Dietary supplements are products exclusively made to fulfill your regular intake of certain nutrients, including minerals and vitamins. Many health supplements are effective and safe and offer incredible health benefits, but if supplements are overused, it can pose severe health risks. Dietary supplements include essential herbs, animal extracts, omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, probiotics, and enzymes.
Benefits and Risks Of Supplements
To be honest, you must eat healthy food to get all the essential nutrients. However, dietary supplements can offer you some extra nutrition that your body lacks or some medical condition triggers a deficiency like diabetes, chronic illness, diarrhea, or cancer.
- These supplements are helpful in treating a deficiency, such as an iron deficiency, and reduced the risk of certain health conditions, like hypertension.
2 Supplements containing folic acid can be used to prevent the risk of a birth defect called spina bifida.
- Dietary supplements containing vitamin D and calcium and vitamin D are important for reducing bone loss and keeping bones strong.
- Supplements containing fish oil help people with heart diseases.
- Also, these help improve sleep patterns, improves digestion, soothe a sore throat, relieve nausea, heartburn, menstrual cramps, and stimulate your appetite.
Note: Pregnant women or a nursing mother should not take health and dietary supplements unless recommended by a doctor.
While most dietary supplements are highly effective and safe as long as you take the right dosage and follow the product instructions. Overuse of some nutrients can have adverse side effects, risking serious harm, or even death.
Remember, unless a specific reason is identified, a health supplement is usually not necessary if you are exercising properly and eating healthy. But, a deficiency (such as diabetes, cancer, or chronic diarrhea) triggers, you should start taking supplements immediately.