 "Photo: Janet Moulis")
The advertisements are seen everywhere: "Natural supplements melt pounds away without diet or exercise," "Astonishing new discovery enhances athletic performance!" They usually claim that a new dietary supplement will make a person thinner, stronger or smarter.
The supplement industry is a $20-billion-industry in the United States; according to the most recent figures from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are 29,000 products with dietary supplements, a dramatic increase from 25,000 in 1993. Companies make and sell an assortment of supplements that contain everything from vitamins, minerals and herbs to fibers and hormones. With such a confusing plethora of choices, consumers often make the wrong choices.
On campus, both the Wellness Center and the Clinical Nutrition department provide information on the value of balanced nutrition as opposed to popping pills to replace a healthy diet.
"I'm glad that the University is trying to get more information out about nutrition - there are so many options, it can all get confusing," said fourth-year Brian Zapata.
Supplements are not a replacement for a nutritional diet, but a complement to it. If a person does not consume a mixture of foods, as recommended in the Food Guide Pyramid and Dietary Guidelines for Americans, some supplements may help ensure that he or she gets the essential nutrients. However, dietary supplements are not intended to treat, prevent or cure diseases. Consumers, therefore, should be wary of any product that claims as much. Dietary supplements also are not always safe; they may have unwanted toxic effects.
"For college students who generally have a diet that may be limited by money, and may lack sufficient variety to provide all the micronutrients in the amount needed, a good generic multi-vitamin/mineral supplement (One-A-Day type) may be a good idea. They are safe, they are inexpensive, and they provide 'insurance' on a daily basis for a somewhat unbalanced diet," said Dr. Robert Reynolds, Ph.D. and associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition. Dr. Reynolds suggests that a good choice in a supplement is usually one that is 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of most of the vitamins and some of the minerals.
"Unless a student has a specific nutrient-related illness, it is questionable whether they should be taking individual nutrient supplements. A good multi would suffice for the vast majority of students" said Reynolds.
Protein supplements are also not a good idea unless the student is engaging in strenuous exercise. The amount of protein in the average diet is already more than enough.
"Excess protein alone can be dangerous as it helps the body to excrete calcium - something that is especially important for females. Thus, a good protein supplement, if consumed, should also be accompanied by a calcium intake that approximates or up to doubles the RDA," said Dr. Reynolds.
Although certain products may be helpful to some people, there may be circumstances when these products can pose unexpected risks to others. Many supplements contain active ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Taking a combination of supplements, using these products together with medication, or substituting them in place of prescribed medicines could lead to harmful, even life-threatening results.
"Avoid brands that are high, especially, in vitamin A or iron. High in this case would be more than the RDA for these nutrients. Excessive intakes of vitamin A and iron can be harmful. Some of the other micronutrients can be harmful at very high doses (vitamin B-6, zinc, copper, selenium), so these should also be avoided," said Dr. Reynolds.
Unlike drugs, but like conventional foods, dietary supplements are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness. It is the responsibility of dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors to ensure that their products are safe and that their label claims are accurate and truthful.
Since dietary supplements are not required to be standardized in the United States, the term "standardization" may mean many different things. For example, research was done in which bottles of supplements were tested to see if the quantity of vitamin C listed on the bottles were in fact correct. The findings showed that the amount of vitamin C varied significantly from product to product; some bottles had significantly lower vitamin C, while others had higher than what the label listed. "The problem is that the FDA doesn't regulate the supplement industry, so no one is checking to insure that what it says on the bottle is actually in there," Kirsten Straughan RD, LD, Nutritional Consultant. Many people looking to lose weight might be tempted to try some of the many herbal weight-loss products. According to Dr. Reynolds, most of these herbal remedies don't work and can have serious side effects. Herbs like chickweed, ginseng, kelp, and bee pollen are often included in diet aids, but do nothing to promote weight loss.
"I do not consider a [herbal supplement] to be a real supplement because we do not have a biochemical requirement for these herbals. And, as we do not normally consume these herbals in our diets, they are not supplements to our diet. Some of these herbals may provide some compounds which may be of some benefit, but their real efficacy is still very?questionable at present," said Dr. Reynolds.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) provides many tips for choosing supplements: Dietary supplements should never be used in place of a prescription medication or therapy. NIH also warns that the term "natural" doesn't always mean the product is safe. For some supplements, "natural" ingredients may interact with medications. The NIH urges consumers to remember that supplement products may be expensive and may not provide the benefits people expect. For example, excessive amounts of water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and B vitamins, are not used by the body and are eliminated in the urine.
For more information on specific nutritional needs, the Department of Clinical Nutrition at UIC Medical Center can be contacted at (312) 413-3631.
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