the power of supplements
Supplements: Do you really have to be skeptical?
Supplements: Do you really have to be skeptical?
Supplements: Do you really have to be skeptical?
For most people, the answer to the question above is definitely yes. The market today is full of all manner of supplements some of which come with claims that ordinary consumers have no way of verifying. This alone makes many people skeptical – and for good reasons too. Given that its people’s health and well being we are talking about here, surely a good dose of suspicion is really important.
Is the skepticism driven by fear or factual knowledge?
Knowledge of what is really good as a supplement is confined to a few professional nutritionists and is certainly beyond the knowledge of the majority. For this reason, the opinion of these experts is what should really help you evaluate the efficacy of a supplement. Unless your decision is informed by the opinion of a professional, you will be acting out of fear and this is certainly not healthy. For this reason, before taking or dismissing a supplement, you should obtain the opinion of a nutritionist.
The regulating powers of the FDA
For the die-hard skeptics, perhaps the regulating powers of the Food and Drug Administration should offer reason for security. FDA regulation should give you confidence that you are not alone and that some control is being exercised over manufacturers and suppliers of supplements.
As part of its regulation activity, the FDA ensures that supplements - which are regulated as food, meet safety standards and that they do not carry labels with misleading or untruthful information (Farley 2004).
In addition to its watchdog role, the FDA has suggestions on actions to take when consuming supplements. The FDA therefore recommends that you provide truthful information on all supplements you are taking to a health-care provider. Moreover, supplement use should be undertaken with care especially for children, the aged and pregnant women (Farley 2004). In all cases, supervision by a health-care expert is recommended.
Further reading
Farley, D. (2004). Dietary supplements: Making sure hype doesn’t overwhelm science. FDA Consumer 27 (9), 8+
For most people, the answer to the question above is definitely yes. The market today is full of all manner of supplements some of which come with claims that ordinary consumers have no way of verifying. This alone makes many people skeptical – and for good reasons too. Given that its people’s health and well being we are talking about here, surely a good dose of suspicion is really important.
Is the skepticism driven by fear or factual knowledge?
Knowledge of what is really good as a supplement is confined to a few professional nutritionists and is certainly beyond the knowledge of the majority. For this reason, the opinion of these experts is what should really help you evaluate the efficacy of a supplement. Unless your decision is informed by the opinion of a professional, you will be acting out of fear and this is certainly not healthy. For this reason, before taking or dismissing a supplement, you should obtain the opinion of a nutritionist.
The regulating powers of the FDA
For the die-hard skeptics, perhaps the regulating powers of the Food and Drug Administration should offer reason for security. FDA regulation should give you confidence that you are not alone and that some control is being exercised over manufacturers and suppliers of supplements.
As part of its regulation activity, the FDA ensures that supplements - which are regulated as food, meet safety standards and that they do not carry labels with misleading or untruthful information (Farley 2004).
In addition to its watchdog role, the FDA has suggestions on actions to take when consuming supplements. The FDA therefore recommends that you provide truthful information on all supplements you are taking to a health-care provider. Moreover, supplement use should be undertaken with care especially for children, the aged and pregnant women (Farley 2004). In all cases, supervision by a health-care expert is recommended.
Further reading
Farley, D. (2004). Dietary supplements: Making sure hype doesn’t overwhelm science. FDA Consumer 27 (9), 8+
