Dietary supplements are meant to bridge of daily nutrition left by a full meal. But more often people tend to regard dietary supplements as substitutes and are found to take an overdose of such supplements. Overdose of dietary supplements has resulted in some of the worst cases ranging from kidney failure to cardiac arrest.

Knowing your dietary supplements and the exact quantity to be taken is of far greater importance than merely popping dietary supplement products.

Dietary supplements are available in synthetic and natural or herbal form. These supplements are available in the form of pills, powders and liquids. Selecting the best dietary supplement is the first and most important step towards starting the dietary supplement regime. A few good-to-know guidelines before using any dietary supplements, is detailed below:

• Consult your dietitian or doctor.
• Strictly follow what your doctor has prescribed without trying out any combinations.
• It dietary supplements are not recommended for you, but you want to take them anyways, keep your doctor informed.
• Go for reputed brands or those brands that your dietitian, doctor or local pharmacist has suggested.

Having decided upon which dietary supplement is recommended, it is advisable to go for herbal or natural dietary supplements. Herbal supplements such as ginseng, black cohosh, ginkgo biloba, echinacea are some of the widely consumed herbal dietary supplements.