Supplements: Supportive or a Scam?
Vitamins, minerals, and supplements, oh my! How to begin? What’s the difference? Do they really work? How can you trust that what they claim is in the supplements is actually in them?
First off, lets talk about the differences between these groups.
Vitamins
Vitamins are tiny nutrients we get from the food we eat. Our bodies can't make these nutrients, so we need to eat foods that have them. Food is the best place to get vitamins because besides the vitamins, you also get other good stuff like fiber, healthy sugars, and carbohydrates. These are extras that help keep us healthy.
When we buy vitamins in jars from the store, they don't have these extras.
Minerals
Minerals are important stuff like calcium, iron, and potassium. Our bodies don’t make these minerals, so we mainly get them from food. They help with things like making our nerves work and keeping our bones and teeth strong. Minerals also help our bodies use energy from food and move our muscles.
When we eat whole foods like apples, cereal, oranges, and rice, we typically get both vitamins and minerals. Plus, we also get extras like fiber, which is good for us.
Supplements
Typically, nutritional supplements are products that contain vitamins and/or minerals in the form of a pill, powder, or liquid. People generally use supplements as a way to add certain vitamins and minerals to their bodies that they aren’t getting from their everyday, regular food choices.
Supplements: Supportive or a Scam
Now that we know the differences between vitamins, minerals, and supplements, we can decide if buying supplements is worth it.
Hands down, the best way to get vitamins and minerals is to get them from our food. Not just because of the extras like fiber and healthy sugars, but also because of the unique way our bodies process the food we eat and the physiological changes that occur during the digestive process. The process of chewing our food makes more nutrients available to our bodies. Usually, it's easier for our bodies to get the vitamins and minerals we need from food. Our bodies usually only take what is required, so we don't end up with too much of any one thing.
However, it doesn’t mean you should never use supplements. But they shouldn’t be your main way of getting vitamins and minerals. They work best when added to an already healthy diet, as your doctor or another trusted health expert might suggest.
One of the big worries about supplements is if they truly contain what's written on the bottle. Is it actually vitamin C? How can you know for sure?
Supplemental Honesty
From the Food & Drug Administration website:
Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure they meet all the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by DSHEA and FDA regulations.
The FDA has the authority to take action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. link
The government allows companies to be responsible for their own products, and the FDA will act only after receiving complaints about products already on the market.
Thankfully, most companies don’t want a lawsuit, so most products are likely okay. But if you want a little more than that, Consumer Reports (CR) says there are third-party certifications that check if a product really has only the ingredients listed on the bottle. Two of the most well-known certifications are from the USP and the NSF. These organizations test to make sure the products match what’s written on the bottle.
Supplemental Safety
But are supplements safe? That's a question for your doctor. Even if the supplement you're taking is the right dose and free from contaminants, you need to think about how it might interact with other medications you're on, any allergies you have, or how your body handles it. That's why it's best to chat with your trusted healthcare professional and let them guide you in making the right decision.