Taking daily supplements and multivitamins is not an alien concept these days; from Omega-3 to Folic Acid, we all have included them in our daily routine. However, doing it without checking with an expert can do more harm to the body than good. While these health supplements are easily available over-the-counter and can be bought without any prescription, it's not advisable to take these without consulting with your doctor. "While certain vitamins can be bought OTC or from instant shopping apps, but it's best to consult a professional and only then include it in your day's plan," says  Samreedhi Goel, Nutritionist, Fitness Expert, & Founder of Size Wise-The Fitness Studio.

So, what are the parameters to consider before including any supplement in your routine? You need to start with a blood test to check for the deficiency in your body according to which a suitable supplement can be prescribed. "The most common deficiencies are of iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium, folic acid and even magnesium. These can be easily tested by a blood test after which a doctor’s consultation can put you on a plan," says Goel. Another important factor that she suggests keeping in mind is tracking of the diet. "It is because if you're malnourished and not meeting your requirement through food, however long you take the supplements, once you go off them, you'll be deficient again," she explains. The idea is to 'supplement' the food with health supplements and not depend on just the supplements as the main source of vitamins and minerals.

Here are some of the facts to keep in mind before starting any supplement plan, especially if you’re jumping on the bandwagon after getting influenced from a friend or social media

- Supplements are to be considered if you have given up a food group from your daily diet.

- Supplements are for special conditions like pregnancy or illness where your requirement increases.

- Supplements are to be taken after consulting a doctor, a qualified nutritionist or dietician.

- You can overdo supplements if you are not careful.

- Your diet has to be looked into first and then you can consider taking additional supplements to support it.

- You need to give supplements like iron and calcium a break if you have taken them continuously for three months as these get stored in the body due to the mega dose of the supplement. It is to avoid toxic buildup of these in the body. Always take a blood test again after the required time to check if your levels are normalised and make sure you improve your lifestyle and diet so that the levels are maintained.