies. Some liquid dietary supplements are designed to provide basic nutrition to people who may not get adequate nutrition from their standard diet. Others are designed to provide specific nutrients and herbs to individuals who wish to add these products to their daily routine. Some weight-loss programs rely on a liquid dietary supplement as part of their regimen. A liquid dietary supplement can come in several forms, including a ready-to-drink beverage, a powder to be mixed with liquid, or liquid concentrate.
Many health food stores and supermarkets offer customers their choice of liquid dietary supplements that often include trendy health food ingredients such as açai berry or noni. As these ingredients often don't taste good on their own, they are mixed with other juices, teas, and flavorings to make them more palatable. Many people who are attracted to this kind of nutritional supplementation prefer a liquid dietary supplement to a pill or tablet based on a belief that a liquid is easier to absorb in the body. Many people also have difficulty swallowing pills or capsules and find a liquid dietary supplement easier to take. Incidentally, in the United States drinks that include a supplement label cannot be purchased with food stamps, a government nutrition benefit program.
Liquid dietary supplements are often provided to people who may not get adequate nutrition for meeting regular foods. For example, many elderly people, particularly those suffering from dementia, progressively lose their appetite. Caretakers, particularly those who provide part-time care, can easily give their charges a liquid dietary supplement and make sure that it is consumed. Liquid dietary supplements designed for this purpose are often both nutrient and calorie dense so as to ensure that those taking the supplement are getting the nutrition that they need. Other individuals who may require a nutrient-dense liquid dietary supplement are those who are very ill or who are recovering from surgery, as well as individuals who cannot chew or swallow food.
Some weight-loss programs utilize liquid dietary supplements. Individuals who want to lose weight may substitute a liquid dietary supplement for one or two meals a day, with the effect of reducing their daily caloric intake. These weight-loss supplements often come in a variety of flavors and forms, including powders and premixed shakes in cans. They are generally available at most supermarkets and drug stores.
