Supplements: Seek professional advice first

If you’re interested in taking natural health food products or supplements, the place to start is with your health care provider, simply because there are so many interacting factors to consider.

One such factor is your existing diet, says Peter Jones, director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba.

By conducting a dietary survey, your health care provider can evaluate which supplements you may need and which will provide the optimal benefits. However, it’s not just a question of diet. Your body’s unique characteristics and medical history can mean certain supplements will react differently in you than in others no matter what you’ve been eating.

On top of any reactions a natural health product may have with your body, your health care provider can also assess which supplements are appropriate if you are on any other medications or drugs.

As Jones explains, the interactions between supplements and other drugs can be positive or negative. “For instance, if you’re on a cholesterol- lowering drug, and you take a fibre or plant sterol [ a type of supplement], you may actually be able to reduce your required dosage of that drug to obtain the same cholesterol- lowering effect.”

When all is said and done, you must take into account your nutritional profile, your dietary and medical histories, and the interactions between supplements and other medicines in order to make healthy choices about supplements.