Today I want to talk about nutritional supplements and the industry itself ? do we really need all the supplements that are marketed to us on a daily basis?
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We are constantly bombarded by companies? marketing exploits, aimed at selling us the new ?must take? supplement for optimal health- a new true wonder supplement!? But is it really our health that these companies are concerned about? And do the supplements even do what they are supposed to? This is what I wish to talk about in this article, and hopefully you may walk away with a better understanding of supplements and the industry itself.
Nutritonal Supplementation
Nutritional supplementation is a massive worldwide industry, particularly in certain countries:
?In 2010 the USA, Western Europe and Japan where largest markets worldwide for nutritional supplementation products. The supplements can be categorised into various segments such as, vitamins, herbal supplements, sports nutrition, minerals, meal replacement [crazy if you ask me] and specialised supplements. Vitamin supplement sales were the highest for 2010.? [1]
The fact that vitamin supplements sales were highest is interesting, and something I wish to talk about shortly.?But basically, supplements are everywhere?.and that?s great right? We can all be super healthy by just taking that pill each day or by drinking that special shake??.If only it were that simple!
Below are two factors I think everyone should consider when deciding whether or not to take a supplement, or when choosing between supplements:
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1. Supplement manufacturers don?t have to prove their supplements work!
Let?s take a look at the guidelines supplement manufacturers are ?supposed? to follow when preparing their products ? the following are guidelines laid out by the FDA:
??Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the dietary supplement or dietary ingredient manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that a dietary supplement or ingredient is safe before it is marketed. FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement product after it reaches the market. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register their products with FDA nor get FDA approval before producing or selling dietary supplements.* Manufacturers must make sure that product label information is truthful and not misleading. Under the FDA Final Rule 21 CFR 111, all domestic and foreign companies that manufacture, package, label or hold dietary supplements, including those involved with testing, quality control, and dietary supplement distribution in the U.S., must comply with the Dietary Supplement Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPS) for quality control. In addition, the manufacturer, packer, or distributor whose name appears on the label of a dietary supplement marketed in the United States is required to submit to FDA all serious adverse event reports associated with use of the dietary supplement in the United States.? [2]
So here we can clearly see how relaxed the rules are for nutritional supplement manufactures and sellers ? they don?t even have to prove they work!
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2. The delivery method (tablet, gel capsule etc.) can affect whether the supplement is absorbed by the body
I won?t go into too much detail here because I just want to raise awareness of this issue, but another issue that most people are probably unaware of is that some ?fillers? (e.g. magnesium stearate, tricalcium phosphates etc.) used to create the supplement, may actually prevent the key ingredient (e.g. the vitamin you?re trying to take) from actually working / being absorbed!?[For more information about this issue, check out the website www.earthclinic.com, 3]
As a general rule of thumb, vitamins are best absorbed when they?re delivered in a gel capsule or other liquid form, rather than in a (chalky) tablet. However, different supplements will react differently with different compounds, and are absorbed differently by the body, so it?s important to always do your homework before buying a supplement to find out what delivery method is best.
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So, from the above we can understand how some supplements may be useless when trying to supplement our health or a deficiency. But why would companies produce a supplement that doesn?t work or can?t be absorbed?
Well, maybe they?re simply ?stupid? and don?t realize that how they produce the supplement affects its absorption.
Or maybe (and more realistically), it all boils down to that familiar ?root of all evil??MONEY.
If we presume supplement companies have qualified people formulating their products (and most big companies do), we can agree they probably know what they are doing, and what works and what doesn?t. So why are we being sold supplements that do not work or only work slightly?? Well, without sounding too much like a conspiracy theorist, it?s simple ? if they provide a supplement that outright works and is fully ?bioavailable? (i.e. can be fully absorbed by the body), the customer won?t need to use the supplement for that long, and may not even need to finish the first bottle. It?s therefore in the manufacturers? interest to make products that have to be bought multiple times ? i.e. ones that basically just don?t work very well!
Perhaps the worst thing is, even if the product simply does not work, their marketing department will take care of that problem.?You would be surprised how many people will swear by a new product they haven?t even used, just because the TV told them it was going to fix all their problems. I feel sorry for these people, simply because they go out and invest their hard earned money into these products thinking that they are going to help them get stronger or correct a nutritional deficiency. Some people even go as far as using a supplement in place of the natural source from food (I?m sure you?ve encountered people who think that taking a multivitamin means they don?t have to eat their vegetables!), and these people end up with new deficiencies, and new problems, then wonder what the hell is going on!
Unfortunately for most, experienced, professional advice on supplements is hard to come by. But I truly feel that we need to be better educated about our nutritional supplements (if we are going to use them) as they may end up causing us additional health problems.
There is so much I could talk about regarding supplementation, and so many different types and forms of supplementation to cover ? and therefore it?s impossible for me to cover it all in one measly article. My aim today, however, was simply to raise awareness, and hopefully spark a greater interest and concern over what we are putting into our bodies regarding nutritional supplementation.
Basically, if you do decide that you want tor need to take a supplement, do some research, get professional guidance, read your labels and think twice before you fall for the constant marketing campaigns thrown out there by these companies. After all they are businesses, and even though they are categorised in the ?health? supplement industry, it?s not always in your health?s best interest to just take their word for it!
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Eat smart, train smart, live smart, and in this case supplement smart!
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Benjamin W Angel
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References?
(1)?? www.researchandmarkets.com
(2)?? www.fda.gov/food/dietrysupplements
(3)?? Parhatsadhid Napatalung??? http://earthclinic.com/supplements.html, general feedback regarding supplementation.
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Related posts:
Source: http://www.fitnessnewspaper.com/2012/11/05/think-supplement-by-ben-angel/
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