5 Supplements Risks Every Woman Should Know

Many people around the globe are on dietary or herbal supplements. It is a booming business for its manufacturers. Depending on what you take, it can be helpful, ineffective or even harmful to your health.

Therefore, before taking any of the over-the-counter vitamin supplements, be informed about its benefits to your health as well as risks. Very often too much of something can be damaging rather than helpful.

Besides, some of these marketed supplements have not been tested. Likewise, there are often no proper regulations on it, making it hard to know the real deal from the counterfeit.

Nonetheless, you can always find ways to scrutinize whatever you are buying, before consuming it. This is because not all vitamin supplements are good for your health. You can check out Analyze That, a website dedicated to providing you a trustworthy analysis of almost every supplement in the current market, with regard to your health.

Here is a look at some five supplements that you should consume with great care.

1.    Vitamin D

Vitamin D is highly essential to the body and its well-being. It promotes the absorption of calcium to the body. However, you have to get the right amount, depending on your health.

Vitamin D supplement is best at protecting your bones as well as preventing bone diseases like osteoporosis.

In relation, if you are older with vitamin D deficiency, get a doctor’s prescription for this vitamin supplement. This way you get the right amount that is beneficial to your body.

However, for healthy people too much vitamin D supplement, higher than 100 ng/mL can trigger extra absorption of calcium and lead to kidney stones. Therefore, take the recommended dose and when needed. Also, include whole food products like milk, tuna, salmon, fortified cereals and mushrooms in your daily diet.

2.    Calcium

Calcium is essential for bone strength and a healthy heart, but too much of it is dangerous. Moreover, doctors recommend that you absorb it through food products like yogurt, fortified cereals, cheese, milk, and juice.

You can have a blood test done to know if you are calcium deficient. If you have calcium deficiency or hypocalcemia then your doctor should prescribe calcium vitamin supplements for proper dosage.

Note that too much consumption of calcium can lead to other problems, especially if you do not have enough vitamin D to help in its absorption. As a result, the excess calcium will likely settle in your arteries instead of the bones, resulting in other health issues.

3.    Fish Oil Supplements

Fish oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is hyped for reducing cardiovascular diseases. However, it can put you in the risk group for cardiovascular diseases if taken in high doses and over a long period.

Therefore, always have a doctor prescribe the right dose of fish oil supplement for you. Nevertheless, doctors usually recommend that you get the omega-3 from food like fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, and avocados, as they have more benefit to your heart than the supplements.

4.    St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is a plant that is usually used as a tea or in capsules form to relieve and treat mild forms of depression, sleep disorders and anxiety.

However, its biggest problem is interaction with other medications. Likewise, it can reduce the effectiveness of other medications within your body like birth control pills. Therefore, it is important that you read on it, especially the drug interaction part and talk to a doctor before consuming it.

5.    Soy Isolate

Some women usually take soy supplement in order to relieve symptoms of menopause. However, it has been linked to breast cancer due to its estrogen content.

Therefore, if you are worried about breast cancer avoid soy supplement and soy-based protein. Nonetheless, soy intake from food products is not a concern.

Not that tempeh, tofu, soymilk are great sources of fiber and protein as well as a number of other minerals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you should take note that taking a vitamin supplement is no substitute for a healthy diet. Moreover, you should only take them under doctors’ orders, and after some tests. Otherwise, you risk a lot by taking supplements just as you please.