Making Sense of Supplements
Google “supplement” and you’ll get overwhelmed with the results. There are whole stores dedicated to selling supplements, everything from a daily multivitamin to exotic sounding pills promising to fix your health ailments.
This overload of supplements can become confusing and slick salespeople can easily overwhelm you with info resulting in you leaving with a whole bag full of pills and powders. Many of these supplements have no effect on the human body or any health issue. Coupled with no industry oversight and regulation, anyone can make and sell anything labeled as a supplement.
You could essentially go to your backyard, cut some grass, dry it, powderize it, package it in a capsule and sell it as a fiber supplement. Add a exotic name to it and a couple general health claims and you have the next greatest supplement.
The only warning we ever get as consumers is a statement from the FDA stating that this supplement has not been proven to diagnose or cure any health condition that has to be present on any supplement. Beyond that, we’re on our own to determine if something is safe and effective to use for us.
Kinda scary if you think about it. With such an unregulated industry, should we even bother using supplements and if so how and which ones?
When to use supplements
Just as the name implies, supplements are intended to supplement your diet. They are by no means a replacement for food.
A dietitian can help determine what vitamins or minerals you are low in and modify your diet to improve those levels. There are instances when diet changes are unable to improve certain levels and a supplement is needed.
A few common instances requiring supplementation:
Calorie reduction for weight loss
Following a short-term restrictive diet for certain health reasons (ex. GI rest)
Inability to consume certain foods (ex. lactose intolerance)
During the winter months (when we are no longer able to produce Vit D from the sun)
Chronically low blood levels that do not increase through diet modifications
During pregnancy and breastfeeding
In all of these examples, the supplement is intended to supplement the diet short term to maintain adequate intake of vitamins and minerals needed for the body to function.
There are some supplements that can be used intermittently. Two of the most common are multivitamins and protein supplements. Both can be used on days when you were unable to consume a balanced diet.
For example, you had a busy day at work and only had time for a quick lunch from the vending machine. You got home late due to traffic and were too tired to cook a balanced dinner. On this occasion a multivitamin supplement is taken to supplement the decreased intake of nutrients.
You don’t have to take a multivitamin daily if your daily intake is sufficient and well balanced. However, you need to be careful to avoid falling into the supplement mentality of eating a poor diet because you can take a multivitamin.
How about all the specialty supplements?
The supplement industry is massive and there is a supplement for literally anything. From boosting mood and energy to helping you sleep and stay calm there’s a supplement for it. Hair loss, declining vision, improving memory, there’s a supplement for it.
You get the picture, if you have an issue, there’s likely a supplement for it. Oftentimes, it contains some exotic ingredient or special proprietary blend that some ancient people had been using for a given issue.
The problem with the supplement industry is that there is no regulation or oversight. As long as the company doesn’t claim to diagnose or treat a disease, they can pretty much say what they want without needing to prove it actually works.
Although most supplements are relatively safe to take even if they’re ineffective. The danger comes when people start to take certain ingredients that may cause interactions with their medications or cause a reaction in some people. There may even be impurities or additives in the supplement that are not stated. These can cause acute or long-term complications.
If you do intend on taking a supplement, the best thing you can do to protect yourself is choose a company that is well known and even better, test their supplements for purity. Unfortunately, this means choosing the more expensive supplements.
Keep in mind though that the greater the claim and lower the price, the less likely a supplement will actually do you any good. Most are a waste of money that only lead to frustration or for some medical emergencies.
The key takeaway
Supplements can be useful if taken for the right reasons and in the right conditions. Many supplements make lofty claims and deliver little to no results. Knowing when, how, and why to use supplements is key to benefit from them and prevent injury.
If you do decide to use a supplement, consult with a dietitian and your physician to ensure it’s right and safe for you. Working with a dietitian can take the guesswork out of choosing and using supplements. Schedule your 30 min consultation today to learn what may be best for you and why.
Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD
