Taking dietary supplements is an excellent step to stay healthy. To get the maximum benefit from a food supplement, it’s best to seek advice from a health care provider who is knowledgeable about dietary supplements, like a doctor or dietician.
These professionals can offer you a blood test that checks your levels of essential nutrients. After the test, you can now make a science-based conclusion about the nutrient that may be missing in your diet. Next, you can increase the consumption of foods that have the nutrients your body needs, and then consider taking additional supplements.
Check out the things that you should follow and avoid to get the maximum benefit from dietary supplements:
1. Supplement Drug Interactions
Check with your doctor before you start taking any supplements, especially if you are already on prescription medication. For instance, if you are taking any blood thinner medicine, and you take a supplement that contains ginger or ginkgo biloba, your blood may get too thin.
2. Calcium Intake
Too often, people tend to misinterpret calcium intake recommendations. For instance, when your dietician recommends that you take 1500 milligrams of calcium daily, it means that is the total amount your body needs, including the food you eat and not the amount you should take in a supplement.
3. Unhealthy Fillers
Certain supplements contain fillers that are generally considered harmful to health. Take the time to read the ingredients of any supplement you pick. If you find words like Butylated Hydroxytoluene; FD&C Blue No. 2; FD&C Red No. 40; FD&C Yellow No. 6; Polysorbate 80; Sodium Benzoate, do not take the supplement.
4. Avoid Taking Supplements 7 Days a Week
Any health practitioner, after the good of your well-being, would recommend that you get most of your essential nutrients from whole foods and take supplements based on the nutrient that may be missing in your diet. Give your body at least one day a week of rest from taking dietary supplements.
5. Avoid Buying Overpriced Supplements Through Multi-Level Marketing Companies
Supplements bought through multi-level marketing are usually over-priced. You can get similar products at half price or even lower when you shop at your local health food store.
Check the ingredients in the ‘over-priced’ supplement fact box and then find a similar formula for products in your local store. There is usually no significant difference between both products as they both do the same thing in the body.
6. Avoid Overdosing on Supplements
With supplements, just because a small amount does a little magic doesn’t mean taking more will do bigger magic, and can be dangerous.
For example, high amounts of Vitamin A can result in congenital disabilities if used during pregnancy. Vitamin B6, if taken in doses higher than 250mg per day, can result in neurological problems.
7. Avoid Depending Solely on Supplements for Weight Loss
Even though supplements like green tea and Glucomannan can help the body metabolize fat, there’s still one significant role to play if you must lose weight: take in fewer calories than you burn. In simple terms, eat healthily and exercise.
In a Nutshell
To get the maximum benefit from your supplements, they should be taken with food. For example, fat-soluble vitamins should be taken with food that contains a certain kind of fat to aid absorption. However, bear in mind that some supplements are to be taken on an empty stomach.
That’s another reason why it’s important to see a doctor before taking your supplements. For businesses that sell dietary supplements, ensure that your OEM food supplement manufacturer meets the quality required by the Food and Nutritional body in your country.
For more information, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly and professional specialists.
