It is pretty standard for most older adults to take some kind of over-the-counter dietary supplements. For many users, such supplements are often recommended by their doctors, while others simply take them because of their health benefits. And benefits there are. Even when the scientific and medical community is divided on the extent of benefits they offer, no one argues about their said benefits. While supplements cannot replace a good diet and a healthy lifestyle, they can fill in gaps and promote health improvements in specific areas. For example, Dr. Gundry supplements were created to improve gut health, while multivitamins are designed to fill in nutritional gaps in your diet.

So, should you be taking daily supplements?  The answer is a resounding yes. Everyone can consider adding supplements to their daily schedule but only after getting a go-ahead from their doctor. Here are some dietary supplement benefits that might convince you.

Providing General Wellness Support

There are many different types of supplements in the market, each of which fit a specific role, as they should be. After all, no single magical pill can sort out all your issues. And one of the most common dietary supplements that one can find is your litany multimineral + multivitamin formulas. These daily supplements provide general wellness support for individuals and cover their sub-optimal diet and sleep regimen. They do not target any health issue and should be thought of as any treatment or such. Their role is simply to boost the day-to-day physical and mental well-being of the individual in question.

Addressing Specific Health Issues

Now, one should be under the impression that all daily dietary supplements are there to boost the individual’s day-to-day physical and mental health. While many serve the same purpose, several supplement regimens focus on specific health objectives. Take the case of the Calcium and Vitamin D regimen that is recommended by doctors for a particular purpose, boosting the bone health of the patient.

There are many similar regimens like this, including Vitamin C & E for age-related macular degeneration and AREDS to slow down vision loss in the patients. The examples are simply endless. So, if you are suffering from such a condition, then taking specific daily supplements can help you tremendously.

Preventing Illness Or Injury

Supplements are also beneficial as a preventive measure, not just in treating an existing issue. There are many recommended supplements for sportspersons that reduce their chances of injury on the field. There is also the case of doctors prescribing Folate or Folic acid supplements that lower the risk of fetal development issues in a pregnant woman.

So, as one can gather for themselves, there are several benefits and many different uses of adding daily supplements to one’s diet. However, that is not to say everything is great regarding supplements. There are studies that have questioned the efficiency of many daily supplements and how effective they actually are. There are also risks to consider as well before one hops on board with ingesting supplements on a daily basis.

Risks Of Daily Supplements

  • Side effects: It has been observed that there are some side effects that are pretty common with many dietary supplements. Some of the side effects are nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, headaches, etc. Naturally, this is not great news. Also, the prolonged presence of these side effects could result in serious health issues like damage to the liver, etc.
  • Allergic reaction: It is also possible for one to suffer some sort of allergic reaction with certain supplements. These allergies can easily present themselves as swelling, rashes, and possibly anaphylaxis.
  • Overdosing: It is also not uncommon for patients to overdose themselves by ingesting more than the recommended daily supplement dose. This can have several long-term consequences on the patient, many of them irreversible. This is why it is critical that one must follow the prescribed guidelines to the letter, and if they are not feeling the effect, connect with their doctor and ask them to up the dosage or even possibly offer alternative medication.
  • Complications with existing medication condition: Many supplements do not mix well with the patient’s pre-existing condition. It could cause severe health problems for the individual.
  • Interaction with other supplements: Combing two different regimens in one or taking additional supplements could also have a negative impact on the individual. It is also why it is recommended that one must first consult with their doctor before taking any medication.

Conclusion

As one can understand that there are benefits to ingesting supplements daily, but there are also risks associated with it. However, connecting with a doctor for advice before opting for daily supplements will make sure one does not have to suffer from pesky side effects.