Extra Nutrition: 4 Ways to Choose the Right Health Supplements for You

When it comes to eating a healthy diet, there is really no one-size-fits-all plan. There are, of course, certain foods (often referred to as “superfoods”) that are generally acknowledged to be healthy for everyone, but even in that, there are exceptions. Yogurt, for instance, has been shown to have healthy bacteria that promote good intestinal health, and yet can still cause problems with people sensitive to dairy products. When it comes to choosing the right supplements, the same thing is true: there is no one-size-fits-all plan, program or supplement. Here are 4 ways to help you find the right supplements for you.

Decide What You Need Help With

Supplements can help individuals with a wide range of problems, ranging from mild depression (or just a bad, ongoing case of the “blues”) to weight loss and appetite control to getting better sleep to better recovery after a workout. If the things you want supplements to help with are mood-related, you’ll want a completely different type of supplement from those that will help you have more energy, get a better night’s sleep or lose weight. Deciding ahead of time what you want supplements to help you do will go a long way towards figuring out what supplements are right for you.

Do Some Research

There is a wealth of information online about various supplements and the conditions and issues they help with. Always make sure you are getting information from trusted, respectable sources, however. In addition, there are thousands of different brands of supplements, many of which may or may not come from the US, where regulations are more stringent. Be sure you are not only getting your information about supplements from a trusted source but that you are getting a trusted and respected brand of supplement. Websites like crunchbase.com can provide a wealth of reliable information on brands like Xyngular to help you find the right supplements for you.

Check with Your Doctor

While most supplements are widely considered safe enough to take without a doctor’s supervision, if you are already taking any kind of medications or have any significant health issues, you should always check with your doctor before taking any supplements. Some supplements can have serious interactions with prescription medications, so be sure that you tell them about any and all supplements you plan on taking before purchasing them. In addition, you should particularly check with your doctor before taking supplements if you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant. While there are a number of supplements (including prenatal vitamins) that can actually help your pregnancy, there are also a number of otherwise very safe supplements that can be potentially harmful to a pregnancy.

Be Aware and Start One at a Time

When you first discover all of the many supplements that are available and how they can help you, it can be tempting to stock up on an armload full to combat all sorts of health and mood issues. Supplements can affect people very differently, however, so it’s important to start each new supplement one at a time. This will also help you be more aware of how each individual supplement affects you. When you have been taking a certain supplement for a while with no adverse reactions and suddenly find yourself getting tired or possibly suddenly feel very “wired” after adding in a new supplement, you will then know which supplement is the culprit. Remember, most supplements are not taken under a doctor’s supervision, so it’s important for you to take precautions and be aware of how each supplement affects you.

Supplements can provide a wide range of health and emotional benefits, but they also must be handled with care. Be sure you are taking supplements from a trusted manufacturer that have been on the market for some time. Reading product reviews and checking with different sources will also help you develop the right supplement regimen for you.

Brooke Chaplan

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.

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