It's best to improve your diet before using supplements, advises Dr. That's because vitamins and minerals are more potent when they come from food. However, it's important to try to get vitamins from whole foods before turning to dietary supplements. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicate that nutritional needs should be met primarily through diet, although you can supplement with vitamins if you cannot meet your needs with food alone.
1.The American Heart Association also recommends following a healthy diet for heart health instead of taking supplements. Depending on your needs, your doctor may recommend that you take a specific type or that you take it in combination with magnesium or vitamin D. It may be easier to take vitamins or supplements to replace what you are missing in your diet, instead of worrying about what you eat. The MyDS app provides the latest information on supplements and allows you to keep track of the vitamins, minerals, herbs and other products you take.
Read labels: Check vitamin labels to see what nutrients they include, ingredients you may be allergic to, serving sizes, and more. For people with less specific health problems, multivitamins are often taken as a guarantee to meet all daily nutritional requirements. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist: Some vitamins may interact with the medications you are currently taking. If you're not sure how to follow a healthier diet or if you should take a supplement, consider talking to a health professional.
If you're in good health, it's best to get your daily nutrients from food, as vitamins and minerals from foods are often easier for your body to absorb. However, a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that the beneficial cancer-fighting compounds contained in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, are better absorbed when consumed as food than as a supplement. As for vitamins and minerals, check the% of the daily value (DV) of each nutrient to make sure you don't eat too much. Experts recommend that healthy people get their vitamins and minerals by eating nutrient-rich foods instead of taking supplements.
Vitamins in foods are accompanied by other non-essential but beneficial nutrients, such as carotenoids and flavonoids. To get enough vitamins from food, be sure to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes a variety of whole foods. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicate that your nutritional needs should be met primarily through diet, although you can supplement with vitamins if your needs cannot be met with food alone. When you take that bottle of vitamin C pills or fish oil, you might wonder how well they'll work and if they're safe.
