Downside of Supplements

Healthy Living
Food and Nutrition

The habit of choosing supplements over a balanced diet is on the rise among the growing population of health nuts. The growing fascination for the supplements stems from the belief that in addition to warding off a deficiency, they also help stave off various illnesses.

Do these tablets really do any good? Wasting money on supplements that may not work is one thing. But what if those same pills actually harm you?

Researches indicate that certain vitamin compounds can actually cause serious illnesses in the longer run by interfering with the body’s natural mechanism. Some new evidences even point toward the possible danger of multivitamins overdose.One of the most high-profile offenders is vitamin E. Being a fat-soluble antioxidant, vitamin E has a risk of potential overdose. It is taken to lower the risk of heart failure and stroke, but recent research has found that the vitamin increases the risk of heart damage.

Vitamin C is also controversial. A recent American study has indicated that it may speed up atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in diabetics. Gorging on vitamin A compound in doses of more than 25,000 IUs (five times the RDA) can lead to liver damage, hair loss, blurred vision and headaches.

Niacin is favoured by many to lower the cholesterol. However, the supplement is found to cause possible symptoms of jaundice and liver damage. Iron supplements mostly taken by elderly and menstruating women interfere with absorption of zinc, a mineral that speeds up wound healing and helps regulate the immune system.

Vitamin D is known to cause a build-up of calcium deposits that can interfere with the functioning of muscles, including the heart tissue.

Another downside of supplements is that people often rely on supplements so much as to ignore their need of a balanced diet. The truth is that no matter how carefully you select your dietary supplements, they cannot replace food. Nutrition scientists are yet to discover a safe and universally complete supplement to take care of all our nutritional requirements.

However, the good news is that almost everything we need for our optimum health is available in the vegetation on this planet. While trying to get a nutrient from a supplement can often do more harm than good, getting a nutrient from a natural source rarely causes a problem. For example, anti-oxidants that are present naturally in fruits and vegetables mop up free-radicals (the toxins produced by the body that damage cells and are linked to a host of illnesses) with no ill effect.

All the same, if you have to take supplements, always ensure that you are aware of the guidelines. Do not go overboard with your vitamin and mineral intake.