Vitamins + Supplements- Are You Taking The Right Stuff?

The age of herbal supplements is at an all-time high, as many feel they are lacking nutrients in the body. Amongst the most popular are Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Iron, Echinacea, and your typical Multi-Vitamin. What do you take on a regular basis and why? Are there certain supplements you take when you start to feel run down or ill? If you take certain supplements because you have heard that it helps certain issues such as fatigue, lack of energy, depression, weight and overall immune issues, that may be all fine and well but there are some important tips and rules to follow in order to know exactly what you should be taking and how much of it you should be taking.

*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