For the sake of he alth, we often reach for over-the-counter dietary supplements in the hope that they will improve the body, accelerate treatment or improve appearance. It's not always like that. For example, calcium and magnesium preparations are not recommended for people with hypertension and diseased joints. Not only that, in these diseases, dietary supplements will not help, but they can also be harmful.
Self-medication, and this is what taking dietary supplements is, not always good for us. Dietary supplements can even harm. This should be borne in mind especially by people who are chronically ill and who are constantly taking various medications. However, dietary supplements cannot be discredited, because there are many he alth situations when these preparations support the basic treatment.Dietary supplementsusually have low doses of the active substance, they are soldwithout a prescription , which makes their impact on the body underestimated. Not only patients, but also many doctors lack proper knowledge on this subject. Therefore, before you start taking any dietary supplements, think with your doctor or dietitian whether they will not interact with drugs already taken, food or other supplements. So what should you pay attention to?
ImportantWhat is a dietary supplement?
The Food Safety and Nutrition Act of August 25, 2006 defines a dietary supplement as a product that is composed of nutrients and is treated as a supplement to normal food. It is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals or other substances; this product is manufactured and marketed in a dosage form (tablets, capsules, powder or liquid).
When not to take dietary supplements
After the age of 65, at least half of the population suffers from joint pain. People suffering from ailments, not wanting to abuse anti-inflammatory drugs that can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, reach for supplements to relieve pain and improve joints. Most often, these are preparations containing glucosamine or ginger.Glucosamine , as there is scientific evidence, it inhibits degenerative changes but does not regenerate articular cartilage. As for ginger, especially when taken for a long time and in increased doses, it can decreaseblood clotting. Therefore, if we are taking anticoagulants and want to use preparations containing ginger, consult a doctor. Warfarin, a component of many medications to prevent blood clots, is especially sensitive to interactions with such supplements. Of course, ginger has an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and warming effect, but it's better to use fresh ginger as an addition to your salads or tea.
In the case of joint problems, shedding excess weight is much more effective than taking supplements. If you lose only 1 kg, the load on your joints will decrease as if you lost 2 kg.
You must do itIf you suffer from chronic diseases, before you buy a dietary supplement:
» Ask your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian if he will not interfere with the medications you already take. »Find out if It will definitely help you, if there is a risk that it can harm you.» Read the leaflets so as not to exceed the daily requirement for nutrients. »If possible, Look for a source of vitamins, minerals and beneficial fatty acids in diet modification.
In case of hypertension, be careful with supplements with calcium and magnesium
Patients with arterial hypertension have at their disposal about 400 medications that not only lower blood pressure, but also, among others, they have a positive effect on the vascular lining and have a diuretic effect. The possibility of choosing the right drug is huge, and this means that most patients do not seek additional therapy support. But the temptation to achieve overall he alth well-being is driving this group to turn to dietary supplements. In this case, however, special care should be taken, because drugs taken in the case of hypertension very often interact with other substances contained in supplements. For example, calcium weakens the effect of beta-blockers. It is also worth knowing that magnesium reduces the effectiveness of some preparations used in the treatment of hypertension. Therefore, patients with hypertension should always consult their doctor about taking dietary supplements.
Probiotics and prebiotics beneficial to the digestive tract
Supplements containing probiotics and prebiotics are beneficial for digestive ailments, because by improving the condition of the bacterial flora in the digestive tract, they facilitate the absorption of many vitamins. In addition, they reduce the amount of gas, reduce flatulence and - most importantly - inhibit the development of pathological bacterial flora in the digestive tract, which is one of the causes of the development of neoplastic diseases. Dietary supplements with probiotics and prebiotics arealso recommended for people after long antibiotic therapy.
monthly "Zdrowie"