Dietary Supplement Cautions -- What Every Health Conscious Person Should Know

The reason that a varied, fresh, and healthy diet helps people feel so much better is that it generally provides the recommended daily allowance of an enormous range of minerals and vitamins that support our normal bodily functions. However, there is always the possibility of having too much of a good thing … and in that case, it turns quite rapidly into a bad thing. The FDA regulates prescription drugs, but doesn’t do the same for dietary supplements and herbal supplements, which can also be harmful to your health if taken in excess. Here we look at some guidelines for all dietary supplement takers.

Begin with one at a time

Unless you are taking a whole food supplement or one-a-day formulation, start on just one dietary supplement at a time. Take half the recommended dose for a week, then take the full dose for a week. Try to maintain a normal diet and exercise routine in these weeks. Note any unusual symptoms -- if you encounter negative side effects in these weeks, see if stopping the supplement makes them go away.

Exercise caution with fat-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins will simply be excreted by the body in most cases if you take too much. However, fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the liver, brain and other bodily tissues and cause symptoms like joint pain, depression, nausea and dry skin. Taking a whole food supplement or a one-a-day formulation helps decrease this risk, but if you notice any adverse symptoms get the advice of a health professional.

Always ask about prescription drug interactions

Vitamins and minerals have real health effects -- that is why so many people take them. Their actions can compound with those of prescription drugs to cause some dangerous situations. Ginseng and gingko biloba are both blood thinners, so definitely aren't compatible with warfarin. There are a host of other cautions like this.

Pregnancy cautions

Adults have relatively enormous bodies, well-developed drug and chemical tolerance and better excretory systems than a fetus does. When you are pregnant, a drug that is common and safe for you can be extremely harmful for your baby. Excessive amounts of vitamin A are an excellent example -- they can cause birth defects, yet most ordinary multivitamins contain more than the recommended daily allowance. Whole food supplements are generally safer than the chemical variety -- but talk to a health professional or your pharmacist before starting any dietary supplement if you are pregnant.