Living a healthy life can be hard. From working a third of your day and staying overtime to grab that promotion to trying to find time for your family and loved ones, finding that time in the day for yourself is understandably not easy. Especially when that personal time should involve strenuous workouts, perfectly prepared meals and improving a random skill such as a new language - that is, if you ask social media. It’s easy to lose yourself in these societal demands, making it all that more appealing to find a quick fix for some of these. So why not buy that super pill that both boosts and soothes your immune system? Detox yourself from toxins you didn’t know existed? Anti-inflammatory algae that regulates my sleep cycle? Sign me up!
A double-edged sword
The reality of the fact is that the supplement industry is a vast business that, just like any other business, has one and only goal - to make money. Preferably from you. The solution to this problem seems easy then - don’t buy any supplements and you’re all set. But what if you might actually, medically benefit from some of them? How should you know which ones to take? Is more expensive better? Let’s break down these concerns.
- It’s just a helpful hand. Supplements do exactly what their name suggests - they supplement a part of your diet, not replace it. For example, we all know that fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins. That doesn’t mean that supplementing Vitamin C with a daily tablet removes any citrus fruits from your diet entirely. The same thing goes for any other supplement you see on the shelfs at your local pharmacy. None of them can substitute a good diet.
- Excess exists. A rule to keep in mind when taking supplements is that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. You can easily overstep your diet limit intake if you don’t know when and how much to take them for. Additionally, some supplements are safer than others. Excess in Vitamin D, a supplement with a recent bump in popularity, can cause excess calcium in blood. This in turn can cause a variety of problems, from kidney stones and kidney injury, to calcium deposition in the skin and even cognitive function changes. Arguably, something not to play with. The same vitamin was relentlessly tested for its supposed cardiovascular benefits, without any positive conclusion to be drawn. In order not to overstep, many medical institutions such as the National Institute of Health have made tables and calculators of minimal and maximal daily intakes of different nutrients and supplements. It’s worth reading through these before opting to buy a supplement.
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Marketing is king. Most of the time, you’re not even aware of the influence you’re under. From a casual billboard you see on your way to work, to a radio ad you heard in passing while walking home, some of that eventually sticks. Before we go in detail on what products you might actually benefit from, let’s firstly run through a list of marketing gimmicks you should know and recognize:
- Detox - absolutely anything that claims it has detoxifying properties should be the number one thing to avoid. From teas, foods and pills to specific celebrity-endorsed gummies, broths and dietary aids, none of these have any medical and scientific plausibility - and that’s a guarantee. You have a very well-oiled machinery for detoxing, mainly your liver and kidneys. If you are not extremely medically unwell and with a specific diagnosed illness, chances are your body is doing all the detoxing you need as you’re reading this article.
- Anti-inflammatory - a term used for anything and everything today. The theory here is that your body gets inflamed from certain foods and that this reaction needs to be counteracted. However, rest assured that most of the food you eat does not cause any inflammation to your gut or your body, unless you are allergic or have a confirmed food intolerance. Just familiarize yourself with healthy ways of eating, and let your body do the rest.
- Natural or organic - not everything that is natural is automatically good, nor are synthetic products innately bad. Many medications that are life-saving are lab-produced and what you’d call synthetic, but they’re thoroughly tested and they work. Same goes for supplements - if it doesn’t have a “Natural” sticker on it doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. On the contrary, many products marketed as “natural” or “clean” are usually in no way different to your run of the mill supplements, besides the price point.
- Booster shots - from boosting immunity to enhancing cognitive function, many supplements have been put into this category over the years. Most commonly seen on different ads and in pharmacies is the “Ginger Shot” or any variation of such. Unfortunately, studies have shown that ginger supplementation doesn’t improve quality of life or health as much as your local store might suggest. Another one of the miracle pills is the “Vitamin B complex” or often just B12 with its supposed role in brain health. The truth is, if you’re not highly deficient - something seen in dedicated decade-long veganism - chances are substituting B12 won’t do much for you. A recent study dived deep into this question, finding no benefit of B12 supplementation for cognition nor fatigue.
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Probiotic and prebiotics - the newest buzzwords on the market, both have been dubbed as essentials for gut health and microbiome balance maintenance. However, no actual research supports this, nor does your microbiome need balancing to begin with. Probiotics are essentially capsules filled with a variety of microorganisms, usually bacteria, that are supposed to enhance and balance the ones you already have in your gut. However, what we know now is that what your gut bacteria love most is a diverse diet, especially a fiber-rich one. Prebiotics are actually just a fancy word for fiber, a dietary essential mostly found in fruits and vegetables. Supplementing it is a smart choice, however there’s better options out there that try not to sell you the idea of enhanced health through fancy marketing. Buying a generic fiber supplement, such as Psyllium husk for example, does more than enough for your health.
Science backed: Supplements worth taking
While many supplements fail to live up to their marketing promises, some have been rigorously studied and proven to offer real health benefits. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most reliable options and the science behind their benefits.
- Protein - many believe that hitting a certain goal of daily protein intake is something that concerns only bodybuilders or frequent gym goers. However, this may not be true. Naturally, increasing your intake of protein will help build or maintain muscle mass. But more than that, protein supplementation has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers which are tightly connected to cardiovascular health, thus improving general mortality.
- Fiber - as mentioned, fiber is worth your time. From enhancing your cardiovascular health to regulating your gut function, and in turn general health and cancer prevention, fiber does a lot of good for your body.
- Vitamin D - although deemed by society a miracle vitamin, most of the claims, from forementioned cognitive boosts to prevention and treatment of depression, are unfortunately false. However, what we do know is that supplementing vitamin D at a certain age can and does prevent bone loss in a very serious condition called osteoporosis.
- Vitamin C - though many extravagant effects and health benefits have been linked to vitamin C, some might actually be worth your time. It’s been shown that vitamin C supplementation is beneficial for cardiovascular health (especially if you are already struggling with high blood pressure or diabetes), better survival in hospitalized patients and possibly even wound healing. Whether that daily tablet of vitamin C will reduce your chances of getting the flu or kicking that cough a bit earlier is still up for debate. However, supplementing vitamin C seems to be a good idea overall, as long as you keep to that daily allowed dose.
Takeaway: Make Smart Choices
Navigating the world of supplements can be overwhelming, with bold claims and flashy marketing often clouding the truth. Prioritize whole foods, maintain variety, and focus on proven essentials when considering supplements. Be wary of products that promise miracle cures and always research any supplement before adding it to your routine. Consulting a healthcare professional is key to ensuring you make choices that truly benefit your health.
