Because of the potential risks and unclear benefits of supplements, most doctors advise against them. However, doctors often recommend specific vitamin and mineral supplements to their patients, such as calcium and vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis and iron for people with iron deficiency.

Supplements And Doctor Prescriptions

<ul><li>Pharmaceuticals undergo extensive testing to prove they're effective and safe before they can be sold, but dietary supplements can be sold without proof of claims, effectiveness or safety.</li><li>Daily multivitamin consumption does not lower heart disease risk.</li><li>The FDA has found more than 500 supplements adulterated with pharmaceuticals or closely related compounds. Those can cause unwanted side effects and may be especially risky when taken with heart drugs or other prescription medications.</li></ul>

Research Findings On Supplements

<ul><li>Consider only single-ingredient supplements. Multi-ingredient supplements make it hard to identify which substance is having an effect and they are more likely to be adulterated with banned drugs.</li><li>Tell your doctor about any supplement you take, so they can check it will interact with any of the medicines you're on.</li></ul>

When Buying Supplements

Image: Thinkstock The widespread belief that most dietary supplements are effective and safe simply isn't true. A few supplements show limited, possible benefits for people with heart disease. But some popular ones don't-and others may be dangerous. Every day, about half of all American adults swallow a dietary supplement-a vitamin, mineral, herb, amino acid, or other substance.