How To Support Your Health With Supplements

Supplements have their place and it is an important one. They can help stimulate and augment the body’s natural response to disease and injury. The trick with them is to remember they are named “supplements” and not “supplants”. While supplements can be powerful, they are not meant to take the place of a healthy and balanced diet.

The keyword is “support”. These are some ways you can use supplements from G herbal to complement a program featuring a diet of wholesome food and exercise.

Take quality supplements

Because supplements are largely unregulated by government agencies, it may be difficult to ascertain the provenance of their ingredients. Some may in fact contain hazardous concentrations of the active ingredient, or may not contain the active ingredient at all.

Either way, this could be dangerous for your overall health. This is why when looking for a supplement, look for products like those from lumanutrition.com, which are made in an FDA-approved facility. Try to stick to products that come recommended by and have worked for family and friends.

Talk to your doctor about the supplements you are taking

You shouldn’t begin taking supplements in isolation. While it may be tempting to buy a bottle of a supplement you hear everyone raving about, you never know how it may affect your body. You may also be taking medications that the supplement may interact negatively with. While the health outcome may be mild, there is also a chance that it could be serious, such as a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

To find out about these kinds of side effects, it’s best to talk to your doctor before you begin taking the chosen supplement

Take supplements that your body is likely to be short in or have a difficult time making

Many people suffer from a condition called anemia. When you are anemic,  the blood is deprived of the iron it needs, which in turn hampers how blood cells carry oxygen to the brain and other organs. Most people are unable to get enough iron from their diet, so an iron supplement is a good idea. People who may especially be in need of different supplements include:

  • Pregnant women – Need folates to prevent birth defects in their babies
  • Athletes – May need supplements that help them build and synthesize proteins better
  • Senior citizens – Due to disease and age, the elderly may be prone to certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For example, osteoporosis affects primarily the elderly because our bones lose calcium as we age.
  • Vegans and others with restricted diets – Some people are not able to eat the foods that would give them vital nutrients. Vegans may need to take a protein supplement to make up for the lack of meat in their diet.

Take your supplements according to the instructions given

It is entirely human to think that if you take more of something than you should, it should multiply its healthful benefits. The temptation is there particularly with supplements because they are perceived as “natural” alternatives to toxic mainstream drugs. However, in the wrong dose, supplements can be just as dangerous as an overdose on traditional medications.

Do not use your supplements as a substitute for food

Modern lifestyles make it difficult to eat with the care we should exercise. While supplements can make up the shortfall in nutrients, they cannot replace healthy food. You cannot expect to subsist on a diet of fast food and expect supplements to safeguard your health.

Do not use supplements when they are expired

Like traditional medications, supplements also have expiration dates. Check your labels carefully to see when yours are about to expire and need to be thrown out. Expired supplements will convey no benefits to your body.

Know what foods you need to eat (or not eat) with your supplements

Because the supplements do not work in isolation, there are some foods that, when eaten with the supplement, increase the body’s absorption of the vitamin or mineral.

For example, a fat-soluble vitamin , like A, D, E, and K need to be eaten in a meal with fats to be properly absorbed and stored in the liver.

It’s always a good idea to research when are the best times to take certain minerals and vitamins, as your body’s reaction to them could be different according to the time of day.

Taken as part of a program of healthy eating and living, many benefits can be derived from supplements. However, they should not be taken in isolation and without the advice of a medical professional.