Nutritional Supplements

A Guide for Cutting through Nutritional Bunk

Essential versus Non-essential Nutrients

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes are essential for the body's functionality. Prebiotics and probiotics effectively act as catalysts in maintaining good health, but are not essential.

Herbs and homeopathics are believed to be and marketed as natural medicines, and are based only in pseudoscience. Some are proven to be effective for treating conditions while most are not, and some are proven to cause side effects on varying levels. Much of the rest of this post primarily serves as a warning against ignored problems and misinformation within the supplemental industry.

RDV & ODL

RDV, RDA, RDI and ODL, ODR, the ever changing terms; they stand for recommended daily intake and overdose risk, respectively. Despite nutritional labels and what sources say they are, they vary depending on each individual. Age, gender, and condition are factors. Find yours, and be specific in searches. For some examples;

Recommended vitamin A intake for 41 year old males
23 pregnant eight weeks vitamin c recommendation
60 years old diabetes zinc intake female
25 male working out protein daily amount

Always pay attention to your body and make sure you're not taking too much of something. Excess of an overdose risk for anything is never advisable unless instructed by a medical professional who tells you that you have a deficiency. It is possible to overdose on anything, even if there is no known overdose risk. It is even possible to overdose on water (National Library of Medicine) ⇗.

Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria that are healthy to consume because they fight other bacteria in your digestive system, which in turn reduces strain on your immune system. Many brands will advertise the potency of bacteria present, saying in large letters that x billion cells are in each serving. Potency does not matter beyond 10 billion, because the excess becomes extracted. What does matter is the number of different strains present; the more, the better.

Synthetic, Food Based, & Whole Food

Synthetic supplements are isolated supplements processed chemically. They are okay but not ideal for long term use. They tend to strain the digestive system on account of the body being used to breaking down cells to process them. Synthetic supplements can often cause nausea and sometimes vomiting if too much is taken in one dose.

Food based supplements are isolated supplements grown with or inserted into an edible food source so that they are not isolated. They are better to take than synthetic supplements and do not cause nausea. Purchasing these will always be a much better option over synthetic. Most cannot be found at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and CVS, so going to a health food store is preferable.

Whole food supplements are concentrated with actual food sources that are dehydrated and processed. This is the best option for consumption, but it is also extremely rare in any store.

Is natural safe?

Is poison ivy safe? The short answer is no. Something being natural does not mean it was meant for humans to eat. Similarly, because something is commonly understood to be used as an alternative treatment for a condition does not mean that it treats the condition.

Drug Interactions

Always check for drug interferences prior to consumption, including high amounts of essential nutrients. Drugs.com ⇗ is the most excellent resource for drug and disease interactions, and is inclusive of supplements and has a search option that allows for more than just two factors. When searching for even just one factor, it will even give you a complete list of interactions organized by severity of risks.

Harmful "Other Ingredients"

Other ingredients will always be listed under the nutrition label. Read them. It has to be said that they are not there because of nutritional value, nor are they types of "bonus ingredients" as some people have suggested. Other ingredients refers to either the excipients (Premier Research Labs) ⇗ or the capsule containing the supplement.

Potassium sorbate is listed in most liquid supplements. It is a food preservative that while added in low enough quantities to be determined as safe by many agencies, the concern for it is its consumption over an extended period of time. It has an NFPA 704 toxicity of 2, and in large quantities has been shown to be damaging to genes, especially when consumed with nitrites. Though in reality it may not be easy for liquids, it is best to avoid potassium sorbate where possible.

Magnesium stearate and stearic acid are closely related industrial lubricants added to most solid supplements. They are present to prevent the supplement from clinging to machines during the manufacturing process, and for no other reason. While added in low enough quantities to be determined as safe by many agencies, the concern is for their consumption over an extended period of time. They both have an NFPA 704 toxicity of 1. According to ONE study, too much of it can cause irritation in the bowels which can lead to either diarrhea or a spasm causing the spontaneous crapping of pants. Other health claims about them, such as weakening the body's absorption or disrupting immune function are unsubstantiated. Regardless, it is best to avoid these additives where possible since they are not technically food.

Sales Strategies

Keep in mind that the supplements industry aims to make money just like every other industry. It's no secret that the pharmaceutical industry has an array of faults. Supplement sales people will use this fact as their go-to sales tactic, projecting an overall blinder for uninformed customers. They'll knowingly pushing unsubstantiated claims of health benefits for their products, stating much of the time that it has been researched by the brand itself.

Containers will never say something like "cures cancer" because legally they cannot. Often they will say something like "promotes / supports / helps with" immune health. This is perfectly legal even if it is not true. Sales reps will look for these on labels while showing products to show the customer to effortlessly strengthen their pitch, and make it sound as if the product does improve immune health. Arm yourself with knowledge.

Summary

Check brand reviews, contents, and necessity prior to purchasing. If you have any questions about anything, look it up and check that your sources are scientific, not from a brand promoting a product. Ask your doctor, nutritionist, or personal care physician prior to consumption, explicitly if you are pregnant. Belief that something can help with a condition can lead to harmful consumption, and can even be lethal, which is especially true for many supplements taken in excess. Be smart, be safe, and stick to what is essential unless a situation calls for it.