Are You Overdosing on Food Supplements?
If some nutritional supplements or vitamins are good for you, then a lot must be really good for you, right? Not necessarily. You may be wasting your money on too many supplements and jeopardizing your health, too.
I recently had a new patient who came to see me with complaints that included headaches, nervousness and irritability — even her co-workers were beginning to make comments about her short temper. As “Alice” and I talked, I learned that she had seen another naturopathic doctor some time before who had recommended certain dietary food supplements for her. She also had done some online research on her own and was buying supplements from a couple of different Internet Web sites. I asked her to bring in everything she was taking so we could get a better idea of her daily dietary intake.
On her next visit, Alice walked in carrying a grocery bag filled with bottles of all shapes and sizes. She had literally hundreds of dollars worth of vitamins and food supplements that she had purchased and was consuming on a regular basis. Together she and I went through and discussed the products while also reviewing proper food consumption and her specific medical condition. By the end of the visit, Alice was down to a few targeted supplements on a daily basis.
As we monitored Alice’s progress over the next several weeks, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the irritability she had been experiencing for months had almost completely disappeared. She and I agreed that her improved condition was directly related to the decreased number of supplements she was taking. As an added benefit, she had simplified her life and was saving quite a bit of money by taking only those supplements she truly needed for optimal health.
Alice’s story is not unusual. In fact, I see a similar scenario with new patients on a regular basis. Most people who seek out the services of a naturopathic doctor are already motivated to look for “natural” (as opposed to “pharmaceutical”) answers to their health issues.
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Add a Comment3 Comments
I couldn't agree with you more... it's time the medical community got educated on the benefits – and potential pitfalls – of the supplements their patients are taking (with or without their doctor’s advice). I’m thinking now might be the time for supplement regulation.
Read my blog about supplement regulation:
Supplement Regulation
In health,
June 4, 2009 - 12:14pmDr. Michael Lee of BodyLogicMD of Miami
www.bodylogicmd.com
This Comment
Great advice! I know from experience that's it's easy to get caught in the supplement aisle at your natural foods store thinking "well, I'd like that benefit, and that one, and that one too!" It doesn't help that labeling is so restricted by the FDA so that many supplements end up "supporting health" which is what we all want, right? More supplements, more health! As you pointe out, not necessarily. Personally, I'm down to my big 3: Vitamin C, probiotics, and omega 3's. And, I've never felt better!
June 5, 2009 - 11:43am~ Anna M.
blog.nutri-health.com
the famous notion, that anything too much is not good in any aspect of your life including taking foods supplements. Check out http://www.best-multivitamins-guide.com/for research on the Vitamin and Multivitamin Reviews. Hope this helps!
June 2, 2011 - 12:16am