Over half of the U.S. population reports regularly using dietary supplements (such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids) with a significant portion claiming to purchase their supplements from the grocery store [1,2]. The primary reasons given for their use of supplements are for “overall health and wellness benefits” or to “fill in nutrient gaps in their diet.” However, most of these assumptions are not supported by science [1].
Although it is true that there are specific cases where supplements have been shown to be useful in treating deficiencies or helping people recover from certain procedures, these examples represent a small percentage of the general population [3].
But when it comes to wellness benefits (like trying to improve memory or boosting the immune system), or filling in nutrient gaps (taking vitamins to supplement not eating enough fruits and vegetables), there is little to no evidence that supplements are effective [4,5,6]. Even worse, these beliefs, as well as the nature of the supplement industry, lead to a variety of dangers.
5 Dangers of Supplement Use that we Rarely Consider:
1. Taking supplements may produce a false impression of treatment, leading people to forgo options that more reliably and effectively benefit their health. For example, relying on vitamin C to cure the common cold may detract from people using much more effective measures for getting better.
2. Too much of a supplement can actually be bad for you. For example, long-term use of vitamin E may lead to an increased risk of heart failure [7].
3. Certain combinations of supplements with prescription or over-the-counter drugs may produce adverse effects that can be potentially life-threatening. For example, ginko biloba and aspirin are both blood thinners. If taken together, they may increase the potential for internal bleeding [8].
4. Supplements may produce unwanted effects during surgery. A variety of supplement/drug combinations may produce changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and increased bleeding during surgical operations, adversely affecting the surgery’s outcomes [8].
5. Even if you are using supplements correctly with the guidance of a licensed physician, we do not always know what is in the supplement. From 2004 to 2012, the FDA recalled 237 supplements because they contained unlisted drugs. The FDA later followed up with these supplements to find that 66.7% still contained the unlisted drugs [9]. Another study showed that 59% of herbal supplements contained ingredients not listed on the label, and only 48% contained the plant product they claimed to use [10].
All of these dangers point to a more nefarious implication; that the unrestrained promotion of unregulated supplements and their “scientific claims” in the grocery store further obfuscates the boundaries between real science and pseudoscience. Knowing this difference in the grocery store can have a huge impact on whether one buys the apple or the supplement. So if the decision comes to what will benefit your health the most, choose the apple [11].
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