Vitamins & Supplements in Chicago, IL
At Lau Medical, Chicago, IL, patients come in all the time asking about the value of vitamins and supplements. It seems like taking these over the counter is growing in popularity. Patients ask us about the safety and importance of taking these. Are they really necessary like everyone else is saying?
The main value of these supplements is to assist those who don’t get enough vitamins and minerals through their regular diets. If you’re wondering whether or not you would benefit from them, we’ll need to see you here at Lau Medical before we give you a definite answer.
Safety of Taking Vitamins
Vitamins are generally safe to take. Vitamins can be divided into two major categories: water-soluble and lipid-soluble. Lipid soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. All other vitamins are water-soluble like B complex vitamins and others.
Water-soluble vitamins are recognized as safe because the body doesn’t store them. If you already have enough of them in your system, the body will just eliminate the ones you take through supplements. Those who are lacking these vitamins will benefit from taking them.
Lipid soluble vitamins are trickier as the body can store them. For example, taking too much Vitamin A can lead to serious side effects up to increased intracranial tension. Vitamin K can also cause problems as it promotes coagulation. This can be a major problem for those on certain drugs.
You shouldn’t have these problems if you don’t take too many supplements. Nonetheless, we recommend seeing you and deciding if you truly need these supplements rather than you taking them unsupervised.
Things to Watch Out for
Those taking prescribed medications should be extra cautious with supplements. The reason is that supplements can interfere with the availability or effectiveness of drugs in your body. That’s why it’s always better to consult your family doctor or us about taking supplements.
The brand of vitamins you take is important for the value of the contents. It’s not recommended to take vitamins or supplements from an unknown source as they can be harmful rather than beneficial.
