FAQs About Vitamins and Health Supplements
What are the benefits of taking vitamins and supplements?
Vitamins and supplements can offer a range of benefits, from supporting anxiety and stress to helping to boost your cardiovascular health. Vitamins and supplements can increase your intake of key nutrients, support your immune system, and keep your body in good condition. From bone, joint and muscle health to brain function, metabolism and eye health, vitamins and supplements can enhance yourself across a range of health goals (GHP. 2021).
GHP. 2021, ‘11 Benefits of Taking Vitamins’, Global Health & Pharma, https://www.ghp-news.com/11-benefits-of-taking-vitamins/
GHP. 2021, ‘11 Benefits of Taking Vitamins’, Global Health & Pharma, https://www.ghp-news.com/11-benefits-of-taking-vitamins/
Who should take vitamins and supplements?
If you’re experiencing deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals or are looking to boost your nutrient intake in certain areas, vitamins and health supplements can help you achieve those goals.
What are the benefits of taking vitamins and supplements?
Vitamins and supplements can help you get adequate amounts of essential nutrients that can boost your overall health and support your health goals. If taken in the correct dosages and in unison with a balanced diet and training regime, vitamins and supplements can support your performance, cognitive function and training goals while filling any nutritional gaps in your diet (National Institutes of Health. 2020).
National Institutes of Health. 2020, ‘Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know’, National Institutes of Health, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/#:~:text=Taking%20more%20than%20you%20need,the%20liver%20and%20other%20organs
National Institutes of Health. 2020, ‘Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know’, National Institutes of Health, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/#:~:text=Taking%20more%20than%20you%20need,the%20liver%20and%20other%20organs
What vitamin supplements should I take?
Your supplements will vary depending on your goals and dietary and nutritional needs. You may be deficient in certain areas and need a boost, or you might want to boost yourself with different vitamins and supplements to support health, well-being and physical goals. If you need help deciding which supplements are best for you, head online or drop into one of our 33 Australian stores, and our knowledgeable team will help you find what you need.
What are the risks of taking vitamins and supplements?
There shouldn’t be many risks with taking vitamins and supplements, so long as you follow the directions on the packaging and don’t consume excessive amounts or combine too many supplements together. Some supplements can interact with medications, so it is important to always check with your GP if you’re taking medication in combination with supplements. You should also take caution if you’re taking vitamins and supplements while pregnant or breastfeeding (National Institutes of Health. 2020).
National Institutes of Health. 2020, ‘Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know’, National Institutes of Health, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/#:~:text=Taking%20more%20than%20you%20need,the%20liver%20and%20other%20organs
National Institutes of Health. 2020, ‘Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know’, National Institutes of Health, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/#:~:text=Taking%20more%20than%20you%20need,the%20liver%20and%20other%20organs
Can vitamin supplements cause liver damage?
You shouldn’t experience any liver issues unless you’re over-supplementing with vitamins. If you experience any issues, you should discontinue the use of the vitamins you’re taking and consult a GP if you experience any issues. Over-consumption of vitamin A can cause an enlargement of the liver, and high doses of vitamins K and D can lead to liver damage when taken in excess amounts (George, S. 2018).
George, S. 2018, ‘Make Sure the Vitamins You Take Aren’t Affecting Your Liver’, Liverstrong.com, https://www.livestrong.com/article/508733-does-taking-vitamins-affect-your-liver/
George, S. 2018, ‘Make Sure the Vitamins You Take Aren’t Affecting Your Liver’, Liverstrong.com, https://www.livestrong.com/article/508733-does-taking-vitamins-affect-your-liver/
Can vitamin supplements cause constipation?
If you’re experiencing constipation or symptoms, you may want to check with your healthcare professional to examine whether you’re experiencing any underlying issues. Vitamins like calcium and iron can cause constipation in some cases, so if you experience symptoms, you should consult your healthcare professional and discontinue use (Caporuscio, J. 2019).
Caporuscia, J. 2019, ‘Vitamins for constipation: Do they work?’ Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327115#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
Caporuscia, J. 2019, ‘Vitamins for constipation: Do they work?’ Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327115#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
Can vitamin supplements cause stomach pain?
You shouldn’t experience any stomach pain unless you’re over-supplementing and consuming too much of a specific vitamin or mineral. Too much vitamin C or zinc can, in some cases, cause nausea and stomach cramps, but that should not happen if you’re consuming an appropriate amount each day (Nierenberg, C. 2022).
Nierenberg, C. 2022, ‘Getting Too Much of Vitamins And Minerals’, Nourish by WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/effects-of-taking-too-many-vitamins
Nierenberg, C. 2022, ‘Getting Too Much of Vitamins And Minerals’, Nourish by WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/effects-of-taking-too-many-vitamins
Can vitamin supplements cause acne?
If you’re experiencing acne and breakouts, you may want to consult a general practitioner or dermatologist to verify any underlying skin conditions. Vitamins and health supplements shouldn’t cause acne, especially not when taken in the correct dosages.
Can vitamin supplements cause weight gain?
If you’re consuming a safe amount of vitamins and minerals, you shouldn’t experience any weight gain issues. Excess supplementation of vitamins can trigger weight gain in several ways, from increasing fat synthesis, causing insulin resistance, disturbing neurotransmitter metabolism, and inducing epigenetic changes (Zhou, S et al. 2014).
Zhou, S et al. 2014, ‘Excess vitamin intake: An unrecognised risk factor for obesity’, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932423/#:~:text=Excess%20vitamins%20may%20also%20affect,metabolism%20and%20inducing%20epigenetic%20changes
Zhou, S et al. 2014, ‘Excess vitamin intake: An unrecognised risk factor for obesity’, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932423/#:~:text=Excess%20vitamins%20may%20also%20affect,metabolism%20and%20inducing%20epigenetic%20changes
Can vitamin supplements cause headaches?
If you’re consuming a safe amount of vitamins and minerals, then you shouldn’t experience any side effects. Excessive ingestion of fat-soluble vitamins like A & D or water-soluble vitamins like B & C can cause side effects when taken in large doses. Niacin can also cause headaches (National Headache Foundation).
National Headache Foundation, ‘Vitamins’, National Headache Foundation, https://headaches.org/vitamins/#:~:text=The%20excessive%20ingestion%20of%20fat,Niacin%20may%20cause%20headaches
National Headache Foundation, ‘Vitamins’, National Headache Foundation, https://headaches.org/vitamins/#:~:text=The%20excessive%20ingestion%20of%20fat,Niacin%20may%20cause%20headaches
Can vitamin supplements cause hair loss?
In general, vitamins and health supplements shouldn’t cause hair loss. In fact, with the right vitamins and minerals to support cell growth and function; you should be able to improve the problem of hair loss with vitamins and health supplements. However, consuming too much or over-supplementing with vitamin A can cause hair loss (Almohanna, H et al. 2018).
Almohanna, H et al. 2018, ‘The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review’, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
Almohanna, H et al. 2018, ‘The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review’, National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
