6 Common Supplement Mistakes To Avoid, According to a Dietitian

Although dietary supplements give off an *all pure* aura—and will be helpful in sure circumstances—there are actual dangers concerned with blindly popping a tablet you heard about on TikTok. Beneath, six frequent complement errors I see as a registered dietitian.

What to not do when taking dietary supplements

1. Taking one thing with out confirming whether or not you want it

Ever heard the phrase: “Take a look at, don’t guess?” The mantra is a pleasant reminder that suppliers want knowledge earlier than they’ll advocate focused medical or dietary interventions.

The identical concept applies to dietary supplements. Tons of individuals come to me taking a vitamin B12 complement “for vitality,” however a B12 complement gained’t do you a lot good except your bloodwork signifies that you simply’re poor in vitamin B12.

Fortunately B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, which signifies that any extra you eat can be faraway from the physique by means of your urine. So unnecessarily supplementing B12 will principally simply end in you pissing away your cash. (Sorry, I needed to.)

Tons of individuals pop dietary supplements with out an consciousness of the dose they’re taking or whether or not that dosage really makes any sense.

Taking pointless dietary supplements isn’t all the time low threat, although. Different vitamins, like vitamin D, aren’t mechanically escorted out of the physique when consumed in extra, so supplementing them with out cause—particularly at excessive doses—may result in dangerously excessive blood ranges over time. And that may have severe penalties: A 2022 case research printed within the BMJ: Case Studies discovered {that a} man was hospitalized for eight days with excessive signs (together with fixed vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive thirst) after taking extraordinarily excessive doses of vitamin D dietary supplements.

One other instance: Taking a buzzy “hormone balancing” complement with out confirming that you simply even have a hormonal imbalance. Utilizing a complement for estrogen dominance with out understanding whether or not you even have elevated estrogen ranges may depart you feeling worse, not higher. (The one factor extra annoying than a real sizzling flash is a sizzling flash you gave your self.)

I like to recommend getting clear on why you’re taking a complement by asking your self these questions:

Do I’ve a transparent and confirmed cause for taking this complement? Was this complement really useful or reviewed by my health-care supplier? Should you’re taking a singular nutrient, like vitamin D or iron, for a deficiency: Have I rechecked my blood ranges to see how this complement has affected them?

Contemplate getting up to date labs achieved each three to 6 months to find out whether or not or not your ranges have normalized in the event you’re taking a complement to deal with a nutrient deficiency.

I’ve had purchasers of their 30s inform me they’re nonetheless taking a complement their physician really useful to them at age 17. Almost certainly, that’s not needed.

2. Taking a dose that is mindless

Would you relatively choke down 10 fiber drugs daily, or add a spoonful of chia seeds to your breakfast? I ask as a result of swallowing 10 (10!) Metamucil fiber capsules will provide you with 4 grams of fiber, the identical quantity you’d get from consuming simply 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. To not point out you’ll additionally get a small quantity of calcium and omega-3s from the chia.

That is a kind of complement errors I see on a regular basis in my follow. Tons of individuals pop dietary supplements with out an consciousness of the dose they’re taking or whether or not that dosage really makes any sense. Generally it’s comically low, different occasions it’s frighteningly excessive.

When you’ve confirmed that you simply’d profit from a sure complement, speak to your supplier in regards to the right dosage for you. Even compounds that our our bodies naturally produce, like melatonin, have higher limits when taken in complement kind.

3. Taking the fallacious type of a complement

Completely different types of the identical nutrient can have vastly completely different results on the physique. Take magnesium, for instance. Magnesium glycinate dietary supplements could also be useful for nighttime leisure, whereas magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide dietary supplements act as laxatives2. By accident taking magnesium oxide earlier than spending the night time together with your new boo will actually be the other of enjoyable, so ensure you choose the proper type of a nutrient to attain your required outcomes.

The particular kind a nutrient is available in may also impression how a lot of it’s absorbed by the physique and the way seemingly it’s to trigger unwanted effects. As an illustration, iron dietary supplements are infamous for inducing GI misery, however some research present3 that sure types of iron, corresponding to ferrous bisglycinate, could also be much less more likely to trigger nausea and constipation than others, like ferrous sulfate.

4. Taking dietary supplements that work together with medicines

Maybe the gravest of the complement errors is unknowingly taking one thing that may work together together with your medicines. A number of examples:

This is the reason in the event you’re taking any prescription treatment, you need to all the time, all the time ask your physician or pharmacist about dietary supplements earlier than attempting them.

5. Taking dietary supplements with an extreme ingredient checklist

I desire to take a minimalist method in terms of complement formulations. When a model sells a product that purportedly comprises nutritional vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, algaes, fish oil, broccoli extracts, caffeine, and a few 300 different vitamins, I get skeptical. It’s difficult to suit so many high-quality, lively substances right into a single capsule or scoop of powder, so extremely complete formulations give me pause.

One other purple flag: Dietary supplements constructed from proprietary blends that depart customers at midnight in regards to the precise substances and dosages contained inside the product. I’m not anti-supplements, I’m simply pro-transparency.

6. Doubling up on substances

One of the crucial frequent complement errors is to unknowingly double or triple up on the identical vitamins. This occurs usually when individuals are taking a number of merchandise. Taking a hair, pores and skin, and nails complement that comprises biotin, plus a B complicated for low vitality ranges, plus a prenatal will imply you’re getting the identical B nutritional vitamins from three completely different sources.

Relating to dietary supplements, extra isn’t all the time higher. Work with a credentialed supplier to streamline your routine, and save your hard-earned cash.