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5 vitamins worth taking
Posted 20 May 2019
We asked Adelaide Hills-based pharmacist Simon Dawe to help us cut through the hype around this industry and determine how effective vitamin supplements are for our health and wellbeing.
When vitamin boosts can be effective
“In a perfect world, we’d get all the essential vitamins and minerals our body needs from our diet. But because we’re all so busy, our diets often aren’t what they should be.”
Based at The Green Dispensary in Stirling, Simon has been a pharmacist for over 20 years and is trained in how vitamin supplements may affect health conditions and interact with prescription medications.
1. Vitamin deficiency
If you’ve been identified as having low iron levels, an iron supplement would be beneficial.
Similarly, people with osteoporosis will benefit from calcium supplements and, for many of us suffering from a lack of sun in winter, a Vitamin D boost might be helpful.
2. Pregnancy
Pregnancy multivitamins are beneficial to take before, during and after pregnancy. Packed with extra iron and folate, these multivitamins help prevent anaemia and serious neural tube defects in the developing baby.
3. Poor diet
If a week of working late has seen fast food become a too-common addition to your diet, a good multivitamin can help to ensure your body is getting all the essential vitamins and minerals it’s been missing.
And remember – the best brands are those continually updating their ingredients to reflect recent research.
4. Taking antibiotics
The world is starting to recognise the effectiveness of taking a probiotic to help protect and recover the gut against the side effects of antibiotics.
The health of your gut can have a big impact on the health and wellbeing of other areas of your body, including your brain.
5. Chronic pain or arthritis
Most of us aren’t meeting the recommended weekly intake of fish and if you suffer chronic pain or arthritis, fish oil is a great natural anti-inflammatory.
Health Tip
Always ask you Health Partners pharmacist for advice. A good pharmacist will have undergone training on the use of vitamin supplements and their effect on other medications.
Unlimited 20% off at over 50 pharmacies
Health Partners members with Extras cover save 20% on the good stuff, like vitamins, cosmetics, hair and skin care.
20% Discount on most non-prescription products on presentation of Health Partners membership card for members with Extras products, but excludes items already discounted by 40% or more, agency lines, schedule 3 recordable items. Benefits and discounts only available at Health Partners Participating Pharmacies. Refer to Health Partners Member Guide for more information.
