How to Choose a Health Supplement
With so many vitamins, herbs, and supplements lining store shelves and online,
choosing the right product for your needs can be challenging finance.sunnyvale. While most healthy
people can meet their vitamin and mineral requirements with diet alone, certain
conditions, medications, and life stages like pregnancy may require dietary
supplements.
It is important to talk with a health care professional before taking any supplement.
Some can interfere with medications, cause side effects finance.sunnyvale.com, and even be dangerous
during surgery. Also, some supplements can interact with some foods. Your doctor
will be able to help you choose the best option for your health.
The FDA regulates supplements but is overwhelmed by the huge industry and often
only reacts after problems are identified. It is not possible for the FDA to test every
single supplement on the market, so they have to rely on complaints from
consumers and scientific research done by independent researchers. It’s a bit of the
Wild West out there, and some supplement products are little more than expensive
disappointments (or harmful in their own way).
To find a quality product, check to see that it is made by a reputable manufacturer
who follows good manufacturing practices and tests their products for safety. Look
for a third-party certifier seal on the label such as NSF International, UL, USP,
Informed Choice, or Banned Substances Control Group. You should also avoid
supplements that make drug-like claims and promise miracle results. The best
choice is a product with few ingredients. The more ingredients there are, the greater
the chance of an unwanted side effect.
Be cautious of a supplement that makes claims to prevent, treat or cure diseases,
including cancer. The FDA has strictly defined what can and cannot be said about a
medical condition when it comes to supplements, so any such claim should be
viewed with suspicion.
A good rule of thumb is to only buy products from companies that have been around
for a few years. This doesn’t guarantee that a company makes a good product, but a
long history of stable operations can indicate a commitment to quality. It’s also a red
flag if a company regularly changes its name; this could signal a merger, acquisition,
or financial troubles.
When looking at a supplement label, read the entire ingredient list, and pay special
attention to the amount of each nutrient in the product. Too much of some nutrients
can be harmful, while too little of others may be a problem as well. For example, too
much vitamin D can lead to toxicity and deficiency symptoms.
Ultimately, the only way to know what works and doesn’t work is through careful,
objective medical studies. Until there is better oversight of the supplement industry,
it’s essential to avoid those that aren’t reliable and to be wary of any product that
promises miracle cures, extreme weight loss, or improved sexual function. Those
false hopes are not only a waste of money, they can also keep people from seeking
the real help that they need from their doctor or health care professional.