Are Dietary Supplements Bad?

The safety and activity of dietary supplements are an important problem that has yet to be fully studied. Sadly, at the crux of the problem, lies in faulty federal regulations, poor and sometimes incomplete studies, as well as biases on both sides of the argument; those that see supplements as a natural and thus alternative and better option for treatment of health over more "orthodox" western medicine, as well as proponents of western medicine, that see dietary supplements as nothing but worthless artifact of historical "witch doctor" medicine practices.

Personally, I am a proponent of western medicine and of alternative medicine. I feel anyone who shuts their eyes to another form of treatment is sadly providing themselves with a serious disservice particularly in regards to their health. Western medicine is far from perfect, however, there are important federal and state regulations that are imposed to increase patient safety. Unfortunately, these safeguards have failed countless times, yet they are constantly evolving to increase safety. The huge issue with dietary supplements is that there are no proper regulations. There are no regulations necessary for dosing or for safety. In fact, it is very possible that two companies that are selling similar supplements (vitamin C for example) may in fact have two very different ingredients and two very different activities, even if the package says the products are the same. Dietary supplements do not need to be proven safe; they need to be proven unsafe. This unfortunately sets a bad precedent that money is more important than the health of the people. But what really is new? Big drug companies are about the bottom line too, and have often shown to cut corners, putting peoples health in jeopardy to make some cash. However, it often seems that it is easier to pull an FDA regulated drug that might be dangerous to the public than a dietary supplement.

A person's life ultimately is in their own hands and they should be able to take anything they want (within reason), however, they should also be allowed to make an informed decision. This unfortunately is not always easy, especially in the present environment surrounding dietary supplement research. The actual effects of supplements are rarely known, possible side effects as well as benefits are not well elucidated, and effective doses are not properly regulated.

Furthermore, just because a dietary supplement is natural, does not mean it is safe. Everyone is an individual and what works for one person may not work for another. Natural products can have a wide range of activity and could possibly lead to good or bad effects. Now this isn't necessarily any different than that of a pharmaceutical drug, however, it is rare, I feel, to find someone (in general) taking FDA regulated prescription drugs as readily as they might take a supplement.

So, if you are in the mood to try to a new supplement, make sure you do your research (but make sure this is not your local bookstore, rarely are these books a good source for truth. They are often written for entertainment). Research the supplement on the Internet, making sure to focus the search toward proper accepted doses and possible toxicities. It is a good idea to check out possible interactions that supplement might have.

Supplements can possibly interact with other herbal products, food, as well as prescription and over-the-counter medication which may lead to undesired side effects. Also if you are presently taking prescription drugs, consult your doctor and especially your pharmacist. Also do your own research on possible side effect and interactions that the supplement might have. Finally, if you are taking a supplement and it begins to make you feel a little weird, stop taking it immediately and consult your doctor and pharmacist. Remember, natural does not mean healthy. Cyanide is natural and we certainly don't want to take that.

For some good websites on supplements check these sites out:

www.fda.gov (Federal Drug Administration)

ods.od.nih.gov (National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements)

www.pubmed.com (scientific abstracts and papers through National Library of Medicine and National Insititute of Health)