Are you one of the many people contributing to the $19 Billion supplement industry? Before you answer, consider this; dietary supplements include everything from Dear Antler Velvet to the Vitamin C in your medicine cabinet. Yep, that’s right, vitamins, minerals, herbs and botanicals, amino acids, concentrates, metabolites, extracts and substances used to increase dietary intake (enzymes or tissues from organs or glands) all fall under the category of dietary supplements. In fact, there are over 29,000 dietary supplements available.
If you have recently looked at the label of any dietary supplement, you may have noticed the same writing on the bottle: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
In 1994 the Dietary Supplement Heath and Education Act (DSHEA) was enacted requiring the manufacturer of a product to take responsibility for establishing its own manufacturing practice guidelines to ensure that the supplements it produces are safe and contain ingredients listed on the labels. Currently, there are no FDA regulations that are specific to supplements that establish a minimum standard of practice for manufacturing the supplement.
Handing the responsibility over to the manufacturers, whose main interest is to sell product, means that the consumer must take an active role in researching what he or she is taking. If you are thinking about adding a supplement to your diet there are a few things to consider before deciding what is right for you.
Talk it Out
Talking with your doctor before taking any and all supplements is important for a number of reasons including, but not limited to:
1. There may be contraindications with certain prescription medications (e.g., fish oil and Coumadin are both blood thinners).
2. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a chronic medical condition such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease it is crucial to first talk with the proper healthcare professionals.
3. They can have unwanted effects during surgery. You may be asked to stop taking certain supplements 2-3 weeks before surgery to avoid any potential complications.
Savvy Surfing
The internet has provided us all with easy access to information about anything we desire. However, it can also be a source of deceptive claims and misinformation. When searching any internet site ask yourself the following questions:
1. Who operates this site? If the site is not operated by a reputable medical or health-related association (e.g., American Dietetic Association, American Medical Association, etc.) or is it written or reviewed by qualified professionals in the field?
2. What is the purpose of this site? Is the site providing valuable information of just trying to sell a product?
3. What is the source of information and does the site list references? Check references to see if the study has been reviewed by the scientific journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine or the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
4. Is the information current? Check the date of the articles and information posted. A quality site frequently updates its information.
Take Home Points
* Inform your doctor/surgeon/nurse of any supplements you are taking
* Don’t assume that if a product may not help you, it won’t hurt you.
* Always think twice about the latest headline. Just like parachute pants and leg warmers, “hot” supplements often become the latest fads.
* Research as much as you can. If you are unsure or have any questions be sure, check with your physician, a registered dietitian, and reliable internet sites, such as www.consumerlab.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment