If you’re like most Americans, you have some nutritional supplements in your medicine cabinet or kitchen cupboard right now.
More than three-fourths of American adults took a dietary supplement last year, according to the Center for Responsible Nutrition’s 2017 Annual Survey on Dietary Supplements. That’s more than ever before.
“People are becoming increasingly focused on health,” explains Holly Herrington, a registered dietitian in the Northwestern Medicine Center for Lifestyle Medicine. “People are paying more attention to their food choices, improving their diets and trying to improve their health and longevity.” Plus, to do so, they are increasingly reaching for solutions that they perceive to be natural or DIY-friendly, she says.
And while taking the right dietary supplement (under the right circumstances and in the right doses) can certainly help supply your body with the nutrients it needs for optimal health, misconceptions are common. Below, experts bust six of the most pervasive nutritional supplement myths and share how to stay healthy and benefit from the supplements you need.