(New York Times) – As Americans take more gummies, pills and powders than ever, some physicians are trying to convince patients to be a bit more careful.

A wide variety of gummies, pills and powders are categorized as supplements, including vitamins and minerals, compounds like creatine and herbal products such as ashwagandha and kava. Almost all doctors say a few of them have their place; women benefit from taking folic acid, for example, when trying to have a baby. Some people have vitamin or mineral deficiencies that supplements can help address.

But supplements can also come with side effects, which patients are sometimes “shocked” to learn about, said Dr. Mitra Rezvani, a hospitalist at Westchester Medical Center in New York. Many are merely uncomfortable — stomach issues, for example. But some are more serious. One paper in The New England Journal of Medicine estimated that supplements are responsible for 23,000 emergency room visits a year. (Read More)