If you take or are thinking about taking a vitamin and mineral supplement to enhance your health, you face a dizzying array of choices. The supplement industry has boomed in the last few decades to a nearly $6 billion annual expenditure in the United States. With so many companies and choices vying for your dollars, it's helpful to consider a few basics about vitamins and minerals before making your selection.
Instructions
1. Consider the balanced formulation of a multivitamin over single-agent supplements. This reduces the chances of an undesirable competition between vitamins or minerals. For example, large amounts of vitamin E inhibit vitamin K metabolism.
2. Ask your doctor if the supplement can interfere with any medications you are taking. For example, vitamin B-6 counteracts with some kinds of medications used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
3. Disregard claims of "all natural" when making your selections. Your body does not distinguish between natural or artificial sources of vitamins. The chemical structure of vitamin C is the same, whether the source is from an orange or a factory.
4. Guard against the possibility of toxicity. Vitamins and minerals are not inert substances; they can cause serious problems when taken in excess. For example, excessive iron supplementation can cause heart and liver damage.
5. Take health claims with a grain of salt. The FDA has little jurisdiction over supplements, and companies can make untested health claims as long as they do not claim to treat or cure a specific disease.
6. Choose a special formulation designed for your health issues if you are considered to be in a group at risk for deficiency. Those at risk include pregnant and breastfeeding women, women with heavy menses and vegetarians. People with specific illnesses or diseases that place them at risk should ask their doctor.
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