Natural Health Products – What You Need to Know
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What is a Natural Health Product (NHP)?
A Natural Health Product (NHP) is a vitamin, mineral, homeopathic medicine, traditional medicine, probiotic, or herb that you take to restore or maintain health or wellness.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Natural Health Products
Vitamins and minerals, also called micronutrients, nourish your body and help to keep you healthy. You can get most of your micronutrients by eating a variety of foods in your daily diet. Getting your micronutrients through food ensures that your body is able to absorb them properly.
If you don’t eat a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, you may not be getting all the micronutrients your body needs. A multivitamin or supplement may be able to help. Other people who may benefit from taking a multivitamin or supplement include:
- Vegetarians who do not eat any animal products (vegans)
- Women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- Women who are breastfeeding
- Women who experience heavy menstrual periods
- Women who have gone through menopause
- People who have had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss
- People who have a medical condition that affects the way the body digests food, such as gastrointestinal disease, lactose intolerance, or food allergies
- People who have diseases of the stomach, liver, pancreas, or gall bladder
There is no current evidence that shows that taking multivitamins can help reduce your risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease.
What might be missing?
Adult Canadians may not get enough of the following nutrients:
Nutrient Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)
|
Calcium |
1,000 milligrams (mg)- Adults 19-50 years of age 1,200 mg – Adults 51 years and over
|
|
Potassium |
4,700 mg |
|
Fiber |
25 grams (g) for women 38 g for men |
|
Magnesium |
310 mg for women 19-30 years of age 320 mg for women 31 and older 400 mg for men 19-30 years of age 420 mg for men 31 and older |
|
Vitamin A |
2,310 international units (IU) for women 3,000 IU for men |
|
Vitamin C |
75 mg for women 90 mg for men |
|
Vitamin E |
15 mg |
|
Folate |
400 mcg |
|
Iron |
8 mg for men 18 mg – Women (19-50 years) 8 mg – Women 51 and over |
|
Vitamin B12 |
2.4 mcg |
|
Vitamin D |
600 IU 800 IU – Men and women >70 years |
Other Natural Health Products
Hundreds of NHPs are available. NHPs are used and marketed for a number of health reasons, like the prevention or treatment of an illness or condition, the reduction of health risks, or the maintenance of good health. They must be safe to be used as over-the-counter products
Some of the most popular supplements include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, probiotics, digestive enzymes, echinacea, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, melatonin, phytoestrogens (such as black cohosh, dong quai and soy), saw palmetto, and St. John’s wort.
Tips for Using Natural Health Products
- Contact your healthcare provider before you begin taking any NHP.
- Do not take more than the dosage recommended on the label, unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
- Read the ingredient list to make sure you know what else is in the product.
- Just because a product is advertised as “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe.
- Be sure your healthcare provider knows about all the NHPs you take – they can interact with some medicines.
How do I know if I should take a NHP?
If you are concerned that you are not getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet, talk to your healthcare provider about ways to get the micronutrients you need. Depending on your overall health and the vitamins or minerals your diet lacks, your healthcare provider might suggest a NHP. If you are interested in taking another type of product, talk to your healthcare provider about why you want to take it and what you hope it will do for you.
While foods that are rich in vitamin E and beta-carotene are very healthy and help reduce cancer risk, the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care recommend against taking vitamin E or beta-carotene for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. People who smoke or have a high risk for lung cancer should not take beta-carotene because it can increase the risk of lung cancer.
Your healthcare provider can also help you figure out if an NHP will interact with any medical conditions you have, or any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicine you are taking. NHPs can also cause problems with cancer treatments or surgery, including bleeding and problems with anesthesia.
How safe are NHPs?
All natural health products (NHPs) sold in Canada are subject to the Natural Health Products Regulations, which came into force on January 1, 2004.
The Regulations help give Canadians access to a wide range of natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality. To be legally sold in Canada, all natural health products must have a product licence, and the Canadian sites that manufacture, package, label and import these products must have site licences.
Choose your NHPs carefully, and contact your healthcare provider and/or your pharmacist if you have questions.
Vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements are generally considered safe as long as they are not used in excessive amounts. This is particularly true for the fat-soluble vitamins A and E. Check the recommended daily intake (if there is one) and be careful not to take too much.
While NHPs are generally safe, they are not risk free. Risks can include manufacturing problems (like contamination, incorrect ingredients or dosage), unproven claims, unwanted side effects (like allergic reactions), medication interactions, and lack of information (like incorrect instructions or warnings for certain groups).
You should never take more of any NHP than the recommended dosage on the label, unless your healthcare provider tells you to do so. Taking too much of a vitamin, mineral or herbal supplement can cause unwanted or dangerous side effects.
Questions to Ask Your Healthcare provider
- How do I know if I need an NHP?
- How do I know what dosage should I take?
- What NHPs might be beneficial for me?
- Is a vitamin considered an NHP?
- Can NHPs interact with food or medicines that I’m already taking?
- Can NHPs cause side effects?
- Can the NHP I take interfere with lab results?
- How often should I take an NHP?
- Are NHPs safe?
- Is there anyone who should avoid taking NHPs?
- There are so many NHPs available at the store. How do I pick the right one for me?
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription.html
Bibliography
This content was developed with general underwriting support from Nature Made®.
See a list of resources used in the development of this information:
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