Staying Healthy
Start vetting your supplements
Use these strategies and tools to uncover risks lurking in seemingly harmless supplements.
- Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
There are plenty of good reasons to take a dietary supplement. Maybe you're deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral, such as vitamin D or iron, or you have a poor diet and your doctor recommends a multivitamin. Or perhaps there aren't many ways to treat a health problem you have, such as osteoarthritis, and your doctor says it won't hurt to try a certain supplement that has a small chance of easing symptoms.
So there you are, standing in the supplement aisle of a drugstore, savvy enough to be wary of dietary supplements yet wondering how to recognize the bad ones. Fortunately, certain strategies and online tools can help.
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About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
About the Reviewer
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
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