Do you have dietary supplements hoping that you are going to live longer? A new study has shown that it is better to invest in nutritious food instead of any nutritional supplements. According to the research, magnesium, Vitamins A and K, copper, and zinc have been linked to a reduced risk of death from stroke or heart disease. It also affects the low risk of dying at the age of 6 years following up, generally.
What Supplements Are Healthier: Those Who Comes From Food Or Those Who Comes From Dietary Supplements
However, the findings hold when they come from food and not from the supplements. Another important thing that the study has found is consuming 1000 milligrams of calcium at the least from supplements was related to augmented death risk. It is not the case when it comes to calcium obtained from food.
The senior author of the study, Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, has said that more than half of the population of the United States intake supplement regularly. However, it is quite clear that a supplement doesn’t have many benefits when it comes to the general population. It can be said that supplement isn’t a replacement of a healthy diet.
Zhang has also added that there is a belief that supplements help in maintaining and improving your health. Nevertheless, his study gives more evidence that there aren’t any benefits. Zhang is an associate profession at Boston’s Tufts University.
According to her, it was not clear why the nutrients contained in the supplements didn’t offer the same advantages as they do when these are found in food items.
She said that supplements forms could have a different effect than a natural way. In supplements, the same regulatory effect is absent. Zhang has considered the population that took part in the study was healthy. Thus, the finding doesn’t apply to the people suffering a deficiency of certain nutrients.
The study comprised of over 27000 adults from the United States aged 20 or more. They had to answer questions related to dietary supplements use and the diets they follow. More than half of the people report using at least one single, and over one used multivitamins. The users of the supplement were mostly female and white. They also have high levels of income and education. They were also a higher chance that they will eat healthily and be physically active.
One of the most commonly used supplements is Vitamin C. This is followed by vitamin D and calcium. The question is – if it is the time to clear out the medicine cabinet and throw out all supplements?
According to Zhang, who conducted a study on this, supplement isn’t recommended if you are healthy. Nevertheless, when you are diagnosed to be deficient in specific, you shouldn’t stop consuming it without talking to the doctor.
A registered dietician of NYU Langone Health, Samantha Heller was being involved in the study said that a single nutrient might not be able to solve all your health problems. However, at times, supplementation with minerals and vitamins is essential and necessary.
For instance, vegan people might have a deficiency of Vitamin D, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. According to Heller, the insufficiency of Vitamin D is a problem sustaining over the entire world. However, there is no consensus among the health experts as to the right of vitamin D consumption to mitigate this.
Heller has also stated that supplements can prove to be helpful if you need them. The problem is some people feel that when little is good, more can be better. Our bodies function to maintain a delicate balance, and when you consume excessive of one nutrient, it might disrupt the balance.
The conclusion, according to both the experts is, people should obtain their minerals and vitamins from food.
There is no individual supplement that has all the incredible plant compounds containing in vegetables and fruits such as nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. The nutrients that are present in food tend to work when it comes to fighting disease and keeping you healthy.
Benefits of Taking Dietary Supplements
A supplement can help in assuring that you are getting the required amount of vital substance that the body needs for functioning. While there are others, which can truncate the risk of developing a specific disease. However, make sure that your supplement does not replace your whole meal, which is necessary for a healthy diet. Make sure that you have a varied range of food.
Supplements are not like drugs, and they do not have permission to be marked for diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing a disease. It implies that they cannot make any claims, such as treats heart problems or lower cholesterol levels. As per law, dietary supplements cannot make such claims.
Risk in Taking Supplements
Several supplements have active ingredients that can have a significant biological effect on the body. Thus, it can be unsafe for consuming in certain situations. Also, it can lead to some health complications. For instance, the actions mentioned below might be harmful and might lead to life-threatening results.
- Mixing supplements
- Having supplements along with your medicines
- Substituting your supplements with the prescribed drugs
- Consuming too much of supplements like vitamin A or D and iron. Some supplements can have a negative impact if you take it before or after surgery. Hence, it is better to talk to your health care provider when you take any supplements.
How to Find Out About the Supplement you are taking?
The labels of the dietary supplement contain the name and location of the distributor or manufacturer. In case you have to find out more about the product, check with the distributor or manufacturer about,
- Information about the effectiveness and safety of the ingredients that are present in it.
- Information supporting the claims of the supplement.
While buying a supplement, you need to keep in mind that the term natural doesn’t mean it is safe. In case you feel that the claims that are being about the product are too good to be true, then they very likely are.
