WE ALL KNOW THE importance of vitamins and minerals but many of us aren’t receiving our adequate share. To remedy this — enter the supplement industry.
According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, three out of every four Americans regularly take dietary supplements with the rate rising to four in five for older Americans. He recognizes the importance of supplementation but also the need for regulation as this industry has ballooned to $40 billion with upwards of 50,000 different products available.
With wellness increasingly taking up space in the public consciousness, it seems every week there’s a new miracle supplement created and marketed to you as your saving grace and cure to all ills. Unfortunately, most of these great new products are untested and unregulated by the FDA. That means that efficacy claims can be false and, in some cases, the supplements may actually contain trace amounts of harmful chemicals.
While the FDA works to improve its regulation of the dietary supplement industry — what are you to do? In a perfect world, we’d get all our vitamins and minerals from a healthy, organic, well-balanced diet. However, we live in the real world and it’s very difficult to get everything you need from food alone.
When considering supplementation for yourself, or recommending them for patients, make some key considerations:
1. Consult with a pharmacist or your doctor. Supplements can have negative downstream effects when combined with other medications. It’s important to consult with a medical professional before beginning a supplement regimen to ensure considerations are made for your personal medical history.
2. Shop at a health store. Local health food stores and larger national chains, like Whole Foods and Sprouts, contain a wide assortment of natural dietary supplements and staff to help you sort through the noise. Some vitamins and minerals are more bioavailable based on the form and knowledgeable staff members can help remove a bit of guesswork. In person help also educates and empowers you to make better decisions in regard to supplementation.
3. Do your research. Understand that marketing is a key ingredient for supplement success so beware of products with outrageous sounding claims or outlandish promises about efficacy. When making your decision, research the company producing the supplements. Look for companies whose products have certifications and that boast third-party testing to ensure the accuracy of claims made.
4. Transparency is key. Many supplement companies have used boogeyman ingredients as fillers, coloring, and to improve effectiveness. In 2019, transparency is king. Newer dietary supplement companies make transparency a bedrock of their business model. Companies are beginning to be transparent about not only ingredients, but also ingredient traceability and source information. If a company is not clearly communicating what is in the supplement, chances are it includes a few things you don’t want.
5. Supplement with superfoods. When you can, add nutrient dense superfoods to your diet as a supplement. Dr. Steven Pratt, nutrition expert and author, describes superfood as “readily available with a significant number of scientific publications verifying the ‘power’ of the food and its nutrients to prevent disease and promote wellness and longevity.” Some of his favorites include the usual suspects of dark leafy greens and but surprising additions like super fruits pomegranates and kiwis, spices like cinnamon, and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.