Our bodies depend upon a steady supply of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to stay fit and healthy. Partly due to our modern lifestyle, not everyone is able to manage a healthy diet. Dietary supplements play a vital role by ensuring that your body is getting an adequate and regular supply of nutrients. Some common dietary supplements are calcium, fish oil, Vitamin D, garlic, and Ginseng. Vitamin D can strengthen bones, Vitamin B12 can help keep your nerve and blood cells healthy, fish oil supports heart health, and Vitamin A can slow down vision loss from age-related macular degeneration. Individual nutrients are available as supplements, and can be used to treat a deficiency such as of iron, or for reducing the risk of a medical condition, such as hypertension.
Dietary supplements provide you with better athletic performance, and your body heals better after a grueling workout. You won’t have to worry about your muscles and tendons by taking the right supplements as these contain everything to protect your body while you are doing intense workouts. Supplements like Astragalus root, ginger and orange peel can provide a big boost to your immune system.
Vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients are vital for your body’s functioning and are crucial for your healthy body. Health supplements can be very useful when prescribed for individuals with nutritional deficiencies and certain types of illnesses.
Multivitamin supplements
An important supplement just for everyone is fish oil which contains omega-3 fatty acid which is helpful for your heart’s health and brain functioning. Iron helps in the transportation of oxygen in your blood cells. If your blood count is low, you may need an iron supplement. Multivitamins make for the most commonly consumed dietary supplements. If you eat a healthy diet, you may not need multivitamin supplements but if you don’t, you may need multivitamin supplements that contain carefully calculated proportions of vitamins and minerals. Many people are magnesium-deficient as they aren’t eating the right foods. Taking supplements with 300-320 mg of magnesium can help in maintaining the right balance of magnesium in your body.
It is important to take enough nutrients in diet
However, just taking supplements won’t make your minerals- and vitamins deficiencies go away, you need to ensure that you are getting enough amount of nutrients from your diet. Remember that supplements are not a substitute for a balanced healthy diet made up of plenty of fruits, whole grains, vegetables, proteins and an adequate amount of fat.
Some supplements can cause side effects, especially for people with chronic diseases. Also, avoid overdoses of supplements as it can increase the risks of side effects. Also, check the FDA website periodically for any warning signs.
Beware of drug interactions and marketing tactics
Sometimes, supplements may interact with other medications that you are taking to treat your medical conditions. Some supplements aren’t safe for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children. Others may contain ingredients not listed on the label which may be unsafe to use, like Vitamin K can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners, Vitamin A and beta-carotene can increase cancer risks in smokers, and Kava can damage your liver, and Gingko can increase blood thinning.
Speak to your healthcare provider before taking any supplements, and be wary of extreme claims, such as “completely safe”. Also, be wary of impressive-sounding scientific terminology, such as stem cell therapy, and statements containing dubious marketing strategies like new secret formulations, 100% safe, recommended by doctors, and moneyback guarantee.
