By Rachel D. Egan, PMHNP-BC

There is growing traction around the benefits of nutritional supplements for a wide array of concerns, both physical and mental. With articles from various sources coming extolling the benefits of a wide variety of supplements, it could be tempting to add them into your regimen without consulting a medical professional first. Lots of people think that because these are over the counter, adding them in won’t do any harm.

However, this is significant potential risk with adding supplements without discussing with a provider first. Supplements should be added in way that makes sense for your individual self. For example, there are a lot of nutrients that can be supportive for energy. It’s impossible to simply guess what someone needs if their energy is low throughout the day. It could be based in low iron, B12, or Vitamin D, or it could be related to a completely different physiological process. Simply guessing at supplements is unlikely to work and can actually cause harm. There are certain values that we don’t want to get too high, just as we don’t want something to be too low, and adding them in without supervision can lead to other health concerns.

Always seek advice and counseling for your own individual needs before adding any supplements in. If you’re interested in pursuing this kind of approach, reach out to us at Harborside to start the journey!