Investigating Supplements
Let’s turn to what the author I wrote about on Tuesday said and examine it in detail. She interviewed a variety of experts; I checked them out and they were most definitely legit, especially those who worked in the research arms of the NIH. She asked them a simple question that went something like “Which supplements have well-established benefits?” The scientist who works in the complementary and natural approaches research arm said the list was short: ginger for digestive issues, peppermint for the same, melatonin for sleep, and fish oil for cardiovascular disease all have established benefits. The clinical trials that weren’t as beneficial were for turmeric, St. John’s wort, ginkgo biloba, and echinacea. (That doesn’t mean they won’t work for you; we’re all different.)
Then she talked with an expert in vitamins and minerals who recommended folic acid for neural tube defects, vitamin B12 for vegans and the elderly, the combination of nutrients that seems to help with an eye condition and finally, that multivitamins have some benefit.
She then asked the same question of a senior representative of a dietary supplement industry group. The person replied with much the same list of supplements and benefits.
In effect, the government agencies and the industry group agreed about benefits from some supplements. The next logical question in the writer’s mind was “What about all those supplements that neither group addressed? What about those supplements that fill the shelves of pharmacies, health food stores, and on the Internet? The type that say ‘good for energy,’ ‘may help your immune system,’ and so on.”
The author suggested that a curious person should just bop on over to the FDA website to see how easy it is for companies to get these statements on the product labels. So I did. I’ll let you know what I found out and finish this on Saturday.
What are you prepared to do today?
