What you need to know about the safety of taking supplements [Video]

Holistic health is big businesses, and vitamins, minerals and supplements make up a large portion of that market with annual sales of $36 billion and climbing.

But do they work and are they safe? I spoke to a supplement shop owner and an integrative psychiatrist about the effectiveness and safety of dietary supplments.

Uli Laczkovich owns Ullman’s Health and Beauty in Berkley, where wellness is the name of the game.

“If your gut is mediocre, it could affect other functions of your body,” Laczkovich said.

Laczkovich spent decades as a pharmacist in Europe where many of the supplements sold over the counter, in store and online in the U.S. can only be found in pharmacies and some by prescription only. That’s because supplements can have a real effect.

“Ashwagandha is a big seller?” I asked.

“That’s why Canada is a super big seller. Because it really works. So, customers feel when they take it,” Laczkovich said.

Ashwagandha …