1. What You Need to Know About Supplements
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, a Board-Certified Family Physician with Holistic Wellness Strategies, says, “Before diving into the world of vitamins and supplements, one must know their specific needs and research the different options.” Before taking any vitamin, people should know what side effects might happen and talk to their doctor or pharmacist if they have any questions or concerns. Also, think about when you should take the vitamins. For example, some vitamins may work best when taken with food.
Also, even though you can buy many vitamins without a prescription, there are times when you need a prescription for certain vitamins to get the most out of them. It is important to think carefully about how much of a vitamin to take. If you take too much of a certain vitamin, it could hurt your body instead of helping it. Before stocking up on vitamins, it’s important to know what your health goals are and what your situation is.
2. Why some supplements don’t seem to be worth the money
Dr. Mitchell says, “There are so many vitamins and supplements on the market today that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth buying and which ones aren’t.” But because of things like how they were made or stored, some vitamins that are said to be good for your health may not be. Many vitamins, especially those from unknown sources that are sold in convenience stores or gas stations, aren’t strong enough to help your health in the long run. This makes them a waste of money.
Also, some vitamins are already in almost every healthy diet, so people who already eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and protein don’t need to buy them. So, if you buy vitamins or supplements, it’s important to know how they might be cutting corners and how you can avoid this by looking for trusted brands.
3. Garcinia Cambogia Extract
Dr. Middleton says, “Garcinia cambogia extract may not be worth taking as a supplement. This supplement is said to help you lose weight and curb your appetite, but there isn’t much evidence to back up these claims. Some people who take garcinia cambogia extract get sick, have stomach problems, or even damage their livers. Taking this supplement might not be worth the money or the chance of getting sick.
“Several studies have looked at how garcinia cambogia helps people lose weight,” says the National Center for Complementary and Health Integration. Less research has been done on how garcinia cambogia can be used for other things. People who took products that said they contained garcinia cambogia got sick because their livers couldn’t handle it. A 2020 review of 11 short-term studies on people found that garcinia cambogia products didn’t help them lose weight in a big way. There have been reports of liver damage in people who used garcinia cambogia products. This seems to be a rare problem, but some cases were very bad. Most of the reported cases involved products labelled as having a mix of ingredients, but some involved products labelled as having only garcinia cambogia.
4. Kava
Dr. Middleton says, “Kava is another supplement that you might not want to take. This supplement has been used for a long time to help people feel less anxious and stressed and sleep better. Studies have shown that using this herb for a long time can hurt the liver. It can increase the side effects of many common medicines when taken with them. Since this supplement could cause serious side effects, it may not be worth the money to take it.
UCLA Health says, “Kava has been banned in the UK and Europe because it is bad for the liver.” The use of kava has been linked to more than 100 cases of liver damage, some of which led to death and some to a liver transplant. There are many things that can hurt the liver. For one thing, kava makes the liver lose glutathione, which is a key antioxidant. It also blocks enzymes that help the body break down many drugs. People who already had liver disease or who drank alcohol along with kava were more likely to have liver damage.
5. Yohimbe
“The next supplement that might not be worth taking is Yohimbe,” says Dr. Middleton. People have said that this supplement makes people more sexual. Studies have shown that it can have bad side effects like a faster heart rate and higher blood pressure, anxiety, and in some cases, seizures. Taking this supplement may not be worth the money or trouble because the risks may be worse than the benefits.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says, “There isn’t much research on how yohimbe works as a dietary supplement in people.” But studies have shown that taking it has risks. People who take yohimbe have had heart attacks and seizures. Yohimbe supplements have been limited or banned in many countries because they were not labelled correctly and could have dangerous side effects. A study that looked at calls to the California Poison Control System about yohimbe and other drugs between 2000 and 2006 found that it caused stomach problems, tachycardia (a fast heartbeat), anxiety, and high blood pressure. People who called about yohimbe were more likely than other callers to need medical care. Most things that contain yohimbe don’t say how much yohimbine they have. A 2015 study of 49 brands of supplements sold in the US that said they had yohimbe or yohimbine on the label found that the amounts could be very different. Some of the yohimbine was either made in a lab or made from a plant extract that was highly processed. Most of the supplements did not list any known side effects.”
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