Most people tend to be reactive instead of proactive when it comes to health. They keep delaying going to a doctor (to save time and money) or changing their habits until they’re sick and it becomes necessary.
But the problem with this approach is that you end up spending more time and money fixing a health problem than preventing it in the first place. They say prevention is better than cure for a reason.
And that’s exactly why you need to understand the importance of preventative healthcare and supplements.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about preventative healthcare and supplements, and why prevention is always better than cure!
What is preventative healthcare and why is it important?
Preventative healthcare includes all the stuff you do (before you fall ill) to stay healthy. Things like annual check-ups, immunizations, taking supplements to prevent vitamin deficiencies, and cancer screenings all fall under the umbrella of preventative healthcare. Let’s see why it’s so crucial.
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It can save you from crippling medical expenses.
Why should people go to the doctor when they’re healthy? Because preventative care can allow you to stay healthy for longer periods and save a considerable amount of money on healthcare in the long run.
Not only will preventative care reduce the long-term costs of severe disease management by identifying them early, but it can also save you money by giving you full coverage through insurance.
This is because, contrary to popular belief, many health insurance plans do cover preventative services! And this makes preventative healthcare a more appealing option than forking out big sums of money for medical treatments in the future.
It increases your lifespan.
Preventative healthcare helps identify potentially dangerous health problems like hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and cancers early on. These are often known as “silent killers” because they don’t cause symptoms until it’s too late. And preventative healthcare can pick them up before they’ve wreaked havoc inside the body.
Suppose your doctor finds your blood pressure readings to be in the pre-hypertensive stages during a routine health check-up. In that case, you can start making lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure before it becomes more serious and irreversible.
You might not be able to control every medical condition, but keeping up with preventative healthcare and supplement recommendations can treat moderate symptoms early on and significantly reduce your risk of severe illnesses.
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It improves your quality of life.
Preventative care allows individuals to live a more active and fulfilling life. Productivity and work efficiency are better maintained when you don’t have to make trips to the doctor as often.
Underlying health conditions often result in a sedentary lifestyle, and when you’re held back from physical activity, your overall health can drop off even further. And this creates a vicious circle of deteriorating health.
The longer you keep ignoring your body’s needs and wants, the more likely it is that you’ll find yourself miserable and depressed.
What you need to know about preventative supplements
You can find supplement recommendations almost everywhere — on TV commercials, on social media, with your neighbors, family, and friends. But it can be difficult to know which supplements are good for you (out of the thousands that are on the market).
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Here are a few things you should know about preventative supplements.
They come in many forms.
Supplements come in many forms like powder, pills, and liquid. Their contents also vary widely and can contain vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and herbs. This is why it’s very important to read the labels and know the exact active ingredients in a supplement, which determine the benefits you’re going to get from it.
The end goal for each type of supplement is often the same: to “supplement” your diet, boost your overall health, and help your body get the required amounts of essential nutrients.
Most are effective and safe when taken in an appropriate dose.
Supplements are so popular because they are a risk-free way of enhancing your well-being and preventing disease if you’re deficient in certain nutrients.
For example, this study found that nutritional intervention with supplements significantly boosted the quality of life in malnourished individuals within a short span of only three months! Not to mention the treatment was cost-effective as well.
A few common supplements that can improve your health include:
- Folic acid: Reduces the risk of birth defects when taken by pregnant women and prevents anemia.
- Melatonin: Helps reduce the effect of jet lag.
- Vitamin B12: Helps keep your nerves and red blood cells (oxygen-carrying cells) healthy and prevents anemia.
- Zinc: Promotes healthy skin and slows down age-related vision loss.
- Vitamin D and Calcium: Help make your bones stronger and are especially helpful for preventing osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones) in postmenopausal women.
- Fish oil: Promotes cardiovascular health.
There are cases where you should avoid certain supplements.
Just like everything in life, supplement use does carry risk in some cases. Generally, most supplements like multivitamins are safe to use and don’t pose serious health risks. Still, it’s always wise to be cautious when putting anything inside your body.
Some supplements may interact with medications you’re currently taking and may be harmful to you if you suffer from liver disease or are planning to undergo surgery. This is why it is important to always speak with your doctor before taking any preventative supplements.
Supplements that may be potentially harmful to you include:
- Vitamin K: It can reduce the effect of blood thinners, which are drugs used in patients with abnormal blood clotting.
- Gingko: It can increase your risk of bleeding, which can be harmful if you’re planning to undergo surgery or are pregnant.
- St. John’s wort: It can make a few antidepressants and contraceptive pills lose their efficacy. It also interacts with a wide range of other drugs, so be sure to talk to your doctor before starting it.
- Vitamin A: It can increase your risk of lung cancer if you’re a heavy smoker. Long-term use of high doses may also cause liver enlargement, joint pain, and high pressures inside the skull.
Lastly, to make sure you get a good quality preventative supplement, keep the following tips in mind when choosing one:
- Remember to read the label thoroughly to find out about the ingredients, possible drug interactions, and recommended daily allowance (RDA).
- Make sure to buy high-quality supplements from reputable brands.
- Be cautious of bizarre claims and realize that “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “safe.”
- Use supplements that are certified by regulatory authorities like the U.S Pharmacopeia (USP) or ConsumerLab.
