Taking Supplements – Is It Good Or Bad?

Contrary to popular belief, popping supplements is not the key to staying healthy. It may come as a shock to many that these ‘healthy’ supplements also come with their own harmful side effects. 

Dietary supplements are flooding the supermarket shelves; people are buying these over-the-counter medicines by the dozen. There’s something for every deficiency a human can complain of – pop a vitamin C or zinc tablet if you feel you are not able to see properly, swallow iron pills if you are looking pale or have low hemoglobin levels, take calcium to keep your bones strong, scarf up on fish oil capsules to reduce the threatening triglyceride levels and so on!

Indeed, the combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes are being hailed as the passport to living a long and healthy life, free of heart disease and other chronic ailments. To give them their due, supplements can help balance out nutritional deficiencies in the body and keep you healthy. While some deliver vital substances to the body, some can even reduce the risk of certain diseases.

However, most people are blissfully unaware of the vitamin D, folic acid, probiotics, calcium and iron supplement side effects. A recent study by the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease and the National Institute of Health reveals that herbal and dietary supplements’ induced liver injury accounts for 20% of cases of hepatotoxicity in the United States!

Indeed, the beneficial-sounding dietary supplements are not without their own side effects. Let’s take a look at some of them:

• While supplements can help cover deficient nutrients in the body, they cannot become a replacement for a healthy and balanced diet. Eating a variety of nutritional foods is crucial.
• Some supplements can cause a serious reaction or illness in the body. Some can cause complications during surgeries or even reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. They can prove dangerous for pregnant women and children.
• Especially combining supplements or taking them along with some medications (heart disease, blood thinners, diurectics, steroids) can prove to be harmful or even life-threatening.
• Substituting supplements for prescription medicines are bound to lead to grave consequences.
• Too much of a nutrient is also not a good thing as they are not naturally eliminated from the body.  Excess vitamin A can cause headaches, liver damage and even birth defects. Surfeit of calcium and vitamin D may increase the risk of kidney stones. Extra iron can lead to nausea, seizures, coma and even death.

Therefore, self-diagnosing or relying on the internet for taking ‘appropriate’ supplements is not advisable. Do not trust claims like ‘lowers high cholesterol’, ‘reduces blood pressure’ or ‘treats heart disease’ either.

Think twice before popping the pills into your mouth. Consider the potential benefits, safety risks, proper dosage and duration for taking the supplements. It is always better to run the supplement by your healthcare provider and find out if it is actually beneficial and safe for you! In such a scenario, the best iron supplement can be the one that does not contain iron at all. Indeed, Iron Catch (www.iron-catch.com) is an innovative supplement that simply enhances the body’s ability to absorb iron, thus restoring the depleted iron stores in the body. It is therefore free of the common side effects associated with regular supplements!