date: 8/22/2007
Safe supplements
There are many nutritional supplements on the market, but not much information is available about them. ConsumerReportsHealth.org provides criteria to consider when choosing a natural supplement to add to your diet or to help ease a medical condition.
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With Philip J. Gregory, Pharm.D., editor of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.
How do you know if a supplement really works?
If someone is claiming that he has uncovered a secret that no one else in the world knows but him, that’s a clue he’s probably trying to promote junk. There are no such secrets. A lot of products also claim to be “clinically tested.” In reality, that can mean that someone took the product and told the company, “It worked for me.” Skip any product that doesn’t have actual, published, peer-reviewed clinical trials to support its claims. A lot of quacky products end up targeting conditions that people have a hard time with and where the medical options aren’t great--irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, migraines, weight loss. By the way, there is no such thing as a truly safe, effective weight-loss supplement, including hoodia. And if anybody makes a claim that a supplement is “nontoxic” and better than a drug, that’s based purely on opinion. There are few trials out there that compare a natural product to a prescription drug.
But won’t certain supplements keep me healthy?
People take supplements with good intentions--they want to be actively involved in their health, and taking a pill is a lot easier than eating a healthy diet or getting a lot of exercise. The law allows manufacturers to say their product “supports heart health” or “supports prostate health,” which is so general people interpret it to mean that it can prevent a specific disease. But in most cases we have almost no data on how well supplements prevent disease. The studies are hard and expensive to do.
Are there any supplements you actually recommend?
Yes, a psyllium or fiber supplement. High fiber in the diet can reduce cholesterol absorption, and if you can’t or won’t get it from food, a supplement is also acceptable. Fish oil is worthwhile for people with high triglycerides or heart disease, or who don’t like fish. Saw palmetto can reduce prostate symptoms. Calcium and vitamin D are helpful for preventing osteoporosis. I still think multivitamins are appropriate for people who don’t like veggies. I’m one of those. It’s the only supplement I take.
If someone is claiming that he has uncovered a secret that no one else in the world knows but him, that’s a clue he’s probably trying to promote junk. There are no such secrets. A lot of products also claim to be “clinically tested.” In reality, that can mean that someone took the product and told the company, “It worked for me.” Skip any product that doesn’t have actual, published, peer-reviewed clinical trials to support its claims. A lot of quacky products end up targeting conditions that people have a hard time with and where the medical options aren’t great--irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, migraines, weight loss. By the way, there is no such thing as a truly safe, effective weight-loss supplement, including hoodia. And if anybody makes a claim that a supplement is “nontoxic” and better than a drug, that’s based purely on opinion. There are few trials out there that compare a natural product to a prescription drug.
But won’t certain supplements keep me healthy?
People take supplements with good intentions--they want to be actively involved in their health, and taking a pill is a lot easier than eating a healthy diet or getting a lot of exercise. The law allows manufacturers to say their product “supports heart health” or “supports prostate health,” which is so general people interpret it to mean that it can prevent a specific disease. But in most cases we have almost no data on how well supplements prevent disease. The studies are hard and expensive to do.
Are there any supplements you actually recommend?
Yes, a psyllium or fiber supplement. High fiber in the diet can reduce cholesterol absorption, and if you can’t or won’t get it from food, a supplement is also acceptable. Fish oil is worthwhile for people with high triglycerides or heart disease, or who don’t like fish. Saw palmetto can reduce prostate symptoms. Calcium and vitamin D are helpful for preventing osteoporosis. I still think multivitamins are appropriate for people who don’t like veggies. I’m one of those. It’s the only supplement I take.
This article first appeared in the August 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
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