Understanding Dietary Supplements

Nov 24

A 2022 survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition found that 75% of Americans take dietary supplements. The popularity of vitamins and other supplements shows that the American public is generally interested in dietary supplements, which can be paired with diet and exercise to improve overall health.

While dietary supplements may be beneficial to some people, they can be harmful to others. Understanding the potential risks and benefits is crucial before adding supplements to your routine. This article provides an overview of dietary supplements.

What Are Dietary Supplements?

Dietary supplements come in a variety of forms, including gummies, tablets, powders, drinks and energy bars. They can contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes and other ingredients. Some products can be taken to supplement essential nutrients that could be missing if you lack a variety of nutritious foods in your diet. Other supplements may be taken to enhance athletic performance, strengthen your immune system, manage pain or improve mental health.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), some dietary supplements can improve a person’s overall health and help manage health conditions. Consider the following supplements and their benefits:

Calcium and vitamin D can help keep bones strong and reduce bone loss.
Folic acid can reduce the risk of certain birth defects.
Fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, may help lower blood pressure and support heart health.
A combination of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin may slow down further vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration.

Other popular supplements include magnesium, probiotics, multivitamins, turmeric and B complex.

What Are the Risks of Taking Dietary Supplements?

While there’s evidence that supplements may be beneficial in some circumstances, there are also risks with taking supplements. Consider the following:

Drug interactions may occur. Dietary supplements can be harmful when taken in certain combinations or with other prescription medications. For example, vitamin K can limit the ability of the blood thinner warfarin to prevent blood clots from forming. Furthermore, these products can be dangerous when taken before surgery or other medical procedures. For this reason, it’s crucial that you inform your health care provider of any supplements you’re taking.
There is a lack of federal oversight. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate or approve supplements the same way that it does for other medications. In many instances, dietary supplement manufacturers can sell their products without notifying the FDA. Although the agency is able to remove unsafe dietary supplements from the market, this may happen after people have gotten sick or injured from the supplement. Therefore, just because a product is being sold, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe.
High doses of certain vitamins can be problematic. When it comes to vitamins, there can be too much of a good thing. For example, vitamin C, which can be beneficial in small doses and certain combinations, can lead to kidney stones and other adverse effects when taken in high doses for a prolonged period of time. Additionally, it may be difficult to determine how much of a vitamin you’re consuming since manufacturers often add vitamins to certain products, such as cereal. Therefore, you may be consuming more of certain vitamins than you realize or that are healthy for you.
Dietary supplements aren’t approved to treat or cure a disease. Any supplement claiming to fix or cure a health problem is likely a scam. Such products can waste money and delay proper care or treatment. In a worst-case scenario, these products can also cause serious or fatal injuries.

Who Recommends Dietary Supplements?

Dietary supplements aren’t a substitute for a well-balanced diet, which is the recommended source of nutrients and vitamins. However, there are instances where your doctor may recommend supplements. According to Harvard Health, dietary supplements may be advisable for certain people, including:

Pregnant women
Older adults
Individuals with medical issues that predispose them to nutritional deficiencies
Individuals who are at risk for osteoporosis
Individuals with certain inflammatory conditions

It’s recommended that you speak with a doctor before adding supplements to your diet.

How Can You Safely Purchase Supplements?

The FDA doesn’t approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness or their labeling. Rather, supplement manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and accurately labeled. As a result, dietary supplement labels may be misleading.

According to the NIH, dietary supplements are often mislabeled and fail to contain the claimed active ingredient. Before purchasing a supplement, it can be beneficial to check for seals of quality assurance issued by independent organizations, such as ConsumerLab.com, NSF International and the United States Pharmacopeia. Although these seals don’t guarantee a product is safe or effective, they indicate that the product is properly manufactured, includes the ingredients listed on the label and doesn’t contain a harmful level of contaminants.

Conclusion

While dietary supplements can benefit people, they can cause harm when used unnecessarily. For this reason, the FDA recommends that all consumers consult their doctor or pharmacist before taking supplements. A health care professional can help you determine if dietary supplements are right for you.

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Megan Henderson