How To Know If Your Supplements Are Actually Working

We’ve all tried taking nutritional supplements or vitamins at least once in our lives. They’re essential for anyone who’s trying to enhance their health and well-being. According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a lot of people certainly believe in that, considering that there are 71% of adults in the US alone that use these supplements in conjunction with their diet to boost their health. However, determining whether or not your supplements are working can be tricky, as some may not have any effect on you at all and create a placebo effect instead. So, how can you tell if your supplements are actually working? Read on to find out.

Supplement Journal 

One of the best ways to keep track of things is journals. This can be applied to your daily supplement intake. If you’re worried that your supplements might not be working, you won’t be able to tell unless you have concrete evidence to prove this. To do this, you will simply record what type of supplements you’re taking, write the list of ingredients in these supplements along with the specific amounts if possible, and, of course, your dosage. Your doctor’s notes regarding these supplements should be recorded as well. After doing that, you should start writing visible symptoms, how you feel generally each day, and your activity and energy levels. After a few weeks, you can look at all this data and compare it with the results that your supplements should have made. If you’re not feeling any change at all, there’s a high chance that your supplements aren’t working.

Your Supplements Might Be Coated

Some supplement manufacturers like Xbrain wax or add a coat to their supplement tablets and capsules to increase their longevity. Typically this is good for business, as they will have a longer shelf life; thus, manufacturers aren’t going to lose much money over expired products. This, however, is only beneficial for manufacturers and not for you, the consumer, as it will affect the quality of your supplements. The folks at Region Vavid explain that coatings on supplements reduce their solubility, so your body won’t actually be able to absorb the helpful nutrients it needs. You can tell whether or not your pills were treated if they have a shiny surface. In that case, you might want to change them in favor of other uncoated options.

See Your Doctor

The only person qualified to tell you if your supplements are working or not is your doctor. Because supplements aren’t actually drugs, your doctor can’t prescribe them for you, but he can tell you what type of nutrients your body needs and establish how successful your supplements were able to provide you with these nutrients. You might also want to visit a nutritionist, as he’ll be able to recommend a fitness plan to complement your supplement intake. After that, your nutritionist might ask you to do a blood test to see if you have any vitamin or mineral deficiency. If so, he will recommend more effective supplement options to achieve optimum results. 

You Might Be Not Storing Your Supplements Properly

Sometimes, supplements may not be working due to a mistake on your part. Usually, our first thought when thinking of storing supplements is the medicine cabinet. However, this can be a less than ideal place to store your medicine in, especially if it’s particularly humid in your bathroom. Some types of supplements might react to humidity; thus, their composition will be altered. If you wish to avoid that, make sure that they are stored in a dry area with a low temperature. Light can also change your supplement’s composition, so keep your supplements in their original dark containers, as they’re designed to keep light from reaching the capsules and tablets. You might want to store them in your dining room since you’ll be taking them with your food.

You’re Not Complementing Your Supplements 

Another reason why your supplements might not be working is that you’re not complementing them with healthy dietary options. For example, if you’re taking supplements while still eating junk food, smoking, and not doing any exercises whatsoever, then there’s a high chance they won’t be giving you the desired results. So, make sure that you strike a balance between your supplement intake, diet, and exercise regimen. 
 

A lot of people have the misconception that taking supplements is a magical solution to all their health problems, which is not true. Taking the right supplements along with following the right health practices should make them work effectively. Be sure to consult your doctor every step of the way, as he will be able to tell you whether or not the supplements you’re taking are beneficial for you.