Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
As the north winds start to blow and the weather becomes more frigid, I see more people taking supplements to ward off the colds they want to avoid. This is a subject I have written on before and it is indeed important.
Supplements are described as a manufactured product intended to aid a person with their diet. It is intended to affect some aspect of a person’s health. However, many people take supplements just because they see others taking them. They may not totally understand how that supplement will affect their health. With that in mind, one should ask “what is the goal of taking a particular supplement? How do you expect it to help with your health?
The second question one should ask is whether there is scientific evidence that proves that a particular supplement works; not just antidotal evidence that it helped a friend of yours.
Scientific evidence should come from respected sources that have their data reviewed by other qualified experts. With such evidence, there is no financial gain for you taking the supplement and there is data that supports whether or not a supplement has beneficial effects.
Another question to ask is how to determine whether a supplement is truly effective in improving one’s health. Can one actually measure the level of effectiveness of the supplement? For example, vitamin B12 /folate can be measured in the body via a blood test. How do you know it is working? Well, many patients can tell when symptoms of low energy and fatigue disappear within a few days to weeks of starting the supplement.
A big question that way too many people do not look at is the downside to supplements. It is important to research any possible side effects. What is the potential harm supplements may cause? Remember, you are taking it for a particular reason. There should also be more structure and intentionality to your supplementation.
Another big problem is often the quality of the supplement. One should be a good consumer and look up whether the supplement being consumed is manufactured by a reputable company and evaluated for safety.
Supplements are not FDA approved. So, a certifying body needs to be involved in the manufacturing and evaluation process. Also note that one should look at single ingredient products and not proprietary blends which do not tell you the supplements’ ingredients. These types of compounds are harder to certify. Reputable sources for such verification include being USP verified and NSF certified. Both U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and NSF International provide independent, third-party testing and certification to ensure dietary supplements match their labels and are free of dangerous contaminants. Such certifications should appear on the product packaging.
It is also important to share exactly what supplements you are taking with your healthcare provider. Simply bring your supplements to your next appointment and ask if this supplement is okay for you to take. Your healthcare provider will make the assessment by looking at your health issues and the medications you are already taking. There should be no hide and seek with supplements. Get them out in the open so a full accountability and no surprises can occur.
Dr. Veita Bland is a board-certified Greensboro physician and hypertension specialist. Dr. Bland’s radio show, “It’s a Matter of Your Health,” can be heard live on Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. on N.C. A&T State University’s WNAA, 90.1 FM. Listeners may call in and ask questions. The showon Sirius 142 at 5 p.m. on Wed. Email Dr. Bland at ideas@blandclinicpa.com.
