Vitamin supplements – Pros and Cons of Dietary Supplements

Diet is the most integral part of our life. A balanced one provides you with complete nutrients like vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, among others. However, having a balanced diet has become quite challenging these days. Modern lifestyle, work schedules, hectic jobs, and a lot of competition are a few reasons to be blamed. The food we eat every day is unable to fulfill our requirement of micro-nutrients since most of it is artificially treated or processed.

Therefore, to combat the lack of nutrients, people have found a smart way. They have started to depend on dietary supplements. Even medical experts recommend many supplementary nutrients like vitamins in their prescriptions. But, is taking supplements useful for the body in the long run? Let’s find out.

Unsplash | How good are dietary supplements?

What are vitamin supplements?

Vitamin supplements are one of the most preferred dietary supplements worldwide. The human body needs several micro and macronutrients to make the organs carry out their specific functions. Vitamin additives supply and fulfill the nutrient demand of the body. You can buy them in the form of tablets, capsules or powders, soft gels, and liquids.

Read –Types of Dietary Supplements

Benefits of taking supplements

Usually, supplements provide an extra bunch of nutrients required by the body if due to some specific ailment, there’s a shortage. Additionally, these may also reduce the risk of a few medical conditions. They can be used to treat any nutrient scarcity in the body. The consumption of vitamin tablets is not restricted to any particular time of the day. Instead, they can be consumed at any time.

Unsplash | Taking supplements has both, pros and cons

Risks of taking supplements

Vitamin supplements are quite safe to consume, but only if a limited and prescribed dosage is followed. Self-prescribing is strictly prohibited. A lot of brands are available in the market. Hence, it would help if you always looked for the ones prescribed by the medical practitioners as they know the ingredients. Having a large number of vitamin supplements may lead to harmful effects on vital organs.

Points to remember

• Supplements are not medicines. Hence they cannot be used to cure a specific medical condition. They can only help to keep diseases at bay by supplying the daily necessities of the human body.
• Vitamin additives cannot be used as a replacement for one’s regular diet. These are, as the name suggests, just an addition to what you eat regularly. A nutritional and healthy diet is a must and cannot be substituted by add-ons.

Read – Pros and Cons of Dietary Supplements

Unsplash | If relying on them, keep these points in mind

Few last words

There is clear evidence in the medical field that you can only rely on vitamin supplements after keeping their benefits and risks in mind. Therefore, it’s always sensible to consult a medical professional before choosing any supplementary diet pills. On top of that, you should try to keep track of your nutrition intake from fruits, vegetables, etc. Following a healthy diet will help you overcome the need for dietary supplements in the long run.