Indiscriminate supplementation without illness not only increases expenses but also harms your health. For example, an overdose of cod liver oil can lead to poisoning, and long-term use of glucose can cause weight gain, increased blood cholesterol, and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Don't confuse deficiency and excess:
The therapeutic principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to tonify deficiency. Those who do not have a deficiency syndrome should not use tonifying herbs. Deficiency syndromes are further divided into yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, and blood deficiency. Only by using the right remedy for the specific condition can the body be nourished; otherwise, the effect will be the opposite, causing harm to the body. Although health preservation is not as strictly differentiated as treating diseases, it should at least classify individuals into two main categories: those with a cold constitution and those with a heat constitution. Those with a cold constitution are sensitive to cold and prefer heat, have cold hands and feet, a pale tongue, a slow and fine pulse, and may experience loose stools and clear urine. Those with a heat constitution often have hot palms and soles, a dry mouth with a bitter or foul taste, constipation, dark yellow urine, and a red tongue.
Don't over-supplement:
Any supplement taken in excess is harmful. The belief that "taking more supplements can cure illness if you are sick, or strengthen your body if you are not" is not advisable. For instance, excessive intake of ginseng and deer antler products can cause abdominal bloating and loss of appetite. Too much vitamin C can lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Don't replace food with medicine:
Supplementing through diet is better than through medicine. For example, eating more celery can help prevent and treat high blood pressure; eating more radish can aid digestion, promote qi circulation, relieve chest tightness, and resolve phlegm; eating more Chinese yam can strengthen the spleen and stomach. Common foods like walnuts, peanuts, red dates, hyacinth beans, and lotus root are all excellent choices for supplementation.
Don't focus only on intake while neglecting output:
In recent years, health experts have proposed a new concept of health care that focuses on "negative nutrition," which emphasizes the removal of waste from the body, reducing the retention and absorption of "intestinal toxins." It is recommended that while you supplement, you should also pay attention to the timeliness and smoothness of bowel movements.
Don't use a single supplement for a long time:
Continuously taking only one type of supplement can lead to long-term picky eating, which is detrimental to health. Because both medicine and food have therapeutic and health benefits, they also have certain side effects. Long-term and excessive use can affect the body's nutritional balance. This is especially true for the elderly, whose organ functions have declined to varying degrees and require comprehensive and systematic conditioning. Furthermore, the body's needs for health supplements and foods vary with the seasons.
Don't judge supplements by their price:
Rarity does not always equate to high value. Those expensive traditional foods like bird's nest and shark's fin actually have no extraordinary therapeutic effects, while very common foods like sweet potatoes and onions have significant dietary therapy value. Furthermore, all dietary therapies are intended for specific conditions and individuals. Therefore, you should choose supplements based on your needs—what your body lacks is what you should supplement. Do not judge them by their price, especially for the elderly, who should prioritize practicality and affordability when choosing supplements.