Check With a Medical Professional Before Taking Dietary Supplements, Says Financial Education Benefits Center

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Nov 28, 2018, 08:00 ET

SAN RAMON, Calif., Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowing what to believe about dietary supplements can be difficult; often claims are made about the supplement with little to no research to actually back them up. Two supplements to recently come under scrutiny are fish oil and vitamin D. While studies have been done on the supplements, their fish and their myriad benefits, most of the research was observational or relied on self-reporting. One recent, large-scale study (called the VITAL study) looked at the benefits of each supplement, respectively, and found disappointing results. Financial Education Benefits Center (FEBC), a health and wellness membership benefits company, advises discussing supplement use with a medical health professional to ensure that the supplement is beneficial to the individual in question.

"Supplement use should always be discussed with a doctor," said Jennifer Martinez, manager at FEBC. "It's important to make sure it's something that will benefit you."

The recent study was the first of its kind using a long-term large sample size of 26,000 healthy adults age 50 and older with no history of cancer of heart disease. The participants took either fish oil and vitamin D, vitamin D plus a placebo, fish oil plus a placebo or two placebos. It appeared that there was no overall benefit to either the vitamin D or fish oil, although a secondary data analysis suggested that the fish oil reduced heart attack risk by 28 percent. African Americans and people who didn't eat much fish were shown to receive the greatest benefits from the supplement. No serious side effects were noted with either supplement.

While there may not be extraordinary benefits to be had from either fish oil or vitamin D, the researchers stress that they both contain important nutrients that are necessary for a well-balanced diet. When starting any type of supplement, it's strongly recommended to discuss one's dietary and health needs with a doctor. With FEBC's telemedicine benefits, members can have quick and convenient access to non-urgent medical advice without ever having to leave the house.

"At FEBC, our goal is to help our members live healthy and happy lives," said Martinez. "Our telemedicine benefits are just one more way we support our members' health and wellbeing."

About Financial Education Benefits Center

Financial Education Benefits Center is located in San Ramon, California. The membership company has already helped thousands save money and obtain the necessary education required to live a financially healthy life.

Financial Education Benefits Center has partnered with several name brand third-party companies to expand the financial and educational products and services available to its members and to provide a variety of wellness services as well.

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Contact

To learn more about Financial Education Benefits Center, please contact:

Financial Education Benefits Center
2010 Crow Canyon Place Ste. 100
San Ramon, CA 94583
1-800-953-1388
[email protected]

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SOURCE Financial Education Benefits Center