4 Things To Note When Choosing Safe Supplements For Yourself

4 Things To Note When Choosing Safe Supplements For Yourself

As the name suggests, supplements are meant to complement our diet and not replace it. Even if you are taking supplements, it's imperative to eat clean and include a variety of foods in your diet to live a healthy life. Supplements are not one-size-fits-all; hence you need to be mindful of the quantity of vitamins and minerals you consume overall.

If you have already figured out which supplements you need, the next step is to decide which one should you patronise. To pick the right supplement that meets your need, you need to note a few things to ensure you choose a safe supplement for yourself.

4 Points to Note When Choosing a Supplement

Aside from looking for third-party testing results, it’s worth learning as much as you can about the supplement you will take. For example, understand what ingredients are used to make them and their composition. Also, focus on getting only clean nutrition from these supplements.

However, one concern many professionals have with getting vitamins and minerals through supplements instead of food is high quantities of some ingredients can become toxic over time. Many vitamins and minerals have a “Tolerable Upper Intake Level, " the highest intake amount you can have before possible negative effects begin. So while selecting a supplement, take note of the following:

• The Upper Limit (UL) for vitamins and minerals often changes based on gender and age, with separate UL recommendations for breastfeeding and pregnant women.
• Fat-soluble vitamins are often more worrisome in regard to toxicity risk, as excessive amounts can sometimes accumulate in the body. Therefore, be cautious when taking high doses of fat-soluable vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E. They can cause side effects such as organ damage, irregular heartbeat, and excessive blood thinning.
• Unless advised by a medical professional, it’s essential not to extensively exceed the UL of vitamins or minerals. While some side effects may be mild, some can be more serious.
• Dietary supplements can cause side effects even when taking the recommended dose. Reported side effects are usually mild, such as headaches or nausea, and iron supplements occasionally cause digestive distress. However, some ingredients in supplements can also cause more severe side effects, such as increased blood pressure, allergic reactions, and irregular heartbeat. So stop taking them if you notice even the slightest of side effects.

Keep in mind that too much of anything is bad, so make sure you take only vitamins and minerals your body really needs. Also, always check the label and go for the ones with all-natural or maximum natural vegan ingredients. They are easily absorbed by the body and are more effective as compared to synthetic nutrients. You are also likely to have no or mild side effects as they are organic. No wonder it's said, “Nature is the best healer!”