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Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are vital to keeping us healthy—but doctors say while you can get them from what you eat, many people choose to get them from a bottle. âItâs really interesting to see how many people take supplements. They take vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. Invariably, most people are not sure why they are taking the supplements,â said Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, an internal medicine physician with Lee Health.
In fact, doctors say many people who take supplements donât even need them. âWe should really measure the vitamin levels in your blood. Your levels of minerals, antioxidants, and such, and if youâre deficient in something then you replace exactly what you need,â he said.
If you eat a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and your body is absorbing it properly, doctors say you donât really need additional supplements.
âDo whatâs called a micronutrient test. This is a simple blood test that allows you to look at the levels of your vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and know whether youâre on a healthy diet and whether youâre absorbing properly. So I think that should be the first approach then if youâre deficient, change your diet,â said Dr. Lacagnina.
But if youâre not deficient, doctors say thereâs no need to take additional supplements. âIf you change your diet and things are not where they need to be then you can talk about supplements,â he said.
Things like alcohol, stress, and even certain medications can affect your absorption, making it important to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. âThe foundation for healthy living in addition to a healthy diet is physical activity, stress management, quality sleep, we really want to look at mental health and purposeful living,â said Dr. Lacagnina.
All can improve your overall health and absorption and save you money.
