Today, we’re going to talk about some of the common mistakes people make with supplements.
1. People often wonder what time of the day they should take their supplements. Taking your supplements in the morning can give you the energy you need for the day. Avoid taking electrolytes before bed and calcium supplements before eating. Some people benefit from vitamin D supplements in the morning, while some benefit from taking them before bed.
2. Avoid swallowing too many supplements at once!
3. Introduce supplements one at a time to learn what works and doesn’t for your particular health problem.
4. Supplements won’t work if you have a poor diet. Make sure to get enough protein and limit your carbs.
5. Cheap vitamins contain cheap ingredients. Many cheap supplements and daily vitamins contain calcium carbonate, the type of calcium found in cement. They also contain fillers and dyes! Synthetic vitamins, except niacin and benfotiamine, often have side effects and should be avoided.
6. Avoid taking supplements and drugs together at the same time for the same problem.
7. Certain vitamins work synergistically with others, so you have to take those particular supplements together. For example, if you’re taking high doses of vitamin D, you must also take adequate magnesium. Similarly, high doses of zinc over time can cause a copper deficiency.
8. Don’t take advice about supplements from people who don’t know the data.
9. Many people don’t take a high enough dosage of their supplements to see results. You often need to take more than the RDA to produce a therapeutic effect.
10. If you’re a vegan, you must take supplements to prevent deficiencies. Vitamin B12, vitamin D3, omega-3s, iron, zinc, iodine, and calcium are all vital for your health.
11. Use the correct dosage of your supplement to see results. Your paracrine/autocrine system needs about 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily!