In the pursuit of supporting a healthier lifestyle, many people will turn to supplements. Supplements are ingestible forms of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that the body uses to perform various functions. Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of nutrients to carry out its role.
There are many forms that supplements can take. They may be tablets, capsules, gels, powders, bars, gummies, or liquids. Though many think of supplements as a solution to their desire to be healthier, not everyone truly understands what these mineral sources can do.
Myths regarding supplements are numerous and widely believed. They can act as a support for healthier living, but they are not always a solution that will work for what people want to achieve. Here are a few of the most common myths that people believe about dietary supplements.
Supplements are like Medicine
Some people believe that dietary supplements can act as medicine. After all, they provide key vitamins and minerals, many of which help to support the immune system. However, supplements are not a counteragent to bacteria or viruses that enter your body. There is virtually nothing that these nutrient sources can do to alleviate a sickness or ailment. Their purpose is to provide additional nutrients to support the cells in your body, not initiate an immune response.
They can be Taken Alongside Medicine
As stated above, supplements cannot act as a medicine. However, that does not mean that they cannot react to ingested drugs in unknown ways. Some people are fooled into believing that supplements are essentially food, and therefore safe to take alongside medicine. But there are lots of additional ingredients in supplements that could react poorly with the active ingredient in a drug that you have ingested. Before taking both of these products together, make sure that you understand exactly what is in each of them to avoid any negative reactions.
Supplements are Food Substitutes
For one reason or another, some people may not be consuming a nutrient-rich diet. Maybe they have significant allergies or simply choose to leave out key food groups from their nutrition plan. These individuals may decide to turn to supplements to make up for the gaps in their vitamin and mineral intake. However, supplements are a very poor delivery source for most nutrients. The body is far more efficient at processing the resources provided by food and delivering them throughout the body. Products like Cellsentials vita antioxidant and core minerals are meant to SUPPORT a healthy diet rather than REPLACE it. If you are relying on supplements to maintain your vitamin and mineral levels, then you are depriving your body of the nutrients that it needs in a delivery system that it can process efficiently.
Supplements Provide Significant Health Benefits
Many advertisements for supplements will display extremely fit and athletic-looking models, claiming that the use of the product will result in you having the ideal body. However, research into the effectiveness of these nutrient sources has shown that the overall positive effects are often minimal. Almost all of the vitamins and minerals that you need can be ingested with the right balanced diet, and supplements will have a very minimal effect on your health. The models in those advertisements do not look that way because of supplements, but because of their dietary choices and exercise routine.
“Natural” Means Safe
When you see a food product on the shelf at the grocery store that says the word “natural,” you tend to think of it as healthier and safer for consumption. For supplements, many products will state that they are made from all-natural ingredients, which sounds like a positive thing. However, there are plenty of harmful “natural” elements that exist. Just because something comes from the natural world does not mean that it is safe for ingestion. Even though unsafe elements are rarely found in dietary supplements, don’t fall for labeling that creates the impression that a product is better because it is natural.
Vitamins and Minerals From Supplements Are Stronger
This goes back to the myth of supplements being a sufficient substitute for a balanced and healthy diet. Some people consider supplements to be more powerful when delivering vitamins and minerals to the body. Yet food provides the body with a more efficient delivery system for these nutrients than dietary supplements can, making them a less effective method for supplying your cells. Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, is much more effective coming from meat or vegetables than a multivitamin.
Do Your Own Research
When you are considering whether or not to add supplements to your diet, it is best to conduct your research beforehand. Watch out for products that claim to be all-natural or that they will make you healthier. The positive effects, though they are present, will have a minimal impact on overall health, which is much more affected by dietary choices and exercise regimens. Make sure that you are not believing some of these myths about supplements, and know that supplements can only support a healthy lifestyle rather than determine it.
