The Lowdown on Supplements

Supplements, including vitamins, enzymes, herbs, antioxidants, amino acids, and many other compounds, have a place within the health industry.  There are some important key facts, however, to mull over before considering any supplement. 

Supplements do not need to be proven to be safe or effective to be marketed in the United States.  This is really important so I will repeat it: supplements do not need to be proven to be safe or effective in the United States.  Although supplements are barred from making specific health claims with a few exceptions, the general claims allowed such as ‘revitalizes your heart’ and ‘boosts your energy’ do not require scientific validation.

Any supporting research on a supplement label or elsewhere may have been funded by the company that produces the supplement (a conflict of interest that occurs quite frequently!).  Also be aware that the research conducted may not have tested the supplement in the form that it is sold in.  Form is important because the resulting effect of a supplement can be significantly reduced, eliminated and even reversed with processing and dosage variations.  Furthermore, any potential risks are only investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after the supplement has gone to market and received sufficient complaints.

The supplement industry is only loosely regulated and worth billions of dollars annually.  There is a lot of leeway to use unproven marketing statements and financially rewarding reasons for doing so.  Consider the quality and selection of your food first.  There are many more nutrient compounds in real food than one could ever hope to acquire from supplements.  Turning to supplements before improving the quality of food consumed is like trying to build a sand castle one grain of sand at a time while ignoring the shovel!  If you are considering using a supplement for health reasons make sure you seek the advice of a qualified professional first.