ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Dietary supplement

A dietary supplement is like a special type of medicine that you take to help you stay healthy. But instead of being medicine that is used to treat an illness or disease, it's something that you can take every day to keep your body healthy, even if you are feeling fine.

You know how your body needs lots of different things to keep it healthy, like healthy foods and exercise? Well, sometimes we don't get all the things our body needs from the food we eat, or we might need a little extra help to keep our body healthy.

That's where dietary supplements come in - they are little pills or powders that you take every day to give your body extra vitamins, minerals, or other important things it needs. Sometimes they are made from herbs or plants, and other times they are made from special chemicals that your body needs to stay healthy.

But you have to be careful when you take dietary supplements - just like with any medicine, you need to make sure you are taking the right amount and that it won't interfere with anything else you are taking or with any medical conditions you have.

That's why it's always a good idea to talk to a grown-up or a doctor before you start taking any dietary supplements. But if you do take them the right way, they can help you stay strong and healthy!