Dietary or vitamin supplements and mental performance nootropics are more available than ever and come in a variety of forms, whether they be in capsules, powders, or common household ingredients.
However, you might be wondering whether a supplement can benefit you, and the short answer is, yes, they can, for some people. Still, they might only be minutely effective and aren’t recommended as a meal replacement.
Below you’ll find the difference between supplements and nootropics, examples of each, and how you can benefit, with or without supplements.
Supplements, Explained
These you are probably familiar with, as vitamin or dietary supplements are used by many adults and children every day, and these can contain minerals, herbs, amino acids, and enzymes.
You’ll find these in capsules, powders, and gummies, and they can help you to get adequate amounts of any essential nutrient that might be lacking in your diet or lifestyle, and many take them to prevent issues such as heart disease and age-related degenerative problems.
Examples Of Supplements
Multivitamins
Vitamin C, D, B
Protein
Calcium
Magnesium
Probiotics
Omega 3 fatty acids
Nootropics, Explained
The most common definition of these is any substance that increases mental performance, but you might hear them referred to as smart drugs, which can encompass their use in foods, vitamins, minerals, fats, herbs, extracts, or a combination of these.
They can be hard to pin down exactly where they are present, as vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are classed as nootropics, but only a few nootropics are classed as the substances listed, so they can be used to optimize a diet to someone’s diet if they are lacking in some substance.
Examples Of Nootropics
Caffeine
Rosemary
Vitamin B1, B3, B5, B6, and B12
Resveratrol
SAM-e
Tryptophan
Prescription nootropic drugs
Which Supplement Would I Benefit From Most?
The first thing to understand about these is that taking either as more of an enhancer, or a way to add nutrients into your diet that you’re deficient in.
You may want methods to boost your mental performance, or in the case of nootropics, if they already exist in your over-the-counter prescription, as these might only give you some benefits.
you should consider that if you’re on any medication, using supplements could make it less effective. It could lead to other long-term issues, as some dietary supplements contain drugs that are not allowed.
The problem with either type is that they can be marketed to help with a variety of bodily functions, and sometimes these claims either haven’t been thoroughly tested.
Any studies might use a product different from the one you are being marketed.
So when looking at any dietary supplements or nootropics in the store, be on the lookout for products that make claims that are extreme, as you yourself may not be able to validate these claims unless you take them yourself, and this could be to your detriment.
How Do I Benefit Most From Supplements?
Before you go out finding supplements, take the time to analyze why you need a multivitamin or capsule and consider the effects these may have on your health if you suffer from any conditions or are on any medication.
Below are some ways that you can be safe and get the most effective results from the nutritional value of supplements, and perhaps there may be ways that can see you skipping out on these altogether.
Consult With Your Healthcare Practitioner
Before choosing a supplement, consult with your healthcare provider to determine what the best course of supplements is for your lifestyle, as this is more prevalent if you have conditions related to your blood, heart, or liver.
Your practitioner can advise you on the most effective supplements to take, alongside advising you on what ingredients to avoid when looking, and you can check the interactions they have and get a daily value so you know to what extent they’re going to be effective for you.
Get Your Intake From A Healthy Diet
Some supplements will claim that they give you these nutrients in a natural way, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they will provide you with the most safe or most effective delivery of those nutrients.
If you happen to be deficient in a specific vitamin, see if there are any ways that you can introduce foods and remedies that can bring you these nutrients in a more effective way, but be sure to have tests done to determine if you really do have a deficiency in a particular nutrient.
If we take iron, for example, which is a common deficiency, there are foods such as red meat, canned sardines, beans, seeds, and leafy greens, and the last one is most important to those on vegetarian or vegan diets, as iron is a commonly missed from these types of diets.
The one vitamin that can be hard to compensate for is vitamin D, as a deficiency in this isn’t easy to identify as it may take years or decades to appear.
For this, you could take a supplement, as it can be challenging to find, as very few foods have a sufficient amount.
The Bottom Line
One thing we haven’t mentioned is that you should be aware of any bad reactions that may come as a result of using supplements, as these can have many active ingredients inside.
You’re best to stop taking these immediately, especially if you have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients.
You can also check any cereals and beverages and see what vitamins and nutrients they have inside, as you may be able to get your daily amount from these.
If you’re a healthy adult without any conditions, it should be fine to take a supplement here and there, but ensure that it should be a short-term solution and shouldn’t be mixed with other supplements.
Supplements are becoming ever more popular as people turn away from always using western medicine and research more into holistic approaches. But is that wise?
Hi, my name is Arlo Reiner and I have been in the supplementary business for almost seven years.
Before that, I trained as a doctor of general medicine and worked in many hospitals. I have cared for and treated many patients, and I was always intrigued by the world of supplements.
