{"id":7570,"date":"2019-01-24T06:00:54","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/candostreet.com\/blog-parents\/?p=7570"},"modified":"2019-01-19T20:09:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-20T01:09:13","slug":"should-you-take-dietary-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candostreetny.com\/blog-parents\/should-you-take-dietary-supplements\/","title":{"rendered":"Dietary Supplements Are Popular, but are They Safe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"supplements\"<\/a>The NIH offers a <\/em><\/span>look at dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals, botanicals and more.\u00a0<\/span>
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When you reach for that bottle of vitamin C or fish oil pills, you might wonder how well they\u2019ll work and if they\u2019re safe. The first thing to ask yourself is whether you need them in the first place.<\/p>\n

More than half of all Americans take one or more dietary supplements daily or on occasion. Supplements are available without a prescription and usually come in pill, powder or liquid form. Common supplements include vitamins, minerals and herbal products, also known as botanicals.<\/p>\n

People take these supplements to make sure they get enough essential nutrients and to maintain or improve their health. But not everyone needs to take supplements.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s possible to get all of the nutrients you need by eating a variety of healthy foods, so you don\u2019t have to take one,\u201d says Carol Haggans, a registered dietitian and consultant to NIH. \u201cBut dietary supplements can be useful for filling in gaps in your diet.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

Some supplements may have side effects, especially if taken before surgery or with other medicines. Supplements can also cause problems if you have certain health conditions. And the effects of many supplements haven\u2019t been tested in children, pregnant women and other groups. So talk with your health care provider if you\u2019re thinking about taking dietary supplements.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should discuss with your doctor what supplements you\u2019re taking so your care can be integrated and managed,\u201d advises Dr. Craig Hopp, an expert in botanicals research at NIH.<\/p>\n

Dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods, not as drugs. The label may claim certain health benefits. But unlike medicines, supplements can\u2019t claim to cure, treat or prevent a disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s little evidence that any supplement can reverse the course of any chronic disease,\u201d says Hopp. \u201cDon\u2019t take supplements with that expectation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evidence does suggest that some supplements can enhance health in different ways. The most popular nutrient supplements are multivitamins, calcium and vitamins B, C and D. Calcium supports bone health, and vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants\u2014molecules that prevent cell damage and help to maintain health.<\/p>\n

Women need iron during pregnancy, and breastfed infants need vitamin D. Folic acid\u2014400 micrograms daily, whether from supplements or fortified food\u2014it is important for all women of childbearing age.<\/p>\n

Vitamin B12 keeps nerve and blood cells healthy. \u201cVitamin B12 mostly comes from meat, fish and dairy foods, so vegans may consider taking a supplement to be sure to get enough of it,\u201d Haggans says.<\/p>\n

Research suggests that fish oil can promote heart health. Of the supplements not derived from vitamins and minerals, Hopp says, \u201cFish oil probably has the most scientific evidence to support its use.\u201d<\/p>\n

The health effects of some other common supplements need more study. These include glucosamine (for joint pain) and herbal supplements such as echinacea (immune health) and flaxseed oil (digestion).<\/p>\n

Many supplements have mild effects with few risks. But use caution. Vitamin K, for example, will reduce the ability of blood thinners to work. Ginkgo can increase blood thinning. The herb St. John\u2019s wort is sometimes used to ease depression, anxiety or nerve pain, but it can also speed the breakdown of many drugs\u2014such as antidepressants and birth control pills\u2014and make them less effective.<\/p>\n

Just because a supplement is promoted as \u201cnatural\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s safe. The herbs comfrey and kava, for example, can seriously damage the liver.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to know the chemical makeup, how it\u2019s prepared, and how it works in the body\u2014especially for herbs, but also for nutrients,\u201d says Haggans. \u201cTalk to a health care provider for advice on whether you need\u00a0 supplements in the first place, the dosages and possible interactions with medicine you\u2019re already taking.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

For vitamins and minerals, check the % Daily Value (DV) for each nutrient to make sure you\u2019re not getting too much. \u201cIt\u2019s important to consider the DV and upper limit,\u201d says Haggans. Too much of certain supplements can be harmful.<\/p>\n

Scientists still have much to learn even about common vitamins. One recent study found unexpected evidence about vitamin E. Earlier research suggested that men who took vitamin E supplements might have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. \u201cBut much to our surprise, a large NIH-funded clinical trial of more than 29,000 men found that taking supplements of vitamin E actually raised\u2014not reduced\u2014their risk of this disease,\u201d says Dr. Paul M. Coates, director of NIH\u2019s Office of Dietary Supplements. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to conduct clinical studies of supplements to confirm their effects.<\/p>\n

Because supplements are regulated as foods, not as drugs, the FDA doesn\u2019t evaluate the quality of supplements or assess their effects on the body. If a product is found to be unsafe after it reaches the market, the FDA can restrict or ban its use.<\/p>\n

Manufacturers are also responsible for the product\u2019s purity, and they must accurately list ingredients and their amounts. But there\u2019s no regulatory agency that makes sure that labels match what\u2019s in the bottles. You risk getting less, or sometimes more, of the listed ingredients. All of the ingredients may not even be listed.<\/p>\n

A few independent organizations conduct quality tests of supplements and offer seals of approval. This doesn\u2019t guarantee the product works or is safe; it just assures the product was properly made and contains the listed ingredients.<\/p>\n

\u201cProducts sold nationally in the stores and online where you usually shop should be fine,\u201d Coates says. \u201cAccording to the FDA, supplement products most likely to be contaminated with pharmaceutical ingredients are herbal remedies promoted for weight loss and for sexual or athletic performance enhancement.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make it easy to find reliable information, NIH has fact sheets on dietary supplements at http:\/\/ods.od.nih.gov\/factsheets\/list-all\/<\/a>.\u00a0 NIH also recently launched an online Dietary Supplement Label Database at www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov<\/a>. This free database lets you look up the ingredients of thousands of dietary supplements. It includes information from the label on dosage, health claims and cautions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeciding whether to take dietary supplements and which ones to take is a serious matter,\u201d says Coates. \u201cLearn about their potential benefits and any risks they may pose first. Speak to your health care providers about products of interest and decide together what might be best for you to take, if anything, for your overall health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Safe Use of Supplements<\/strong><\/p>\n