It is always best to first check the label to ensure the supplements contain the proper amount of nutrients and not too much sugar
While you may be eating a balanced and nutritious diet, sometimes it does not fulfill the nutritional needs of your body, leading to deficiencies. And with social media being so robust and ever-growing, it becomes hard to know what trend to follow when it comes to taking care of your health. Currently, when it comes to taking supplements, the internet is filled with unnecessary advise, which doctors warn against taking seriously.
UK-based pharmacist Amina Khan, founder and director of the skincare and supplements brand The Pharmacist Beauty, has revealed three kinds of supplements – highly popular among the younger generation, she endorses not to be taken. “I think you’re gonna be surprised at most of these,” Khan said on her TikTok channel.
Popular supplements you must avoid
Gummy bears
While vitamin supplements are super popular across the world, it is a common belief that taking gummy bears can improve your overall health or even make up for a diet low in nutrients. Khan, however, has a different view.
“These are basically just a sugar pill — you might as well go have a sweet,” she said. “They can be very easily over-consumed and can lead to mineral toxicity.”
While they are tasty to eat, gummy vitamins are packed with added sugars and may not list nutrient content accurately on their labels. According to studies, gummy multivitamins contain three different types of added sugars with 15 calories per gummy, which can lead to various health issues like obesity, heart disease, and dental cavities.
According to UCLA Health, it is best to first check the label to ensure the gummies contain the proper amount of nutrients and not too much sugar. Also, binging gummy vitamins is an easy way to exceed your recommended daily sugar intake and cause toxic levels of vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.
Khan said she prefers traditional capsules and tablets for adults and liquids or spray supplements for children.
General vitamins
According to Khan, more than one-third of Americans - especially those above 65 years of age- take multivitamins daily to help their body function better. “These have a bit of everything in them,” Khan explained. “Some of the doses of each nutrient are so low they’ll hardly have an effect on you. Also, you don’t need all the vitamins in the multivitamin.”
Many experts say multivitamins are a waste of money as there is no evidence that they reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, or premature death. Studies also say multivitamins with high amounts of fat-soluble vitamins can be harmful because the body can store them for a long time. Too much vitamin A can lead to:
- Headaches
- Liver damage
- Weaker bones
- Birth defects
- Increased risk of lung cancer for smokers and former smokers
Skin and hair supplements
Social media is filled with advertisements of fancy skin and hair supplements, which are said to transform your skin and hair – making you look younger and have thick and strong hair.
According to Khan, in some cases, supplementation increases cancer risk. Many supplements marketed as skin, hair, and nail supplements contain high levels of micronutrients along with extremely high quantities of vitamins A, B6, B12, E, and selenium - all of which have been associated with higher cancer risk in various groups.
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