Vitamins are essential nutrients that contribute to a healthy life. Although most people get all the vitamins they need from the foods they eat, millions of people worldwide take supplemental vitamins as part of their health regimen.
Why Buy Vitamins?
There are many good reasons to consider taking vitamin supplements, such as over-the-counter multivitamins. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a doctor may recommend that you take them:
- for certain health problems
- if you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet
- if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Practice Safety with Dietary Supplements
When it comes to purchasing dietary supplements, Vasilios Frankos, Ph.D., Director of FDA's Division of Dietary Supplement Programs, offers this advice: "Be savvy!"
Today's dietary supplements are not only vitamins and minerals. "They also include other less familiar substances such as herbals, botanicals, amino acids, and enzymes," Frankos says. "Check with your health care providers before combining or substituting them with other foods or medicines." Frankos adds, "Do not self-diagnose any health condition. Work with your health care providers to determine how best to achieve optimal health."
Consider the following tips before buying a dietary supplement:
- Think twice about chasing the latest headline. Sound health advice is generally based on research over time, not a single study touted by the media. Be wary of results claiming a "quick fix" that departs from scientific research and established dietary guidance.
- More may not be better. Some products can be harmful when consumed in high amounts, for a long time, or in combination with certain other substances.
- Learn to spot false claims. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Examples of false claims on product labels include:
- Quick and effective "cure-all"
- Can treat or cure disease
- "Totally safe," "all natural," and has "definitely no side effects"
Other red flags include claims about limited availability, offers of "no-risk, money-back guarantees," and requirements for advance payment.
"Also ask yourself, "Is the product worth the money?'" Frankos advises. "Resist the pressure to buy a product or treatment on the spot. Some supplement products may be expensive or may not provide the benefit you expect. For example, excessive amounts of water-soluble vitamins, like vitamins C and B, are not used by the body and are eliminated in the urine."
Source:
Nadeem
Zia, B. Pharm, RPh.
Consulting Pharmacist I OpenDoor Team I www.OpenDoor.cc I Vancouver, BC Canada
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/NadeemPharmacist I Google+: google.com/+NadeemZiaRPh
Reference:For complete article please go to http://www.webmd.com/fda/fortify-your-knowledge-about-vitamins
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