SubscribeDiet Supplements: Asking the Hard Questions
On the way to work this morning I heard an ad (one of many) about a dietary supplement.
The ad featured two women discussing life, health, vitamins and supplements. The women began talking about the advertised product (which can remain nameless).
One woman's comment was this:
If it's been advertised for years and it's natural - it must be good.
Which makes me wonder: Is this how we determine the efficacy of a dietary supplement? The amount of airtime it gets and whether it is "natural"?
A recent essay in the New York Times presents some discomforting thoughts on both the safety and effectiveness of diet supplements.
The Statistics
In 2005 alone the American Association of Poison Control Centers received 125,595 incident reports related to vitamins, minerals, essential oils, herbs and other supplements. About half of these were related to vitamins alone. Echinacea was linked to 483 adverse reactions.
I found the full 130 page report here. A good proportion of the adverse reactions are due to children under 6 accidentally consuming the product.
The author of the NY Times article goes on to debunk the effectiveness of many diet supplements.
Since April 2002, five large randomized trials financed by the center have found no significant benefit for St. John’s wort against major depression, echinacea against the common cold, saw palmetto for enlarged prostate, the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis, or black cohosh and other herbs for the hot flashes associated with menopause.[...] It is a welcome acknowledgment that “natural” does not always mean “safe.”The Questions
Dietary supplements are an enormous business - the products are not cheap.
- How much of it is a placebo effect?
- How can we be sure of the ingredient quality in these supplements?
- How much "hard data" is there to support the claims that are made?
- Are there certain supplements (or even brands) that are more effective than others?
- How can you be objective about this?
- Does your "bottled herb" offer the same potency and efficacy as the raw unprocessed form used by, for example, an Amazon Indian 2,500 years ago?
There is an underlying school of thought that considers "Big Pharma" evil and "natural supplements" good. Is this too simplistic?
UPDATE: ConsumerLab tests vitamins and concludes ""Half the products were fine, half were not."
Look toward herbal extracts with standardized active ingredients. Know how much of the active principals are in your supplements.
ReplyI think we need to be aware that the "natural" supplement industry is no different than big pharma. Many of the best selling supplements are, in fact, made by pharmaceutical companies under different brand names.
IMHO, the industry is trying to sell us a quick and easy way to good healthy, distracting us from the more important elements of a healthy diet and exercise.
ReplyI love when products say they are all natural and therefore safe. Hemlock is completely natural. Arsenic is natural. I would not take either of those. Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's safe or good for you.
Reply"There is an underlying school of thought that considers "Big Pharma" evil and "natural supplements" good. Is this too simplistic?"
I think so. It is not that simple. Both camps have major pros and cons. There is no question in my mind that over 50 percent of supplements are completely useless (that is my ultra-liberal estimate).
They should be regulated.
ReplyI believe studies have shown that glucosamine does help with some forms of arthritis, as a pain reliver if nothing else. I believe Chondroitin should be avoided.
Replyhttp://www.arthritis.org/research/ACR_Meeting/GAITStatement_final_11_10_05.pdf
In many cases, these "natural" substances are actually worse than big pharma, since the FDA has no say whatsoever as to what goes into their formulations. You could grind up your lawn clippings and put them in a gelcap and call it a "natural herbal remedy". It doesn't mean it'll do anything, though.
ReplyMany manufacturers have jumped on the natural remedy bandwagon as more and more people became worried about what was in the prescribed medications they were taking. Natural remedies used to be seen as 'quackery' (still are by a lot of narrow-minded people) and were very cheap and basic, but since it has become such a big money-spinner all kinds of over-priced rubbish (with ridiculous made-up names) has appeared on the market. I definitely think it needs to be regulated, not only to ensure the safety and performance of products, but to clear the muddied reputation of natural remedies.
ReplyWhat I hate is what the all-natural stuff claims to do, and they put it on the bottle like it's the truth even though they have no data to back it up. I'd trust a prescription drug over an herbal supplement...because they have to be regulated and they usually do what they say they'll do.
ReplyI'm 5'1" and 140 lbs. overweight, I know.
ReplyWhich is why I want to gamble with the thought of trying a diet pill through the internet, particularly ebay.com.
I'm 21 and still live at home with my parents, and I'd rather they not find out that I'm unhappy and resorting to diet pills. Does anyone know whether they're shipped in a discreet box or not?
Thank for your help!!
"Half the products were fine, half were not"
But what "not good" supplement really means? Worthless, inactive, poisonous?
Definitely, all supplements cost money, and user is never sure...
Is any option around?
My opinion - organically grown food
Reply