It can be hard to know what supplements are right for you and actually worth the money. For example, maybe you’ve heard about certain herbs (like ashwagandha and reishi mushrooms) that help with anxiety, or that curcumin supplements help with achy joints. Or perhaps you’re considering a calcium supplement because you don’t drink cow’s milk and are concerned about your bone health. Will taking supplements every day truly help?
An individual’s supplementary needs vary greatly, and as noted above, if you have any questions about what you should or shouldn’t be taking, it’s important to talk to your primary health provider. This is especially important if you are taking any prescription medications because some supplements can negatively interfere with them.
?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
2 Supplements Taken by a Family Medicine Doctor
Evgeniia Siiankovskaia/Getty Images
“[Many] people in the US are deficient in vitamin D, especially if they spend more of their time indoors,” Dr. Bhavsar says. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D is not abundantly found in food; the primary source of it is sunlight.
Dr. Kathy Nguyen, MD, a family medicine and sports medicine specialist with Memorial Hermann Medical Group, says that she also takes a vitamin D supplement. “Vitamin D plays a strong role in bone health and also immune function,” she says.
For Dr. Nguyen, in addition to taking a vitamin D supplement, she also supplements with creatine, collagen and magnesium. “I love creatine. It helps with exercise performance but also plays a role in brain health, bone health, joint strength and overall muscle recovery,” she says.
She adds that collagen is also beneficial for people who live an active lifestyle, helping to support tissue health. “This includes joints, tendons, ligaments and also skin health,” Dr. Nguyen says, adding that her collagen supplement is not a replacement for high-quality proteins in her diet and is more of an enhancement.
How To Know What Supplements Are Right for You
While taking vitamin D and B12 supplements are right for Dr. Bhavar and Dr. Nguyen’s health benefits from creatine, collagen and magnesium supplements, it doesn’t mean that you should start taking these supplements too. Everyone has different needs. Both doctors emphasize that maintaining a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet is a better way to get the nutrients your body needs than taking supplements.
“We should think of supplements as an enhancement after optimizing our foundational health habits such as good sleep, nutrition, hydration and physical activity. Some examples where supplements are helpful include athletic performance and recovery needs, pregnancy outcomes and health and body maintenance with age,” Dr. Nguyen says.
It’s important to know that supplements are not regulated by the FDA the way that prescription medications are. “The most researched and high-quality supplements will be third-party tested,” Dr. Nguyen says. With this in mind, she recommends only buying supplements that are third-party tested and certified by organizations like NSF or the United States Pharmacopeia (USP).
To this point, when shopping for supplements, it’s also important to consider the dose. “More is not necessarily better, particularly with fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, which accumulate in the body and have the potential for toxicity with high doses,” Dr. Bhavsar says. Before buying a supplement, ask your doctor or do thorough research on what dosage is safe and appropriate.
While supplements can be beneficial, both doctors emphasize that maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and having healthy lifestyle habits in place is more important.
No supplement is more powerful than maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Related: ‘I’m a Cardiologist—This Is the One Supplement I’d Be Especially Careful With'
Sources
FDA’s Regulation of Dietary Supplements with Dr. Cara Welch. U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationDr. Parth Bhavsar, MD, family medicine physician and founder of TeleDirectMDDr. Kathy Nguyen, MD, family medicine and sports medicine specialist with Memorial Hermann Medical GroupNiklewicz, A., David Smith, A., Smith, A., et al. (2022). The importance of vitamin B12 for individuals choosing plant-based diets. European Journal of Nutrition. 62(3):1551-1559Greenberg, J. A., Bell, S. J., Guan, Y., et al. (2011). Folic Acid Supplementation and Pregnancy: More Than Just Neural Tube Defect Prevention.Obstetrics & Gynecology. 4(2):52-59Hence then, the article about i m a family medicine doctor here are the 2 supplements i take to stay healthy and well was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘I’m a Family Medicine Doctor—Here Are the 2 Supplements I Take To Stay Healthy and Well' )
Also on site :