Although getting nutrients directly from supplements may sound simple and have numerous health advantages, could it also be risky? Are dietary supplements bad for you? And how is that possible? What harms, if any, does it cause? Answers to these questions and more in the following article.
Some nutritional supplements can help ensure that you get enough nutrients the body needs, and some may help reduce the risk of certain diseases, but can nutritional supplements be harmful? The following is the response to the question, "Are nutritional supplements harmful? "
Are nutritional supplements harmful?
In actuality, there is no definitive answer to the question "Are nutritional supplements harmful?" Just a yes or no, when some nutritional supplements are used correctly, they can help reduce the risk of developing some diseases, or improve some health problems resulting from some diseases or taking some types of medications.
Additionally, as long as use of nutritional supplements does not go over the established upper limit, the majority of people can do so without risk. On the other hand, it can be said that nutritional supplements are not completely safe and can be harmful to some people in some cases.
This is supported by the fact that, in contrast to the strict laws and regulations required by the Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs, manufacturers of dietary supplements are not required to demonstrate their benefits or refute their risks and harms.
This, in turn, confirms the need to consult a doctor before taking any type of nutritional supplement, as he can assess the need to take a specific type of nutritional supplement and determine the required dose, or perhaps he can achieve the required balance between foods and nutrients without the need to take nutritional supplements.
How harmful can nutritional supplements be?
Is it harmful to take dietary supplements? The answer is yes. It leads us to the question about how nutritional supplements can be harmful, and the answer to this question carries with it many possibilities, as nutritional supplements can be harmful in the following cases:
- Take it with other prescription or over-the-counter medications.
- Combine different types of nutritional supplements.
- Take them in excess, especially iron, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
- obtaining it for medical conditions whose validity or accuracy has not been established.
- Take them without being aware of any negative side effects because some dietary supplements can cause problems before, during, or after surgeries.
- Instead of taking the prescribed medications to treat certain health issues, take nutritional supplements.
What are the harms of nutritional supplements?
After addressing the query, "Are dietary supplements bad?" Below we review a list of some examples of the possible harms of some nutritional supplements according to the way they are used:
- When taken in conjunction with blood thinners, vitamin K lessens their effectiveness.
- Ginkgo supplements increase blood thinning.
- When combined with other medications, such as antidepressants and contraceptives, St. John's wort supplements can lessen their effectiveness.
- Comfrey and kava supplements can damage the liver.
- In smokers, vitamin A and beta-carotene raise the risk of lung cancer.
- Vitamin C and vitamin E are examples of antioxidants that lessen the effectiveness of some chemotherapy medications.
- Excessive vitamin A intake increases the risk of osteoporosis .
- Peripheral neuropathy risk is increased by excessive vitamin B6 consumption.
- A higher risk of death from all causes is linked to vitamin E intake at doses above 400 IU per day.
- Blood thinners interact with supplements containing garlic or ginger extract, raising the risk of bleeding.
- High vitamin D intake causes increased calcium absorption, which in turn causes mood disorders, kidney stones, muscle pain, and abdominal pain.
- Calcium may deposit in the arteries rather than the bones if too much calcium is consumed while getting insufficient amounts of vitamin D.
How can the harms of nutritional supplements be avoided?
What is the response to the question "Are dietary supplements harmful?" Yes, it is concerning, but when discussing the negative effects of nutritional supplements, this is not the intended outcome. Rather, raising awareness of the necessity of not taking nutritional supplements except with the advice of a doctor or pharmacist is what we aspire to.
We provide the following advice for avoiding potential negative effects of nutritional supplements:
- Avoid ingesting dietary supplements that make claims about their ability to treat specific diseases or health issues.
- Avoid getting supplements advertised in bulk emails.
- Never take nutritional supplements that promise to help you lose weight, gain muscle, or improve your sexual performance.
- Take nutritional supplements as directed by your doctor or pharmacist.
- Read the label well.
- Be sceptical of statements like, "It's completely safe," or "It works better than a specific drug."
- Always keep in mind that nutritional supplements are not necessarily safe just because they are natural.
- Keep dietary supplements in a safe location that is out of children's reach.