These day people firmly believe that dietary supplements can help cure many ailments and keep them healthy and strong inside-out. You can find supplements for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega fatty acids, and many more. 

The assertions are almost incredible – from treating minor colds to improving memory, helping you lose weight, lowering cholesterol, treating heart diseases, and even curing cancer! You name a condition and there is a dietary supplement to take care of it! In short, the market for dietary supplements has skyrocketed. 

But, do they really work? Have they become a necessity in today’s lifestyle?


No, not really! 

Woman holding different capsules in her hand
Dietary supplements are not a must! A balanced, nutritious diet can sufficiently take care of most of your nutritional requirement. A person who is not consuming a nutritious diet may resort to dietary supplements to compensate for the deficiency of a nutrient. But, they are not required on a regular basis. In fact, their effectiveness in most of the scenarios has not been scientifically confirmed. 

Supplements often contain active ingredients that may interfere with your medicines, surgeries, and cancer treatment such as chemotherapy. Supplements can also cause an overdose of nutrients leading to adverse side effects. For example, consuming too much iron can cause nausea, vomiting, liver problems, heart problems, or diabetes. Excess calcium can weaken your bones instead of strengthening them. Similarly, an excess of vitamin A can lead to poor vision, nausea, dizziness, bone pain, and sunlight sensitivity.


It is best to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements. Your doctor can advise you which supplements to take, depending on your diet and health thus helping you stay strong and healthy.




For any query related to supplements. you can consult an Internal Medicine Specialist at www.healthcaremagic.com

About the Author

Jyoti Srivastav

Jyoti is a writer and editor with 6 years of experience in scientific and medical writing. She has been the recipient of ICMR's JRF and has worked in public health care sector and medical research. She is presently working as a Managing Editor!


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