*The wisest thing to do is to seek the
professional advice from your physician- particularly a Nutritionist or
Naturopath- and have lab tests done according to the symptoms you are
experiencing and how long they have been affecting you. Here’s why:
1.Every body is different. Each person’s levels
of nutrients are different. Just because, for instance, if you are always
tired, it doesn’t mean that you need to take Iron or Vitamin D. It may be one
of those, a combination of those, or something totally different. There are
many, many factors that contribute to fatigue and lack of energy including
Hypothyroidism, lack of exercise, medications, heart problems, obesity,
electrolyte imbalances, hormonal imbalance, stagnant stomach acid, irregular
sleep schedule, or too much caffeine and not enough hydration. The list could
go on.
2. A single type of supplement may not be
effective.
Depending on your deficiency or issue, you may
need 2 or 3 different supplements or alternate them in order to properly be
absorbed in the body and to reach its full potential. It could also depend on
the time of day you take it and if it should be taken with a meal, water, or on
an empty stomach.
3. Taking too much of one supplement could be
harmful. It can also be harmful to take some supplements if you are on certain
medications or have certain conditions. For instance, too much iron could lead
to abdominal and bowel issues. Fish oil can cause blood thinning which is
unsafe for those with Type II Diabetes or High Blood Pressure. Echinacea is
contraindicated for pregnancy and auto-immune disorders.
4. Multi-Vitamins are (for the most part)
useless. Multi-Vitamins are meant for a generic supplement and will almost
never contain the proper amounts of each vitamin and supplement (either too
much or too little). In order for vitamins and supplements to effectively work,
they need to be taken individually, and ideally in a liquid/liquicap form for
quicker absorption (but then again, the timing of the absorption is also an
important factor to consider depending on the supplement and your body).
5. Don’t take vitamins and supplements when you
are healthy. Your body will first of all get too much of a supplement, which
could lead to certain side effects. Also, your body would be building up a
tolerance to a supplement and you could eventually become immune to its effects
and benefits for when you actually would need it to work. It is best to only
take what you are lacking when you are lacking it. Naturopaths and
Nutritionists can make a great judgment on adjusting the amount of
supplement(s) you are taking if you seem to be getting better, worse, or seeing
no change.
6. You can be allergic to a supplement. Just
like with foods or medications, you body could reject a certain supplement,
causing you to have flu-like symptoms, a rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea or
constipation, restless sleep, etc.
7. The higher quality of a supplement, the
better. Whole food supplements at a specialty vitamin store are the best way to
go. The brands you see at the drug store or grocery store aren’t going to have
the same high quality as those recommended by your physician. Most of the time,
they will be able to prescribe a high quality supplement at their clinic, a
dispensary, and sometimes even particular pharmacies and possibly places like
Super Supplements, depending on what they recommend for you. Yes, they may be a
bit more expensive, but that is because of how they are dispensed as far as the
percentage of authentic structure, the dispensing method, and the dosage per
capsule/tablet.
8. The best source of nutrients is food. This is the most important one to remember. Many
of the nutrients we are lacking are easily found in healthy foods and in eating
these foods, it would be the fastest and easiest way to absorb the needed
nutrients. If we follow the proper daily diet of foods that we have been told
about since we were little, we would not be facing such issues. The one thing
to keep in mind is to be aware of processed foods and foods pumped with
hormones. It is truly the best only to eat organic, so that the nutrients are not
in any way altered or diluted.
If you start to evaluate your health, any
conditions, and note that the supplements are not as effective as you would
hope or you are just curious as to what nutrients you are lacking, do yourself
the biggest favor and talk to a professional. If lack of funds is on your mind,
this is where the research tool can come in even handier, as there are natural
physicians out there that will work with your budget and charge on a sliding
scale. But, think of it this way- spending a few hundred dollars on consulting
with the right person and finding out exactly what you are lacking and needing,
and to be on a proper supplement regimen, would save you hundreds to thousands
of dollars on unneeded supplements as well as potential doctor visits, hospital
bills and medication costs in the long run.
transferred- original post date 02/29/2012
