Blog

Jul 30, 2023

Should you take a dietary supplement?

An array of dietary supplements on a light green background. Dietary supplements are very popular, and some people think they are essential to health. They are not essential for most people, but in

An array of dietary supplements on a light green background.

Dietary supplements are very popular, and some people think they are essential to health. They are not essential for most people, but in some instances can be helpful.

A supplement is a product intended to add some benefit to the diet but is different than foods. While there are reasons to use them, they can pose some risks.

Common supplements include:

– Vitamins such as multivitamins or individual vitamins like vitamin D or A or folic acid,

– Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, or iron,

– Amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamine, and

– Live microbials, such as probiotics.

Some dietary supplements can improve overall health and help manage some health conditions. For example:

– Calcium and vitamin D help keep bones strong and reduce bone loss.

– Folic acid decreases the risk of certain birth defects.

– Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils might help some people with heart disease.

A combination of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin (known as an AREDS formula) may slow down further vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

If your healthcare professional has told you to take one of these, I’m not saying don’t do so. Ask which brand they recommend, as some are of higher quality than others.

The problem is that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration the way food and medicines are. In 1994, the dietary supplement industry successfully lobbied to transform and weaken FDA’s authority to regulate dietary supplements.

A person holding a dietary supplement towards the camera.

Since then, FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. In fact, in many cases, firms can lawfully introduce dietary supplements to the market without even notifying FDA. Not surprisingly, the dietary supplement market has grown significantly, with the number of products expanding nearly 20 times since 1994.

This means that when you purchase a supplement, you cannot be sure what is actually in the product. There can be none of the advertised ingredients or many times more. The product may contain contaminants of many different kinds, which could be harmful.

Another caution to consider is that some supplements may interact with medicines you take or underlying health conditions of which you may be unaware. For example

– Vitamin K can reduce the ability of the blood thinner Warfarin to prevent blood from clotting.

– St. John’s wort can speed the breakdown of many medicines and reduce their effectiveness (including some antidepressants, birth control pills, heart medications, anti-HIV medications, and transplant drugs).

– Antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins C and E, might reduce the effectiveness of some types of cancer chemotherapy.

I know that the FDA does not, at times, inspire confidence in its ability to regulate the safety of medications. There has recently been some bad press on this subject. However, we can be confident that the medicines we take have the stated amount of the active substance and are not contaminated.

By “wild,” I mean a promise to solve a problem that seems unsolvable. For example, the product might make vague reference to “wellness” or “aids in relaxation and sleep” or claim to regulate blood sugar or cholesterol. Most of these claims have not been investigated, and as I’ve noted, there are no regulations about what they can and cannot say. Many other supplements need more study to determine if they have value.

Supplements in a container with pill organizing compartments.

Here’s how to tell if the product you are considering buying is a quality one.

Several independent organizations offer quality testing and allow products that pass these tests to display a seal of quality assurance that indicates the product was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants.

These seals do not guarantee that a product is safe or effective. Organizations that offer quality testing include:

– ConsumerLab.com

– NSF International - nsf.org

– U.S. Pharmacopeia - usp.org

For more info on dietary supplements, go to the National Institutes for Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website, ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets.

Ellen R. Glovksy.

Ellen Glovsky is a Key Biscayne resident, published author and Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach. Her work focuses on helping people explore and enhance their relationship with food, using a “Health At Every Size” approach. She is also involved in the island community with her work on KBCF’s Women’s Giving Circle. To learn more, visit nutrition-coach.com

For Ellen Glovksy's last #tasteofkb piece, click here.

For the Islander's last #tasteofkb feature, click here.