Supplements are part and parcel of everyday life and caring for our own health for many of us. There are plenty of good reasons to supplement your food intake, too – from soil degradation through to health conditions that impact proper absorption.
The problem is, most of us experiment with supplements without entirely understanding how we can expect results from them. If you skip through the reviews of any supplement online, you will quickly see the bad reviews: “made no difference!” and “nothing happened!” comments abound. So while there are legitimate reasons to use supplements to enhance your diet and improve your health, there also seems to be something of a knowledge gap in the general population.
If you want to ensure you’re getting the most from your supplements, then streamlining your decision-making process into three easy steps should give you all the reassurance you need.
1. Identify The Right Supplement For You
Most people turn to supplements because they are trying to fix a problem. Perhaps you’re concerned about a genetic disposition to bone problems, or you want to improve the texture and thickness of your hair. There’s a thousand and one reasons, and a thousand and one solutions – so you have to take the time to research, research, and research some more. You want to find the defining supplement that is linked with the ability to resolve the concern that you have. If you are not sure which you should be trying, then a few basic Google searches should lead you in the right direction. You could also try joining health forums and asking for recommendations, as well as your GP – the latter being a particularly good idea.
2. Do Your Research
Don’t just believe the claims of manufacturers when it comes to supplements; go out of your way to find out if the list of ingredients is good. What I mean by that is to make sure that the supplements are organic or natural as they claim to be.
For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), “iron deficiency is the top nutritional disorder in the world”. Research suggests that as many as 80 percent of people in the world don’t have enough iron in their bodies. That’s why one of my supplements is Ferritin+, which is plant-based, made with organic peas. Since it is a naturally protein-coated form of iron, which is found in legumes, it allows for time release and efficient absorption, which helps to minimize digestive upset. It has been also shown by three studies that ferritin iron capsules can effectively increase and maintain healthy iron levels. That is why this is my go-to iron supplement! It is very gentle, non-irritating and non-constipating, as I’ve mentioned above and it definitely increases my energy level.
3. Give It Three Months
When you finally settle on a supplement and start taking it, don’t expect immediate results. It’s not going to miraculously solve all your problems in a matter of days; you’re going to need to give your body time to adjust to the new routine. As a minimum, you should be giving each new supplement three months to show a noticeable improvement in whatever health concern you’re trying to target. Keep a diary of your symptoms and expectations, then at the end of the three months, you will be well equipped to truly evaluate if the supplement has been of benefit to you.
You may find that it is only when you stop taking the supplement that you notice the improvement it had given you; you might see little symptoms you had forgotten about begin to return. If this is the case for you, then it’s a good sign that the supplement is truly benefiting you. Providing your doctor agrees, keep taking it to continue improvements.
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