How to Determine if You Should Use Dietary Supplements

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There are many different supplements available that can help support your overall health and be used to address specific health concerns. Nutritional supplements include vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients, including herbs, that come in many different forms. There are many different factors that you should consider while deciding which supplement you should take, so it's important to first talk with your doctor or a pharmacist before you begin taking a supplement.

Method1

EditDetermining If You Need a Supplement

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   Ask your doctor about supplement interactions. In general, multivitamins and minerals supplements can benefit most people; however, there are some conditions that can make it dangerous for you to take supplements. These conditions include kidney or liver disease, which may interfere with the processing of these vitamins and minerals.^[1][2] Talk to your doctor about what supplements are good for you.

   • Some supplements interact with medications, so ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions with any medications you already take, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. For example, vitamin K can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners.^[3]
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   Recognize supplement side effects. There are some supplements that might contribute to certain health problems. This means that taking certain supplements may cause you to develop some health issues. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you are at risk for some of these side effects, based on your personal history.

   • For example, beta carotene has been shown raise the risk of lung cancer in smokers.^[4] Taking vitamin E may also cause an increased risk of prostate cancer.^[5]
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   Get your blood tested. When you talk to your doctor, have your blood tested. This will help you determine any deficiencies you may have. From this, you and your doctor may decide if supplements are right for you. Your doctor may also suggest other alternatives to fix your deficiencies, such as a balanced diet or a change in diet to help replace those nutrients.

   • You will have to ask for this blood test, and it is usually not covered by your insurance.
   • Your doctor may suggest certain supplements for your deficiencies.^[6]
   • For example, your doctor may tell you to take vitamin D supplements every day if you have a vitamin D deficiency.
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   Help prevent genetic conditions. You should also talk to your doctor about your medical history. There are certain supplements that can help you fight against genetic dispositions towards specific diseases. Your doctor will be able to help you decide.^[7]

   • For example, if you have a family history of cancer, your doctor might suggest supplements that provide antioxidant or probiotic support, which have been shown to help prevent cancer.
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   Use dietary supplements to help dietary deficiencies. There are certain people that may need to take supplements based on deficiencies in their food consumption or those with special dietary needs. For example, vegans and vegetarians may miss out on some nutrients because of the foods that they do not eat. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, supplements can be used to help fill these gaps in your diet. You may need more vitamin B12, calcium, omega 3s, protein, and iron.^[8]

   • Pregnant women also have special dietary needs. Women who may become pregnant should get folic acid supplement, and women who are pregnant should take an iron supplement.
   • Those who have other dietary restrictions, such as lactose intolerance, will likely also need supplementation.
   • If you do not eat the recommended two to three servings of fish a week, you should consider adding a fish oil supplement to provide essential omega 3 fatty acids.^[9]
   • Adults over 65, should take a Vitamin D supplement to help keep their bones healthy and reduce the risk of falls.
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   Be aware that supplements aren’t miracle cures. Dietary supplements are meant to help improve your health and well being. Even when a supplement claims that it will help something, it doesn’t meant it will cure that issue. Supplements do not have to back their claims with testing (they are outside the jurisdiction of the FDA), so always check with your doctor if you are unsure if a supplement will help.

   • Instead of expecting the supplements to cure your ailments, use them to help improve your health. That is what they are meant to do.^[10]
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   Talk to your pharmacist. If you are taking some medication, you may want to ask you pharmacist if there are any interactions with your current medications. Pharmacists often have the most up to date information about drug and supplement interactions.

   • You can also take your supplements to your pharmacist so they can see exactly what ingredients they have in them that might cause an interaction.

Method2

EditGetting the Right Forms of Supplements

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   Buy natural supplements. When at all possible, you should buy the natural or non-synthetic versions of supplements. There are some synthetic version of supplements, but, unless your doctor specifically tells you otherwise, buy the natural versions. This is because the natural versions are closer to what your body expects from the supplements.

   • For example, there are some vitamins derived from whole foods, which may have greater benefit for you.
   • These can often be a little more expensive, which may make these harder for you to buy.^[11]
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   Consider the different forms of the same supplement. There are some supplements that may take different forms. While they are all the same mineral or supplement, they have different concentrations and some will be absorbed better than others. This means that you will have to take more of one than the other.

   • For example, magnesium comes as magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide. Magnesium citrate is more expensive, but it also has better absorption. This means you have to take fewer doses. On the other hand, magnesium oxide is less expensive, but you have to take more of it to get the same effect.
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   Determine how much of the supplement you are getting. Nutrition labels can be hard to understand, especially because of the small print. On the supplement label, you can determine how much of the supplement you are getting. Look for labels that tell you if the supplement is elemental or part of a composite pill. When the label says elemental, this is the exact amount of the supplement you are getting.^[12]

   • For example, if the label reads "10 mg of elemental Magnesium," this means you are getting 10 mg of the magnesium. If it reads "10mg of Magnesium citrate," you will actually be getting less than that because the citrate in the dose takes away from the amount of magnesium.
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   Pick the right form. Supplements are produced as powders, tablets, capsules, or liquids. There are some that are better absorbed as a specific form. Ask your doctor which form is best for the supplements you are taking. There are no right or wrong forms of the supplements, so it will depend on your situation. ^[13]

   • For example, B vitamins are often better absorbed in liquid form; however, the most common forms of B vitamins are tablets and capsules.
   • You may also make your decision based on what is easiest for you to swallow. If you have a hard time swallowing pills, you may want to take the liquid form.
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   Buy from reputable manufacturers. Your should make sure you buy your supplements from reputable manufacturers. One good way to know a reputable supplement is if they offer them up for testing. Reputable manufacturers also buy and use the best raw materials and invest in having their products tested for quality and purity. Organic supplements are typically high quality as well.^[14]

   • Look on the label for seals of approval from reliable labs, such as Consumer Labs, Natural Products Association (NPA), LabDoor, and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
   • Just because they haven’t been tested, it doesn’t mean that the supplements are bad. You can always ask your doctor if you are unsure of certain manufacturers.
   • Be wary of online ads for miracle minerals or supplements. These types of supplements are likely not regulated by the FDA, which means their ingredients are not regulated. As mentioned, supplements do not cure anything, so these claims are unfounded.
   • You can also check out the manufacturer’s websites and call them to find out about their quality controls. The better companies should have consumer information freely available.^[15]

Method3

EditDetermining How to Take Supplements

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   Take the right doses. The specific doses you need to take will vary depending on which supplement you take. Always read the label to know exactly how much of each supplement you should take each day. Although supplements are good for you, you can actually overdose on them.^[16]

   • You can also ask your doctor how much of each to take if you are unsure.
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   Follow the recommended dietary allowances (RDA). Just like medications, supplements have recommended dietary allowances (RDA). The RDA of supplements will vary based on your age, gender, and particular situation. These will be different based on each supplement as well.

   • Know that many daily values (DV) will exceed the RDA. Your RDA is the minimum required for you to take each day to get the benefits of the supplement.
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   Recognize any side effects. Some supplements can cause toxicity if you take too many of them. Water-soluble vitamins, such as the B vitamins, generally do not cause problems because they are flushed out when you urinate. There are others that can cause problems. These include:

   • Iron, which can cause constipation and rarely, more serious conditions such as hemochromatosis
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