Products constantly appear on the market promising more energy, stronger immunity, better sleep, or healthier hair. At one point, vitamin D becomes extremely popular, at another – magnesium, selenium, vitamin B12, or iron.
Doctor Justė Zeidotaitė-Marmokienė notes that vitamins and food supplements are indeed increasingly becoming a kind of fashion statement.
“Such trends are usually driven by social networks, advertising, influencers, and recommendations from relatives. However, supplements should be used according to the body’s actual needs, not because they are popular at the moment,” says the doctor.
When are supplements really needed?
Food supplements can be beneficial and necessary, but the decision to use them should be based on a person’s specific health condition.
According to the doctor, supplements may be needed when tests reveal a deficiency of a certain vitamin or mineral, as well as during life stages or health conditions when the body’s needs increase.
“A greater need for certain substances can arise during pregnancy, in old age, when suffering from certain diseases, or when following a restrictive diet. However, the decision to use supplements should be based on a doctor’s recommendations,” emphasizes J. Zeidotaitė-Marmokienė.
This means that the same supplement is not equally necessary for everyone. Even if it helped a family member, friend, or influencer, another person’s body needs may be completely different.
Fatigue does not necessarily mean vitamin deficiency
One of the most common signals that prompts people to start taking supplements on their own is fatigue. It is often accompanied by drowsiness, lack of energy, poorer mood, or hair loss.
However, such symptoms are not exclusive to vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
“These signs can be related to a wide variety of causes – from lack of sleep and stress to chronic diseases or hormonal disorders. Symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose a deficiency,” explains the doctor.
Therefore, deciding on your own that the body lacks iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, or magnesium can be misleading. A person who starts taking supplements may ignore symptoms for a while and not consult a doctor, even though the real cause of the ailment may be completely different.
“Such practice can be not only misleading but also harmful. By starting to take supplements on your own, you may not help yourself and delay the identification of the real health problem,” warns J. Zeidotaitė-Marmokienė.
Supplements will not replace sleep and a balanced diet
Another common mistake is to expect that a vitamin capsule will compensate for chronic sleep deprivation, stress, an unbalanced diet, or lack of physical activity.
According to the doctor, people often look for a quick and simple solution, but the fundamentals of health remain the same.
“No supplement will replace quality sleep, a balanced diet, and physical activity. Supplements can complement healthy habits, but they cannot replace them,” she says.
For a person complaining of fatigue and considering buying supplements without delay, the doctor first recommends evaluating their daily routine. It is important to pay attention to whether they get enough sleep, whether their diet is varied and regular, and whether their daily life includes enough movement, rest, and opportunities to reduce stress.
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If fatigue does not go away after adjusting your lifestyle, you should consult your family doctor and look for the cause, rather than trying new supplements at your discretion.
Food provides more than a single capsule
When the problem arises from an unbalanced or overly monotonous diet, correcting it can often be more effective than a food supplement.
Wholesome food provides the body not only with individual vitamins and minerals. It also provides proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and other substances necessary for the body.
“If the problem is related to an unbalanced diet, its correction usually yields more benefits than supplements. Wholesome food provides the body not only with vitamins and minerals but also with other important nutrients,” states the doctor.
Supplements should not become an excuse not to eat vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, or other nutritious foods. Their purpose is to supplement the diet when truly needed, not to replace it.
Vitamins can also be overdosed
There is still a persistent belief that vitamins cannot harm, and that the body simply eliminates unnecessary substances. However, this is not true.
“Not all substances are eliminated from the body. Some of them can accumulate and eventually lead to undesirable health consequences,” says J. Zeidotaitė-Marmokienė.
Fat-soluble vitamins A and D, as well as iron and selenium, pose a higher risk of overdose. Therefore, one should not independently increase the doses recommended by the manufacturer or doctor, take several products of similar composition at once, or assume that a larger dose will work faster and better.
Iron supplements should be evaluated with particular caution. Iron is recommended only when its deficiency is confirmed.
“Unjustified iron intake can cause side effects. Moreover, it can mask the true cause of the ailment and delay the establishment of an accurate diagnosis,” notes the doctor.
The most important thing is not fashion, but individual need
Vitamins and food supplements can be an important part of healthcare, but only when used purposefully. Popularity on social networks, acquaintances’ experiences, or advertising promises do not indicate what a specific person’s body truly needs.
Therefore, before buying another package of supplements, it is worth first evaluating your diet, sleep, physical activity, and overall well-being. If symptoms persist, the safest way is to consult a doctor, undergo the necessary tests, and only then decide whether supplements are truly essential.
As J. Zeidotaitė-Marmokienė emphasizes, supplements should complement a healthy lifestyle, not become an attempt to replace it.
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