Written By: Coach Mairead
There are so many vitamin and mineral supplements out there – how do you know what to take or if you even need to take any supplements?
Today we’ll answer your most common questions about taking supplements!
Do I need a supplement?
There is no blanket answer to this question. This depends on both what you eat on a regular basis and your body’s specific needs, as well as any medical conditions you might have. There is no way to say for sure that everyone needs to take a specific vitamin or mineral supplement.
Everyone’s needs are totally different, you don’t need to take something just because your family or friends are.
Is food better for me than supplements?
Generally I recommend to people that they try to address minor deficiencies and gaps in their diet with food first. This way you get all the nutrition that food brings to the table, not just a nutrient in isolation. You’re going to see an improvement in your overall diet generally, instead of just adding in a pill or powder.
How do I know if I need a supplement?
Generally, unless a doctor, dietitian, or another healthcare professional tells you, you might not know. If you have blood work done and it shows a deficiency, that could be a good sign you need a supplement. If you’re working with a dietitian to address any gaps in your diet and you can’t fix them with food for any reason, you may also need a supplement.
Can I take too much?
For sure! Many supplements have very high doses of specific nutrients – much higher than you’d find in food naturally and often higher than your body truly needs. Unless recommended by a healthcare provider, you usually don’t need to supplement in excessively high doses. Best case scenario for over-supplementing is that you end up with very expensive pee. There’s actually a “Tolerable Upper Limit” set for a lot of nutrients, which is the amount most people can take in before you start seeing negative health effects. This can be sometimes only a bit higher, or can be much higher than the “Recommended Daily Allowance” – the amount most people need to be healthy. For some nutrients, the amount you can safely take in each day is lower if you’re getting it from supplements, and higher if you’re getting it from food. Taking high amounts of some nutrients can also block absorption of other nutrients and lead to further deficiencies!
Wondering if a specific supplement is for you, or if there might be something missing from your diet? Book a Nutrition Consultation and get your answers with evidence-based advice! Email
[email protected] for more info and to save your time slot today!
