2024-04-02 18:47:38
About 59 million of Americans regularly take some type of vitamin or dietary supplement and spend an average of $510 annually.
However, according to experts, most people are wasting money. A balanced diet is enough, said Dr. Matthew Silvis.
“If you follow the principles of a balanced diet and can eat nutritious products – fruits, vegetables, etc. – you don’t need multivitamins or supplements”, said M. Silvis.
But for some people, he says, it’s worth considering multivitamins or supplements. This is:
– Pregnant women who need folic acid to prevent birth defects;
– Seniors with osteoporosis who may benefit from calcium and vitamin D supplements;
– Vegans or people with celiac disease who need multivitamins to supplement nutrients they don’t get or can’t absorb from food.
Ms. Silvis emphasized that it is best to check with your doctor if you need vitamins or nutritional supplements.
If the body doesn’t need a certain nutrient, the excess is likely to be flushed out. Basically, money spent on most unnecessary supplements goes straight down the toilet.
“If your diet is well balanced and you still use food supplements, then you are simply urinating vitamins,” said M. Silvis, adding that there is a maximum limit to the amount of vitamins the body can absorb.
For example, there is no evidence that taking high amounts of vitamin C can prevent colds, and there is little evidence that it helps you recover faster.
“There is a lot of debate about whether vitamin C actually changes the duration of the disease,” Silvis said.
Worse, people can actually create health problems for themselves if they take too much of certain vitamins, he warned.
For example, excess vitamin A in the body can cause a condition called hypervitaminosis, which can lead to vision and skin changes, bone pain, and even liver damage.
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2024-04-02 18:47:38