Supplement Safety

19 Sep Supplement Safety

Have you ever taken a supplement? Whether for specific health benefits or workout performance, trusting what you put into your body can be tricky. With the booming supplement industry’s lack of regulation, it’s hard to tell whether or not something is safe to take (or worth the money).

While no one eats perfectly, our diet should always be the go-to source for nutrition, including healthful vitamins and minerals that our bodies need because the verdict is in – our bodies absorb nutrients from whole food sources better than processed/lab produced supplements. For most people, the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate is the diet model to strive for.

Additionally, taking any prescription medications (or more than one supplement), warrants a conversation with a healthcare provider before trying out a supplement. While the supplement, may be harmless on its own, our bodies quickly become a science lab when prescriptions and supplements are mixed without carefully considering any potential interactions.

Want to increase your supplement savvy? If someone you know insists that you try supplement (fill in the blank) and swears by it for muscle recovery, energy, better sleep, weight loss etc. one of the first places to learn more about it can be the “Supplements” section of www.examine.com. This website shares unbiased summaries of supplements, including efficacy ratings of the touted benefits/claims. Pretty cool.

Plus, the FDA has a great article here. It shares lots of great information with two key takeaways:

• “Be aware that the term ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean ‘safe’.”
• “FDA is not authorized to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.”

In summary, depending upon one’s health and fitness goals, a supplement may or may not contribute towards reaching your goal. It’s definitely a case by case basis type of thing, so study up and talk to health and fitness experts that you trust.