Supplements: Giving Us What We Need?

The nutritional supplement market is truly big. An estimated $104 billion big in 2013 and growing!

So it’s a big business. So what?

When dollar amounts are at this level, the motivations of the businesses involved may or may not have your, the consuming public’s, best interests in mind when selling product to you. Not to begrudge a business from making a profit but consumer awareness and informed decision-making are necessary to protect the health and financial resources of the public.

With these motivations of the supplement business in mind, do you still need to take supplements? The answer is a resounding sometimes yes, sometimes no. Let’s look at some of these situations.

First off, nutritional supplements, like their highly regulated cousins, prescription medications, were developed for specific time-limited uses. That is to say, if you needed the support that a supplement or medication could provide, you consumed the product until the situation was resolved. In neither of these camps were their products designed or tested to be consumed over a lifetime.

So, while not a magic bullet, supplementation works well in supporting natural healing systems to do their thing, if there is a diagnosed need. The modern western diet is fraught with missing nutrition from all of the processing that much of our food undergoes. Supplementation can help fill in some of the gaps but the best solution is to consume whole foods that naturally contain the nutrition you need.

Deficiencies in nutrition can arise for a number of reasons. Besides a lack of adequately nutritious foodstuffs, elderly people sometimes lose the sense of taste, so they may eat less and become nutritionally deprived. There are also certain physical conditions that can prevent our bodies from absorbing certain nutrients. In such cases, it is sensible to supplement what is lacking in one’s diet.

But for the majority of us, eating a balanced diet provides a sufficient amount of nutrition such that supplementation is not needed.

An exception to this rule is athletes. They put additional strains on their bodies such that supplementation may be advisable. It all depends on the situation.

For athletes or anyone considering nutritional supports, consult a knowledgeable healthcare professional who can diagnose and advise on nutritional supplementation. Nutritional supplementation carries risks that need to be considered. Yes, you can overdose on vitamins to a point that produces life threatening results.

So be educated about supplements and ask questions of your healthcare professional, as well as the makers of the latest supplement that is being hawked. What is in their product and why? If all you hear is hype, then you know why and make your informed decision accordingly. Sometimes the best investment you make in a supplement is the one where you put your money back into your own pocket.

Skepticism, like chastity, should not be relinquished too readily.
    -George Santayana