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Everything You Need To Know About Supplements
Scroll through your social media feed, and you’ll likely see influencers promoting pills and powders they claim will help you build muscle, sleep better, or lose weight. Those pills and powders are known as dietary supplements. While many supplements are advertised as containing important vitamins and minerals and being super-good for you, think twice before adding them to your diet. Most supplements are a big waste of your money, and some are even dangerous to your health. Read on to learn more.
According to a recent study, many protein supplements can contain toxic metals as well as chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer.
People in the U.S. spend more than $40 billion a year on supplements.
Follow these steps before adding any supplement to your diet:
Try these vitamin and nutrient-packed foods.
Nutrient: Vitamin C
What It Does: heals wounds; boosts your immune system
Food Sources: citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli
Nutrient: Vitamin B12
What It Does: forms red blood cells and DNA; helps brain function
Food Sources: fish, eggs, poultry, dairy products
Nutrient: Iron
What It Does: helps red blood cells transport oxygen
Food Sources: beef, canned tuna, nuts, spinach
Nutrient: Calcium
What It Does: clots blood; builds teeth and bones
Food Sources: almonds, dairy products, leafy greens
Take this quiz to find out.
1. Taking too many supplements can make you feel sick.
True
False
TRUE! Taking more than the recommended dosage of a vitamin or mineral can cause side effects like nausea and headaches.
2. I can trust that a supplement has been proven to be safe to take if I can buy it in a drugstore.
FALSE! Unlike most medications, supplements don’t have to be approved or tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is the government agency that makes sure certain products are safe for humans to consume.
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