Who should be extra careful when taking supplements?
Children, pregnant women, people on medication or due to have surgery and smokers are just a few of the people who should be extra careful when considering supplements.
While you should be able to get all the nutrients you need from a well balanced ‘whole foods’ diet there are times when supplements might be needed. But just because a supplement is readily available from your local wholefood shop, supermarket, pharmacy, online, or is prescribed by your GP, this does not guarantee that it is safe, effective or that it provides value for money.
In this 4 part series we are going to share with you some of the essential things you should think about before buying or taking a supplement, including:
Do you really need it?
Who recommended it to you?
Who is most at risk?
How much should you it?
When should you take it?
How to stay safe when taking supplements.
Other things to think about.
In our last post we looked at ‘do you really need supplements?’ & ‘who recommended them to you?’. If you have not read this one that I would recommend that you start there first, click HERE for the link.
In this post we are going to look at who is most at risk of negative health outcomes if they were to take supplements without careful guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
Who is most at risk?
There are certain people who should be extra cautious when taking supplements.
Pregnant or Breastfeeding
Ethically it is difficult to research the safety of supplements in pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding. Some might be helpful, but others could carry risks to mother or baby so it is always advisable to seek advice from your healthcare provider, and ideally one who specialises in this area. Click HERE for our Practitioner Directory.
Infants & Children
Some supplements could be harmful to infants and children. The main reason for this, is that their organs are not as developed as adults, such as, their liver and kidney making it harder for them to breakdown, use and remove it from their body. Plus, as in pregnancy and breastfeeding it is unethical to test on those under the age of consent and therefore it is difficult to research the safety of supplements on young babies and children.
It is important that babies and children under 18 only take supplements designed for children. Always check the label and adhere to directions.
Menopause & the Elderly
As you age, your metabolism and the way your body processes nutrients and other substances changes. It is therefore important that you look for supplements that are specifically formulated for your age group. For example, female multi vitamins often come in 3 different formulations, one for pre-menopausal women, one for during pregnancy and breastfeeding and one for post-menopausal women. This is because the requirements for each nutrient are different during these different lifestages, for example iron is not included in post-menopausal multi vitamins, due to the absence of a monthly bleed where iron was once lost.
In addition to this older adults are also more likely to have chronic conditions that require medication, increasing the risk of adverse interactions.
Pre/Post Surgery
If you are scheduled for surgery your surgeon will check what medications you are taking. It is just as important to tell them about any supplements you are on. You might be told to stop taking them for a while before they operate and during recovery. One common example, is Omega 3 supplementation that acts as a natural blood thinner.
Taking Medications, Supplements or Herbal Remedies
Some supplements, even the common ones, can interact with medications and other supplements or herbal remedies. They can have an additive effect by this I mean that the supplement and the medication could both be doing the same job. For example, the medication Wafarin is used to help thin the blood and is frequently prescribed to prevent clots. If someone taking Warfarin was to then take a supplement containing Omega 3, vitamin E or garlic, which all naturally help to thin the blood, it could lead to excessive bleeding. Conversely, if they were to take a supplement containing vitamin K it could increase their risk of blood clots.
While with some interactions it can cause an additive effect and put you at higher risk of toxicity others pairings can lead to reduced efficiency, preventing what you are taking from doing its job. For example, supplements containing calcium and/or iron can both interfere with the absorption of thyroid medications, reducing their efficiency, which could lead to poor thyroid function; and magnesium can impact the absorption of certain antibiotics, reducing their ability to do their job, such as fighting an infection.
This does not mean that you cannot take supplements alongside other medications, supplements or herbal remedies, it just means that you need to know when and when not to take them. Your healthcare practitioner, such as your GP, Pharmacist, Nutritionist or Herbalist will be able to advise the best way to take them safely.
Health Conditions
If you have a health condition, such as, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or thryroid imbalances it is important that you take supplements under the guidance of a healthcare provider, such as, your GP or Nutritionist. This is for a number of reasons including, interactions with medications (see above) and the additional demand put on organs or systems within the body that are struggling.
Allergies & Intolerances
Some supplements contain allergens such as gluten, soy, or shellfish, which can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals. Most reputable brands will have allergens marked on their packaging and have advisors available for you to speak to.
However, it isn't just the main allergens that you should look out for, many supplements, especially cheaper and poorer qualities ones contain excipients, such as fillers and flavourings that some people can react to.
Smoking, Recreational Drugs, Alcohol & Caffeine
The final group of people we are going to look at within this post, with regard to supplementing safely, is those who smoke, take recreational drugs, drink alcohol or consume caffeine.
Smoking
There are certain supplements that you should be cautious of if you smoke, for example vitamin A, C, E and B9 (Folate). While you can consume foods and drinks that contain these vitamins, it is advised that you speak to a qualified Nutritional Therapist before taking any supplements. This is because smoking can interact with them in ways that are potentially harmful. For example, increasing your risk of certain types of cancer, such as lung and prostate cancer.
Recreational Drugs
There are a number of reasons why someone who currently uses, or has previously used recreational drugs, should only take supplements under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner who specialises in this area. The supplement could interact with what you are using, have an unwanted stimulatory effect and could cause unwanted behavioural changes.
Alcohol & Caffeine
Both alcohol and caffeine have the ability to interact with different supplements and medications, potentially slowing down or speeding up how they work, as well as impacting their metabolism, absorption, or effectiveness.
It is advisable that you avoid both while taking supplements or medications and if you do enjoy a coffee, tea, chocolate, or glass or two of wine etc., have them as far away from one another as possible. You can ask your pharmacist, Nutritionist or Herbalist to run an interactions check and advise you on how long you should leave between consuming them.
In the next post we are going to take a look at how much of a supplement to take and when you should take them.
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