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Who should take dietary supplements?
Dietary supplements are intended to supplement the diet and are not intended to be a replacement for food. Not everyone necessarily needs to take dietary supplements. People take them for various reasons and often without consulting a healthcare professional. Clinicians often recommend dietary supplements for certain individuals for a variety of reasons including an inadequate diet, an inability to improve one's diet, or a restricted diet.

For example:

Vegetarians (especially those who don't eat animal products)
People with food allergies
People with malabsoprtion (where nutrients cannot be adequately absorbed in the intestines)
People in hospital who may not be able to eat properly due to undergoing a surgical procedure
Elderly people in residential care facilities who do not eat a well-balanced diet and who infrequently go outdoors
Common supplements taken because of an inadequate dietary intake include calcium, vitamin D, and iron.




Clinicians may recommend dietary supplements to prevent certain diseases, whereby scientific evidence suggests that dietary supplements may be beneficial and whereby the benefits outweigh the side effects.

For example:

Probiotics
Omega-3 fatty acids
Fish oils
CoQ10
Ginkgo biloba
Cranberry
Folic acid
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine)
Glucosamine
Chondroitin
Calcium
Always talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before you take any dietary supplement, as these products may have risks. They could be harmful to your health if:

You are taking other dietary supplements (it may result in a deleterious interaction)
You are taking other prescription or over-the-counter medicines (it may result in a drug interaction)
You use them instead of medicine that your doctor prescribes
It is also possible to take too much of certain nutrients, and this could lead to adverse consequences. For example, a pregnant woman who takes too much vitamin A may cause birth defects in her unborn child. Always be sure to talk to a healthcare provider before adding supplements to your diet.

 

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