What You Need To Know Before Using Dietary Supplements

By Author: Dr. G. Purdom
Total Articles: 57
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Though supplements are usually effective health boosters, indiscriminate and inconsiderate consumption of the products would not add value to individual's health and would even trigger unexpected complications. Therefore, you should have the right information before buying any kind of dietary supplements. The article below discusses more about it.

Dietary supplements have several health benefits depending on the nature of products consumed. The common food products taken as supplements include minerals, vitamins, and herbals. Today's food supplement market is flourishing because of massive numbers of people who prefer to enhance the quality of their diets using such products. However, the consumption of supplements is usually shrouded with abundant information, unproven claims and total frauds, calling for high vigilance when dealing with supplements.

What are the most important tips for informed supplement use? Basically, supplements should never be replacements for balanced diets. Your MegaFood vitamins should only add variety to your diet. When you take the minerals or vitamins alone and forget about high-fiber ...
... diets, proteins, carbohydrates and fats then you are bound to be exposed to innumerable health risks.

It is wise to start taking supplements only after consulting your physician for advice. Some people think that dietary supplements are risk-free and can be taken without the doctor's counsel, but this is far from the truth. Pregnant women, lactating mothers, individuals suffering from chronic health problems like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease will suffer if they do not consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking the supplement. Even in children where vitamins and minerals are usually safe, it is still prudent to ask the doctor. Many of the supplements have active ingredients which can produce strong positive and negative effects in your body.

Supplements may also interact very strongly with over-the-counter and prescription medicines with likelihood of grave side effects. For instance, aspirin (OTC medicine), vitamin E (vitamin supplement), ginkgo biloba (herbal supplement) and Coumadin (prescription drug) have blood-thinning properties. If you take any two or more of them in combination, the risk of internal bleeding will be increased. It is therefore important to inform your doctor about any supplements you intend to take so that you avoid serious health risks. Some supplements may also cause dangerous effects during surgery, including increased bleeding, enhanced blood pressure and changes in heart rate. Informing the surgeon about the supplements you are taking would improve the safety and success of your operation.

Many supplement users are persuaded to believe even the most incorrect of information. For instance, some supplement products sold online rely on anecdotal proofs of safety and efficacy and outright hype formulated just to get sales. Individuals ought to be more judicious and more skeptical of proofs of success that relies on people with no formal training in botanicals, health and nutrition, and more cynical of personal testimonials about results obtained from using supplements. When you question these individuals about their expertise and training in nutrition and medicine they would delve to provide more facts and proofs. It is also important to find the facts about any supplement that is hitting headlines before buying it.

For every supplement product you intend to use, ask the manufacturer for more information. You need to be sure that the product on the shelf meets the standards used during research studies. Ask manufacturers about supporting information, tests completed with the product, safety and efficacy levels, quality control, and any information about adverse effects. The MegaFood vitamins and minerals should not pose any risks to your health.

The author of this article is associated with Natural Health Trust, a one stop online destination for a wide array of natural health products. To know more, visit naturalhealthtrust.