Hidden Dangers of Dietary Supplements

Unfortunately, many athletes believe they need dietary supplements through unreliable means. The usual persuasive culprits are advertising, anecdotal evidence from a training partner, and bloggers. At one time the notion was that a dietary supplement could only help and not hurt. We now know clinically this is not the case, and many studies are showing the potential dangers of many types of dietary supplements. In addition, these extra nutrients will not improve body function if the body’s need for these nutrients does not exist. In other words, taking more B vitamins won’t help you if your levels of these nutrients are already normal.

If you take supplements because you feel it offers some safeguard against deficiencies, that could be a problem too. First, it may mean that you’re not focusing on eating the best diet possible; dietary supplements usually won’t provide all the nutrients you can obtain from a healthy diet. Second, you risk causing other imbalances. For example, taking too much omega-6 oil can cause an imbalance of fats.

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The fact that a dietary supplement contains nutrients does not mean it’s natural, or even safe. The vitamins in most dietary supplements are synthetic. Most are made from artificial chemicals in some manufacturing plant and not obtained from a nutritious, natural plant grown on a farm or in nature.

Most dietary supplements on the market do not provide vitamins and other nutrients as they naturally occur in real food. Although these supplements may be labeled “natural,” their vitamins are usually synthetic and often provide doses much higher than foods in nature. Other supplements contain natural nutrients but are separated from the foods where they originated, leaving behind many important associated phytonutrients. I call these supplements HSAIDS, which stands for “High-Dose Synthetic and Isolated Dietary Supplements.” When consumed, HSAIDS act more like drugs in the body than like real food.

HSAIDS are not necessarily bad, although some can be deadly, but they’re not what most people think they are—equivalent to the same nutrient counterpart in food. The most important nutrients are those contained in foods, and if you supplement, products made from food are the best and safest choice.

In some instances, such as with the careful direction of a health-care practitioner trained in nutrition, HSAIDS may be useful. In the case of anemia, they may be beneficial for a relatively short period of time to correct a specific condition. Others may have long-term needs or require a high dose of a particular nutrient, such as an active form of folic acid, to address a common genetic problem.

The primary difference between HSAIDS and products made from real food, which contain truly natural nutrients in food doses, is how the body responds to them when consumed.