Supplement series part 1: Caveat Emptor

Supplements are all the rage these days.  The Internet is absolutely brimming with bloggers and “doctors” peddling their favorite supplements via subscription services and direct mail.  As a blogger (and legitimate doctor) I get a lot of people asking me what supplements I take and which ones I recommend.  The answer to the first question is pretty simple: I only take a few things and I do not take them every day.  But which do I recommend?  That is an individualized discussion that you need to discuss with your healthcare practitioner, but in this “supplement series” we’ll take a look at some of the more popular supplements and discuss the pros and cons of their use. 

But first, a word of warning.  Anytime you encounter a product that is sold far more often than it is bought (think life insurance, used cars, and gadgets sold on late night TV infomercials), it’s caveat emptor: buyer beware.  Perhaps there is no better place to remember this phrase than when considering a dietary or nutritional supplement.

Since dietary supplements are not subject to FDA regulations, you have to be extra careful with what you buy and who you buy it from.  Just as an example, in 2015 a New York Attorney General investigation found that 4 out of 5 supplements sold by “trusted” retailers such as GNC, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart did not even contain the ingredients listed on their label!  Think that ginkgo biloba is helping your cognitive function?  Probably not.  They found that it contained little more than powdered radish, beans, and wheat.  May be not particularly harmful (maybe if you have celiac disease it is!), but just imagine what else is out there and this unregulated space. 

This is only one anecdote, but it underscores the importance of doing a lot of research into the supplements you take and making sure you trust the manufacture.  But no matter how much you trust the manufacture or how much you believe in the product, a healthy dose of skepticism is still necessary.  How much skepticism is necessary? I will leave that up to you. But for me, I have decided not to take any supplements on a daily basis.  Because I do not know—and I mean really know–exactly what is in any supplement. Add to this the fact that diet/supplement advice has been biased, flawed and outright wrong in the past about what is good for us and what is not (see Vitamin D, salt, cholesterol, the list goes on and on…).

So I hedge my bets and take supplements only 3 to 4 days/week, never daily.  But what do I take? Check back soon for part 2 in the series where we’ll cover the few supplements I take on a regular basis.