The Essential Guide to Dietary Supplements: Do's and Don'ts

Learn all about dietary supplements: what they are used for, how they interact with medications & how they should be taken safely.

The Essential Guide to Dietary Supplements: Do's and Don'ts

You should always consult your doctor before adding new supplements to your daily routine. It is important to start with a well-balanced diet to try to get the vitamins and minerals you need naturally. If your doctor finds certain deficiencies, supplements could be extremely beneficial. Manufacturers can add vitamins, minerals and other supplement ingredients to the foods you eat, especially breakfast cereals and beverages.

As a result, you might get more of these ingredients than you think, and more may not be better. Taking more than you need costs more and may also increase the risk of side effects. For example, too much vitamin A can cause headaches and liver damage, reduce bone strength, and cause birth defects. Excess iron causes nausea and vomiting and can damage the liver and other organs.

However, it doesn't make sense to spend money on these additional products without having the right options, delivery methods, times, and other factors for us. Here are some of the top things you should and shouldn't do about dietary supplements today. Such as wholesale mushroom supplements for vegan nutrition, iron for anemic people, or folic acid for pregnant women. If you know you're deficient in a nutrient, a supplement can mitigate it.

It's not wise to guess which dietary supplements might be beneficial for you. It's important to supplement your diet with vitamins from well-known and trusted brands, such as RNA ReSet, such as vitamin D, zinc and magnesium. In addition, be sure to follow the advice of a doctor, especially if blood tests are performed. Your blood tests may show, for example, that you have a low level of magnesium, iron, vitamin D, or some other nutrient. If you want to have a baby soon or address hormonal issues, you may need to buy some quality testosterone boosters or start taking folic acid, selenium, zinc, or iodine.

However, remember that you can often also get what you need from the food you eat, so check with your regular doctor about exactly what you need in what quantities and the best way(s) to get it. Likewise, before you start taking any new dietary supplement, talk to your doctor about how these products might interact with other medications you're taking whether prescription or complementary. This information rarely appears on supplement packages or on manufacturers' websites so just because you don't see data about it doesn't mean it's not something to worry about. Some other key “things to do” with supplements include storing them properly (usually in a cool dark place or sometimes in the refrigerator) and buying them from trusted brands. One of the essential things you shouldn't pay attention to is not to overdo your intake of supplements. Try to be regular with your intake but don't double your intake the next day if you miss a day.

This can be dangerous so it's best to act cautiously. Also consider if you really need to take dozens of different supplements on a daily basis. If a doctor has recommended them all to you that's fine but don't keep adding more products to your regimen in the hope that doing so will automatically make you feel better. If you're pregnant or expecting to be pregnant soon or are breastfeeding a baby it's crucial that you're picky about the supplements you take. Do not start consuming new ones without first consulting your gynecologist general practitioner or other specialist.

Even natural products can harm you or your baby. For example high doses or sometimes even any supplemental amount of cod liver oil vitamin A (retinol) vitamin D vitamin B6 vitamin E fenugreek and matricaria can be dangerous. People search online for information about their conditions and then choose a supplement based on a symptom such as fatigue or a slow metabolism according to Dr. AVOID HORMONE SUPPLEMENTS. Most doctors will suggest that you take at least one multivitamin complex but they may recommend or prescribe individual supplements based on your needs.

If you're interested in alternative therapy a holistic doctor or naturopath can do a thorough exam and prescribe what's best for you as an individual she says. Several independent organizations offer quality testing and allow products that pass these tests to display a quality assurance seal that indicates that the product was manufactured correctly contains the ingredients listed on the label and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants. We will reiterate the importance of consulting a doctor before taking supplements to avoid unnecessary intake that could cause harm. If you're worried that your body isn't getting enough of some type of vitamin or nutrient the first thing you should do is see a doctor about it. Products sold as dietary supplements come with a supplemental information label that lists the active ingredients the amount per serving (dose) and other ingredients such as fillers binders and flavorings.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not determine if dietary supplements are effective before they are marketed so it's important to see a doctor to see if you need supplements which can be checked by a blood test at your next appointment or if there is a risk of interactions between medications and supplements. However as long as the product does not contain a “new dietary ingredient” (one introduced since October 15 1999) the company does not have to provide these safety tests to the FDA before the product is marketed so keeping in mind some of the most common misconceptions about supplements can help ensure that you don't waste your money on a product that doesn't do anything for you. You might see someone promoting supplements on a social media platform that they say are great for your health but you should always do your research on your own.