Many people buy vitamin supplements without putting much thought into which nutrients are best for them and why. At best, going about choosing supplements in this manner may prevent a person from fully benefiting from the vitamins and minerals he selects. At worst, it may actually endanger the person’s health. Before taking vitamin supplements, a person may do well to learn how different nutrients interact, the amounts he needs on a daily basis, and how they may affect any over-the-counter or prescription medications he’s taking. Additionally, he may do well to learn the toxicity levels of the vitamins he plans to take so he does not take enough to harm his health.
Before deciding to buy vitamin supplements, an individual may find it helpful to talk to his doctor. A doctor may give him an idea of the vitamins he should purchase as well as those to avoid. Since a person’s doctor typically knows which medications he is taking, he can help him avoid purchasing and consuming vitamins that could have an adverse effect when combined with his other medication. It’s important to note that some doctors discourage vitamin use and encourage their patients to get their required nutrients from eating well-balanced meals. In such a case, they may be less forthcoming with supplement advice.
In addition to asking his doctor, a person can learn about safe vitamin use by visiting the Web site of a health care or nutritional authority. Often, these sites post recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals based on a person's age and gender. In some cases, they may even post the recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals for those with certain medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, and those who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. Sometimes people feel compelled to buy vitamin supplements that contain mega doses of certain nutrients in an effort to stay healthy. These sites may also inform consumers about how much is too much of each nutrient.
Once a person is sure that he wants to buy vitamin supplements, he may optimize their effectiveness by learning how the vitamins and minerals interact with each other. In some cases, combining particular vitamins can maximize their absorption or benefit to the body, while in others, overloading on one vitamin could result in a deficiency of other nutrients. Likewise, research can help him to determine whether the vitamin supplements he buys should be taken with or without food. Nutritional and health authority sites are common sources for performing this type of research. There are also many books, however, that provide details about vitamin supplements.
