What it is:
Dietary supplements can take many forms, such as pills, powders, liquids, or gummies, which contain various ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, or enzymes. In the past decade, the use of dietary supplements has increased from 48-56%. Among the most popular are multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, and probiotics.
The FDA regulates supplements as food, not as a drug. Certain protections are in place that assure the consumer a product is up to a certain standard but does not guarantee effectiveness. The procedure of GMP (good manufacturing processes) helps reduce mislabeling or contamination but doesn't fulfill all consumer needs.
The claims of dietary supplements are widespread depending on your choice, but generally, they are used to promote various aspects of vitality and address any nutrient deficiencies. While they contribute to nutrient support, they can also lead to excessive dosing and don't guarantee the same absorbency rate/amounts by the body as whole foods. This can lead to either overdosing or underdosing of much-needed nutrients.
What the science says:
Most of your nutrients should come from whole foods, but a supplement may help top up any areas you're deficient in or finding difficulty maintaining. However, there is little evidence that supplements can improve overall health outcomes, but supplements may address deficiencies and improve health in certain circumstances. Over-the-counter supplements often do not meet or contain an excess of certain nutrients. Just as deficiencies can cause issues, too much of a given nutrient can also adversely affect health.
Supplements are not benign. Some can even interfere with medications. For example, St. John's Wort can reduce the effectiveness of drugs such as antidepressants and heart medications.
The benefits from a varied healthful diet of whole foods are based on the plethora of phytonutrients that work together, not just the individual vitamins and minerals. This is shown by the inability of research studies to repeatedly produce the same benefits offered by a varied whole food diet.
Our take
When used correctly, supplements are a great temporary tool to support health. But you should strive to correct the issue you're addressing at its foundation. Supplements are, as the word suggests, "to supplement" your lifestyle while you build the most flexible and resilient version of your health. Reliance on a strict regiment is not what most people strive for when it comes to an optimal lifestyle. Work with your Apeiron team to correct the foundational pillars of nutrition, sleep, and exercise to address the crux of why you're utilizing supplements.
Still curious to try?
Please speak to your Client Advocate about our Apeiron Life Supplementation program and your Dietitian regarding your concerns or questions about specific supplements.
Begin gradually with small quantities and work up slowly to the recommended dosage. Monitor any changes in your body closely, including but not limited to:
Gut, stool, and urine
Blood work, heart rate, and sleeping patterns.
Emotional changes: Irritability, negativity, or depressive states.
Physical changes: Fatigue, faintness, or brain fog.
References:
Comments