Smart and Safe Use of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements
Many Americans today – women and children, young and old – simply do not get enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals in their diet to be at their most healthy and to function optimally (CDC, 2012). The good news is that while getting your nutrients by eating fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats is best, science today makes some amazing bulk supplements and bulk vitamins that you can take as an insurance policy to make sure that your body has what it needs to get through each and every day. But what do you need to know before you and your family embark on a mission to fulfill your nutritional gaps with bulk supplements? Read on.
Safety First: Smart Use of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements
Let’s just lay it right out there and say it again that the best way to stay healthy is to eat a diet that is high in essential nutrients and low in unhealthy fat and sweeteners. That being said, the honest truth is that people today are extremely busy, exposed to a lot of stress, and always in a hurry. Fast food has become common place once, twice or more each week. Prepackages foods are quick and easy. This leaves most of us low on fresh foods, and thus low on nutrition.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few tips for the healthy use of dietary supplements to fill the nutritional gaps in your life:
1. Everything is best in moderation. Supplements, such as the popular Omega-3 fish oil, can make great contributions to your health. However, taking too much can be very bad. For example, while Omega-3 helps with heart health, cancer, depression and more, taking too much of it can lead to blood sugar problems, high cholesterol, bleeding and more (Mayo Clinic, 2013).
2. Be aware of allergies. Supplements sometimes come from unexpected places, such as fruits, nuts, seeds, plants and fish (Mayo Clinic, 2013). If you are allergic to seafood then choose a plant derived form of Omega-3, for example. If you are allergic to nuts be certain to check the origin of other supplements before you take them.
3. Always keep supplements out of reach of children and teenagers. Children can mistake pills for candy and accidentally overdose, and teenagers have been known to try to swallow or snort almost anything. Educate your children about the proper use of supplements, prescription drugs, and illegal drugs.
Be Wise: Smart Use of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements
Of course, while trying to be healthy and ensure that you get all your vitamins you do not want to accidentally compromise your health by making a mistake. It’s important to consider smart use of bulk vitamins and bulk supplements in your daily regimen. Think about the following:
1. Remember, some vitamins are water soluble, so you may need multiple doses of these. For example, vitamin C, your body cannot store it. This means you may need some natural orange juice in the morning, but you might want to pop a vitamin C supplement in the afternoon.
2. Other vitamins and nutrients are fat soluble. This means that your body can store them for later use, so you don’t need to take it frequently. It also means that you can overdose if you are not careful.
3. Supplements can be expensive. Buying bulk vitamins can make it more affordable. Remember, most vitamins will last longer if kept in a cool, dark place (like your refrigerator) – an important thing to remember if you are buying in large quantities.
References:
CDC. (2012). CDC report finds U.S. population has good levels of some vitamins and nutrients. Retrieved from, http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0402_vitamins_nutrients.html
Mayo Clinic. (2013). Omega-3 fatty acids. Retrieved from, http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil-alpha-linolenic-acid/background/hrb-20059372
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Hi Marla,
I used to take vitamins regulary but i have had some concerns about the quality and usefulness of vitamins and supplements over the last few years. Your article provided some valuable insights. They can be very expensive and I was not aware of money-saving bulk vitamin sources. Thank you so much for sharing “Smart & Safe Use of Vitamins & Dietary Supplements!” with us at the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing.
Hi Deborah,
I understand what you are saying. I am very careful of what vitamins and supplements I take. I usually go with companies that I trust, read labels very carefully, bulk what I can in bulk or when their on sale buy enough to last a while. I have to take them since I have so many food allergies – I need to supplement so I can get the protein nutrition. Thanks for sharing my article
Good advice! Found you via Healthy Green Natural. 🙂
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Have a healthy happy blessed day!
I take cod liver oil occasionally but not every day. One thing to be wary of is the “named” capsules like cod liver oil, also contain vitamins naturally occurring in them so if you also took a multivitamin you could overdose on vitamins A and D.
Yes I would have to agree with that too. Many vitamins and supplements contain other ingredients such as copper and if you get too much of that it can be very toxic to the body. We should be very cautious and read labels. Thanks for reading my article and commenting. Have a healthy happy blessed day! Marla