Why I hate supplements

“Very expensive urine” is the Sheldon Cooper quote I use to describe vitamins and supplements. Every time I think of taking a supplement I am reminded what a terrible idea it is.

Part of me wants to take supplements, that part of me that remembers the love in my grandma’s eyes as she gave me my Flintstone’s chewable. She did what she did out of love and I did the same with my kid. People take vitamins; it is what one does. But are we really risking our health and the health of our children?

The law defines dietary supplements in part as products taken by mouth that contain a "dietary ingredient." Dietary ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or botanicals, as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet.

As an adult, I haven’t regularly taken any dietary supplements. I used to eat some of my kid’s Flintstone chewables and I bought a supplement recently that was recommended by doctors for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, but I hated the idea and my memory problems made it difficult for me to keep up the habit.

People take supplements for all kinds of reasons according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

People use dietary supplements for a wide assortment of reasons. Some seek to compensate for diets, medical conditions, or eating habits that limit the intake of essential vitamins and nutrients. Other people look to them to boost energy or to get a good night's sleep. Postmenopausal women consider using them to counter a sudden drop in estrogen levels.

I wouldn't be trying the anti-inflammatory diet, if I didn't hope that I would get some benefit from the right kinds of vitamins etc. However, study after study is finding that we can't be sure over-the-counter supplements contain the ingredients listed on the bottle. The University of Guelph found that one in three supplements on the market are fake. The FDA has had similar findings, but there’s still little consumers can do about it.

 

The FDA even says on their website that the law doesn't require supplements to be proven safe before they are marketed, which means that what these little capsules contain could be seriously harmful to you.

The researchers from the CDC and the FDA analyzed representative surveillance data from 63 hospital Emergency Rooms over a 10-year period (2004-2013), and their statistical analysis projected about 23,000 ER visits annually resulting from ingestion of supplements, about one-tenth of which led to hospitalization. 

According to the authors, “Such visits commonly involve cardiovascular manifestations from weight-loss or energy products among young adults and swallowing problems, often associated with micronutrients, among older adults.” But because of irresponsible, two-decade-old legislation, the answer to the critical question, “How many Americans are killed each year due to ingestion of so-called dietary-nutritional supplements?” cannot be answered. 

The culprit is the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Congress virtually exempted supplements from oversight under DSHEA, which bars federal authorities from requiring evidence that herbal remedies are safe or effective, or even that the dosage information on the label is correct. Since 1994, these products have not been subject to the same regulatory requirements as prescription drugs—or in fact to any meaningful regulation at all. Source.

You can read the details of the DSHEA here.

Imagine you get one of the two in the three bottle of vitamin C that actually contain the 500 mg of vitamin C promised on the bottle. Some vitamin C supplements on the market contain 1,000 mg. An adult only needs 65-90 mg of vitamin C per day. Taking that much extra vitamin C rarely causes adverse reactions, like diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps, rarely. Luckily, vitamin C is water soluble, which means that the excess 910 mg of vitamin C become expensive urine.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case with some other vitamins, like vitamin A, which can build up toxic levels in the body. A 2001 study by the National Cancer Institute found that men who took vitamin E supplements were 17% more likely to develop prostate cancer. Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study found that vitamin A increases a smoker’s chance of developing lung cancer by 18%.

The third most popular supplement in the US is fish oil. Fish and fish oil are recommended by Dr Weil as part of the anti-inflammatory diet. Manufacturers of fish oil supplements even put a nice lady in the grocery store near my house, who gave me free samples. As I’ve told you before, I'm sick and I want to feel better. It is so tempting to believe in the magic pill, especially if that pill seems natural and inexpensive, but I’m glad I didn’t take those fish oil supplements.

As long as it’s not rancid, fish oil isn’t bad for you. Norway is one of the world's largest producers of fish oil. However, one study in Norway found that 95% of non-prescription fish oil on the market is rancid. When fish oil goes rancid, the omega-3 oxidizes creating free radicals. Free radicals actually encourage inflammation and cancer.

A study different than the Norwegian one found between 11%-62% of over-the-counter fish oil pills showed oxidation. Source.

I don’t want to take supplements that cause inflammation, especially not when I’m on an anti-inflammatory diet. I’d rather have a burger and fries, but I won’t.

Fish are a reliable source of fish oil, just like carrots are a reliable source of vitamin A, and oranges provide plenty of vitamin C.

I’m not saying that you should never ever take a supplement. In certain circumstances, you may benefit from taking a supplement. In those circumstances, your doctor will prescribe one to you and you should buy it from a pharmacist from a supplier that has been regulated. Otherwise, who knows what you’ll be ingesting?