Some scientists made good marketers. In the health supplement industry, they’re in fact marketers impersonating as scientists. As a cynic, i’ll love to say that for a fact but unfortunately i couldn’t prove it.
The latest study on health supplements
When i looked down the aisle of the local pharmacy today, i saw shelves after shelves of supplements. Normally i wouldn’t have given it much thought.
But today’s different. I had just listened to the results of yet another medical study on the BBC. In the latest twist in the tug-of-war between researchers in the health supplement industry and the medical science community (the latter referring to real scientists doing publicly funded research), scientists at the University of Copenhagen found that taking dietary supplements could in fact increase your risks of dying.
I was bothered because these conflicting studies create apathy in consumers just when they should be paying more attention.
Are you one of these people?
When you swallowed that E-400 pill this morning, did you really know what you’re putting into your body? Looking at the myriad brands on the shelves, could you really tell which one’s better than the other? After all, despite whatever claims they made, these manufacturers were all selling the same vitamins and minerals in different combinations and dosages.
I must admit that the thought of popping 3 pills and ridding my body of all evils, a very attractive proposition. In fact, i used to take health supplements. For those who must know, they were beta-carotene, vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate) and vitamin C. After all, i don’t fancy eating 5 portions of vegetables and fruits even though deep down i always knew Mom was right.
But i stopped after a few months. Nagging concerns about the purported health benefits overcame the “feel-good” feelings that came with popping these pills. So what changed my mind?
The truth is out there
There’s not a shred of conclusive evidence that eating health supplements is good for you. Haven’t you seen this before?
Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.*
The asterisk invariable points to this:
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I don’t need to show you the conflicting studies. They are widely available online. The fact that there are conflicting studies should be sufficient evidence to convince any sane, logical person to err on the safe side and not play a fool with his health.
Do you really need health supplements?
Many of us suffer from over nutrition – not malnutrition. If you suffer from malnutrition, by all means eat a multi-vitamin tablet providing the RDA of essential vitamins and minerals. Unlike money, more vitamins/minerals is not better. You’ll just work your liver to death.
If you don’t eat enough vegetables and fruits, the remedy is, come on you know it as well as i do, eat more vegetables and fruits. Synthetic pills are not replacements for nutrients obtained from natural food products.
If you suffer from some medical conditions, there are no conclusive evidence showing that supplements like glucosamine helps you. Surprised? So why are doctors prescribing these? You should ask your doctor to explain that.
Who has the responsibility for ensuring that a health supplement is safe?
No one.
This is extracted from FDA’s website on dietary/health supplement:
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that its dietary supplement products are safe before they are marketed.
Unlike drug products that must be proven safe and effective for their intended use before marketing, there are no provisions in the law for FDA to “approve” dietary supplements for safety or effectiveness before they reach the consumer.
Also unlike drug products, manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements are not currently required by law to record, investigate or forward to FDA any reports they receive of injuries or illnesses that may be related to the use of their products.
Under DSHEA, once the product is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is “unsafe,” before it can take action to restrict the product’s use or removal from the marketplace.
Are “standardised” supplements better?
Maybe. Maybe not. Read this extract from the Office of Dietary Supplements:
Standardization is a process that manufacturers may use to ensure batch-to-batch consistency of their products. In some cases, standardization involves identifying specific chemicals (known as markers) that can be used to manufacture a consistent product. The standardization process can also provide a measure of quality control.
Dietary supplements are not required to be standardized in the United States.
In fact, no legal or regulatory definition exists in the United States for standardization as it applies to dietary supplements. Because of this, the term “standardization” may mean many different things. Some manufacturers use the term standardization incorrectly to refer to uniform manufacturing practices; following a recipe is not sufficient for a product to be called standardized.
Therefore, the presence of the word “standardized” on a supplement label does not necessarily indicate product quality.
But that’s besides the point. You shouldn’t be eating any supplement – standardised or not.
There are good, natural alternatives to health supplements
Take vitamin E for example: One tablespoon of sun flower oil (yes the same one you used for cooking) provides 61% of the RDA for vitamin E. One quarter cup of toasted wheat germ – 39% RDA. Other good sources of vitamin E are shrimps and green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin C: Half a papaya (approximately 5.5 oz) gives you 157% RDA. Half a red/pink grapefruit – 78% RDA. Half a cup of raw, chopped red bell peppers – 158% RDA.
Calcium: a cup of non-fat yogurt gives you 56% of the RDA. One oz of cheddar cheese – 25% RDA.
Vitamin B6: 3 oz of braised beef liver – 39% RDA. One banana – 33% RDA.
If you are not convinced by me
By all means do your own research. But please look for information posted at reputable medical facilities such as that found at the Mayo Clinic website.
Be suspicious of “consumer research” or “education” websites which are usually funded by dietary supplements makers. You can usually find statements such as this buried in the websites:
HSIS is funded by The Boots Company PLC, Bayer PLC, Perrigo, Seven Seas Ltd and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. The campaign is co-ordinated by PAGB (Proprietary Association of Great Britain).
