Dietary supplements have been consumed by many of us for years. The dietary supplement industry has grown the last couple of years. So many blogs write about the importance of supplements. Whether its pre work out or post work out, a lot of blogs are putting emphasis on why they are helpful to your fitness journey.

With a lot of blogs on the internet. It is hard to decipher the importance of these supplements. We have different influencers online speaking on which supplements are great for you. There are commercials on television advising you on the right supplements to choose. For a regular person one would get confused. As it would be hard to figure out which ones are great for your health. Sometimes it’s even your friends and families recommending the supplement to you. And at this point you are so convinced they are recommending the right products for you.

Its good idea to do your fair research on which supplements are good and which ones are not as effective.

So here’s an insight on what you should look out for when it comes to picking the right supplements for you. Supplements usually come with health benefits. Whilst others can be quite harmful to your health.

1. are they necessary?

I mean let’s face it, there’s some truth in supplements being beneficial to your body. We have seen all the testimonials from different people. So, they are obviously popular for a reason. Some supplements are not harmful and have a positive impact on your health.

The beneficial supplements are;

Vitamin D;

this promotes bone health. It promotes calcium absorption in the body. Preventing bone diseases. You can’t get enough vitamin D from food so having supplements can be quite helpful. Another way of getting vitamin d is from direct sunlight. However, make sure you have your sunscreen on. As unprotected skin from the sunlight can potentially cause skin cancer.

However, taking high doses of vitamin D is not either.  The Cleveland Clinic states that “Vitamin D blood levels higher than 100 nanograms per millilitre can trigger extra calcium absorption.” Which could late on lead to all types of pain like muscle and abdominal pain. `even kidney stones and mood disorders. It could also create the risk if a stoke or a heart attack.

In some cases, Vitamin D supplements are important for people who have certain deficiencies.  

Vitamin C and E: prevent cell damage

Fish oil: keeps he heart healthy

Zinc: this promotes healthy skin and helps with preventing loss of vision especially for the older people

Calcium: Like Vitamin D, it also promotes bone health.

Vitamin B2: this helps with keeping blood cells healthy and prevent anaemia

Keep in mind that most vitamins are great for prevention of various diseases which does not mean they will cure you from diseases.

2. supplements can come in different forms

Now most of us are probably used to supplements coming in pills. Whilst some of us might be aware that they can also come in in a form of a liquid or powder. The goal for most supplements is the same. They are supposed to aid you with the right amount of nutrients and potentially enhance your health.

Most supplements will have various ingredients included in them which is beneficial as you can get multivitamins in one dosage. There are a few popular or common supplements are green tea, garlic fish oil, calcium, and vitamin D. there’s a lot more out there but these are sone of the most talked about ones.

3. are they safe?

As discussed earlier. Some will be quite harmful to the body.  However, they do not necessarily cause a heath risk. We are all built differently. Others might have allergies towards them, so we must always be mindful of what we put in our bodies.

If you have certain medical conditions, it is only right that you are cautious on how the supplements you are keen on taking may affect your body. So please keep a look out for the ones that could be a risk to your body

4. talk to your doctor before taking any health meds

Most of us do not talk to our healthcare specialists before we start taking them. It is important that you seek medical advice so that you can be guided in the right direction. As mentioned before, everyone has different bodies, and some supplements might have a negative effect on you compared to other people’s experiences.

Make sure you do your research and read on instructions of the supplements you’re interested in taking. We know most supplements have the word “natural” or “completely safe” inserted on the packaging. However, this does not verify that it could be safe for your body.

5. do not rely on supplements only

As obvious as this sounds.They should not replace eating healthy at all. They will never be enough for you to live off them. Dr Millstine explains that “Supplements are meant to be supplementary, meaning they enhance benefits already provided by eating a well-rounded diet”. So let the supplement be the cherry on top. If you can get vitamins through your diet, then it is highly recommended that you do it that way before resulting to getting supplements.  For instance, “research shows that calcium is better absorbed through food than supplements” says Dr. Millstine from the Cleveland Clinic

You will find that organic food has more ingredients of vitamins then what a supplement can offer you. Remember pills are manufactured. They are only supposed to give you a nutrient boost.

If you are struggling with a deficiency in your body or are looking to get onto supplements as you’ve seen what they are doing for other. Make sure you do some adequate research. Discuss your options with your GP.