Dietary supplements include vitamins, minerals, probiotics, herbs, and amino acids. They come in many forms — like pills, powders, liquids, and bars — that you can eat or drink.
Many people take dietary supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps in their diet. Others supplement in hopes of preventing disease or achieving specific wellness goals.
The evidence on whether dietary supplements are effective is mixed.
Benefits
Supplementing may help you by:
- providing nutrients you can’t get from your diet
- increasing your levels of nutrients if you have deficiencies
- supporting overall and specific wellness goals
- complementing mainstream medical treatment plans
- offering alternative therapeutic options
Risks
On the other hand, dietary supplements may:
- interact with medications
- worsen existing health conditions
- cause side effects or allergic reactions
- complicate surgery
- lead to new — potentially serious — health issues
More than half of all American adults use supplements on the regular (and the percentage soars as we age). Given that dietary supplements might be part of your self-care strategy, ya might wanna know if they’ll help you reach your desired outcomes, such as boosting overall well-being or warding off illness.