Should You Take Dietary Supplements Regularly? – What Do Doctors Recommend?

Dietary supplements are effective in preventing and supporting the treatment of diseases, but whether or not you should take dietary supplements continuously is another story! Although they bring positive effects to the health of the user, you should NOT take them continuously for a long time.

Doctors at the National Institute of Nutrition also advise: Do not use dietary supplements continuously from month to month for a long time, but take a "break" period.

So how long should you drink it continuously and why should you drink it “intermittently”? Read the article below to find the answer!

I. Should I take dietary supplements continuously?

There are many reasons why experts advise users NOT to take dietary supplements continuously.

1. The body may not absorb all the nutrients

You may not know that nutrients taken into the body, if not fully absorbed, will be "processed" in 1 of 2 ways:

• Excreted into the external environment through urine
• Accumulates in the body and slowly digests away.

In the case of excess nutrients will be excreted outside, although it does not cause health problems but can be economically costly. Therefore, taking functional foods continuously for a long time is not a good solution.

Supplementing too many nutrients while the body cannot absorb them all will also cause the body to have metabolic assimilation disorders.

2. Can cause other health conditions

In the case of accumulated nutrients that are not excreted into the external environment: They can cause health problems if they accumulate too much in the body. 

Some nutrients that accumulate in the body for a long time can cause "side effects" such as:

→ Vitamin A overdose can lead to headaches, liver damage or birth defects in pregnant women.

→ Excess iron can cause nausea, vomiting, and even damage to the liver and other organs of the body.

→ Excess calcium and vitamin D can cause kidney stones.

→ High doses of vitamin E can lead to hemorrhagic stroke.

→ Using high doses of Vitamin B6 for a year or more affects the nervous system, manifesting as the inability to control body movements.

According to some studies: Long-term abuse of dietary supplements can also damage organs and accelerate the body's aging process. This will also make the body more susceptible to disease.

Obviously, using functional foods continuously for a long time brings many consequences. Although functional foods are good, if used incorrectly, they will also become "poison".

II. What is the maximum duration of time for taking dietary supplements?

How long is it good to take dietary supplements continuously?

⇒ Time recommended by experts: 3-6 months . After this time, you should STOP for about 1-1.5 months so that the body can absorb all the excess nutrients.

However, the continuous drinking time will also be different for each product line. Specifically:

For vitamin and mineral supplements: Take continuously for 20 days/month. The remaining days are for the body to “process” the excess nutrients in the body.

For the group of functional foods supporting treatment: Users must strictly follow the treatment regimen stated on the product packaging.

This time may also vary depending on the type of pill as well as the individual's constitution. Therefore, before using, you should consult a pharmacist or doctor.

Hopefully, with the information NanoFrance provides in this article, it has helped you find the answer to the question: Should you take functional foods continuously? Functional foods only "promote" their maximum effect if you use them correctly!

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