Living a healthy life is now easier than ever thanks to the abundance of healthy food and supplement options that you can buy. In fact, the vitamins you need in your daily life can often be found inside a capsule or tablet. It’s thanks to food supplements that more and more people have access
Food supplements are a great way to give your body the vitamins it needs without having to eat copious amounts of veggies and other healthy food items. All you need is to take one, two, or more capsules a day and you can get the nutrition you need.
While popular, a lot of people seem to over exaggerate or underestimate what food supplements do. There are so many myths behind it that need debunking so you understand exactly what food supplements are and are not capable of. Here’s what those myths are.
Myth 1: Food supplements can make up for a poor diet
The truth is that food supplements are there to supplement your diet. It’s going to be counterintuitive to take food supplements day and night, while you gorge yourself on fatty and unhealthy food items. No, food supplements cannot make up for a poor diet.
However, keep in mind that the efficacy of multivitamins or food supplements are still to be proven by scientists. Still, some early studies suggest that these supplements can make you healthy but that doesn’t mean they can counteract unhealthy eating habits.
As a general rule of thumb, you need to fill your diet with a mix of vegetables and protein. Maintaining a good balanced diet while taking food supplements is going to be one of the best decisions you can make in your life as you’re getting the best of both worlds.
Myth 2: More is better
When it comes to food supplement intake, the common misconception that the more you take, the better and healthier you become. Keep in mind that there is such a thing as taking too many food supplements in one sitting. Of course, you don’t put yourself at risk of overdosing as you would when taking too much of a prescription drug.
However, large doses of certain vitamins are going to be bad for you. For instance, if you have too much vitamin C in you, you are more prone to stomach pain and diarrhea. It’s good to balance out the vitamins in your body so it’s best to take food supplements as prescribed on the package.
Ideally, you don’t want to take more than one type of food supplement at a time. For example, if your supplement already has vitamin C, then don’t take another supplement that offers the same vitamins. This can cause excessive buildup of certain vitamins, which again, is bad for your body.
Myth 3: All supplements are safe
This is a huge misunderstanding. Of course, not all supplements are safe. You should only take ones that are registered with government agencies. For instance, if you check the best supplements in Canada here, you’ll see that most of them are authorized by the nation’s federal health agency. This means that the products have been proven and tested to be safe.
You should also avoid buying food supplements from any source you see. There are counterfeit supplements on the market which can do more harm to your body. As a general rule of thumb, only buy supplements from trusted sources and retailers.
Instead of helping you get better, counterfeit supplements are actually going to make you feel worse. Some sellers of these fake products are going to lure you in with lower the SRP prices and that should be enough sign that something is not right with the supplement.
Myth 4: Food supplements are always optional
Some people believe that food supplements are never necessary. While that may be true for most people, food supplements actually are good for other people. Specifically, they are good for those who are lacking certain vitamins in their body. The practical way to replenish their body with the right vitamins is through food supplements.
Take people who have iron-deficiency for instance. It can be tough for them to eat enough iron-rich foods to make their body have enough amounts of iron. The iron that they can intake out of a kilo of fish might be consumable with a single tablet of a food supplement.
Those mostly optional food supplements can be vital for some people. Some doctors actively recommend food supplements to patients that need certain nutrients in their body. It’s also good for patients who are going through certain diseases.
Myth 5: It’s natural so it’s always safe
Most of the food supplements that you’ll see on the market claim that they are natural. This may sound ideal at first but in reality, the word “natural” doesn’t have any bearing in the health and wellness industry. Keep in mind that not all things natural are good for your body.
For example, cyanide is a natural compound. Still, it can be fatal to humans even in small amounts. It’s not important to look at whether or not a supplement is natural. What’s better to check is the ingredients where the food supplement is made out of.
Myth 6: Supplements can be taken on an empty stomach
Most supplements are water soluble. In cases like these, that means you can take the vitamin on an empty stomach. However, what you need to be wary of are the vitamins inside the supplement. There are some vitamins that don’t dissolve easily underwater and they take fat to get absorbed by your body.
You should always take vitamins after a meal and not before it. This doesn’t actually make the supplement better in any way but what it does is make sure that you are getting the most out of it.
Food supplements can be a good addition to your diet but it’s recommended that you read up on it first. There are a lot of misconceptions behind food supplements and their efficacy. Debunking these myths can also help you understand the best way to take these supplements as well.
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