Supplements can be a great way to fill any nutrient gaps in your diet or target a range of health needs, from sleep to weight loss. However, it’s important to be aware of the risks that come with certain supplements. In fact, there are several options that come with potentially dangerous health effects. That includes a few products that could take a toll on your heart health if you don’t exercise caution.
To discover some supplement mistakes that might damage your heart health, we spoke to Robert Iafelice, MS, RDN. He told us that you should be careful not to take calcium without magnesium or fish oil without antioxidants. Learn more about the risks of these supplements below.
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1. Calcium without magnesium
Taking a calcium supplement can be a great way to promote, strong, healthy bones in addition to eating vitamin D-rich foods. However, Iafelice says that ensuring you take calcium supplements that contain magnesium is crucial, as an imbalance of calcium and magnesium could result in cardiovascular issues.
"Calcium and magnesium need to be in balance," he says. "Many people take calcium supplements that do not contain magnesium, this can result in a relative deficiency of magnesium, especially if the person is also eating a lot of dairy foods." This deficiency can be detrimental to your health because, as he notes, in addition to being essential for things like sleep and weight loss, "magnesium is essential for keeping the heart pumping with a normal heart rhythm" and "a lack of magnesium can lead to arrhythmias or Afib."
For this reason, he says you should only take calcium if it's balanced with magnesium; a 1:1 ratio is ideal.
2. Fish oil without preservatives (antioxidants)
Fish oil is another supplement that's known to boost heart health and help you shed pounds. While it may seem counterintuitive, though, Iafelice warns that "while fish oil is very beneficial for cardiovascular health, it can be harmful."
The issues arise when fish oil isn't preserved with antioxidants like vitamin C, E, or astanxanthin. When this happens, "fish oil is extremely susceptible to rancidity and the production of toxic byproducts." Yikes! This means it's important for fish oil supplements to be properly preserved.
"Always be sure that your fish oil has antioxidants in it to protect it from rancidity," he says.
The bottom line
Ultimately, supplements are supposed to help your health—not harm it. However, if you're not careful with the type of supplements you take and the way in which you take them, you could be setting yourself up for adverse effects, especially in the cardiovascular department. Luckily, if you follow Iafelice's advice by taking calcium with magnesium and ensuring your fish supplements are properly preserved with antioxidants, you should be in the clear to reap their benefits without putting your health at risk.
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