Can’t I stop taking dietary supplements once I take them?

Of course not. Most dietary supplements do not have physiological dependence. The most scientific principle is to take them in as needed and stop using them as needed.

Many people feel that "they feel uncomfortable after stopping". In fact, most of them are just an illusion that their needs are not being met. I encountered this situation when I accompanied my aunt to an orthopedic review a while ago: She had knee pain before and took Sanyue Glucose. After the symptoms disappeared, I heard from sisters in the community that she should not stop taking supplements. , she took it for another three months. During the reexamination, the doctor couldn't laugh or cry. He said that she had mild cartilage wear and tear, and the aminoglycosides only helped replenish the nutrients needed by the cartilage. Now that the wear and tear has eased, it is enough to climb less stairs and keep warm. There is no need to eat all the time. There is also a friend who has been eating complex B complex all year round. She gets oral ulcers easily when she stops, and she feels that she is "addicted". In fact, to put it bluntly, she eats takeout and eats less whole grains and vegetables. She does not eat enough complex B complex. When she supplements, she fills the gap, and then the gap comes out again. Just like if you use your colleague's umbrella every day when it rains and you don't get caught in the rain, but one day your colleague doesn't lend it to you and gets caught in the rain, you can't be said to be dependent on your colleague's umbrella, right?

Of course, this does not mean that you can stop at will in all situations. For example, for some clinically diagnosed people with severe nutrient deficiencies, such as the elderly with severe vitamin D deficiency and women with moderate to moderate iron deficiency anemia, the doctor will require a sufficient dose to be supplemented according to the course of treatment. In this case, stopping without permission will affect recovery, but this is essentially a need for disease treatment, and is completely different from "depending on supplements". There are now a few studies in the academic community that have mentioned that if fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A and E) are excessively supplemented for a long time, the body will adapt to the high concentration of nutrients, and there may be a short metabolic adjustment period when it is suddenly stopped. However, this situation is originally based on the premise of "excessive supplementation". Ordinary people who eat according to the instructions or the dosage recommended by doctors will not encounter this problem at all.

In fact, it is very easy to judge whether to stop. If you have done a test before supplementing and it is clear that you are missing something, and after supplementing for a period of time, the reexamination indicators are normal, you can completely stop. You can maintain it with a daily balanced diet.； If you just want to take some basic supplements with peace of mind, you won’t feel any discomfort if you forget to take them one day. Stop if you want. Don’t be fooled by the merchant’s words of “all your efforts will be wasted if you stop”. After all, supplements are meant to supplement your diet, and they are not something that cannot be stopped.