Issue No. 51 June 2014

Dietary Supplements:
The Good,
The Bad
& The Uncertain
By Marcus O’Neill
People like quick fixes. It’s in our nature as human beings.
Whether your motivation is weight loss, improved fitness,
increased longevity or simply better health, someone out
there has a solution for you that takes WAY less time and
effort than the traditionally held view.
When it comes to nutrition, these “quick fixes” often come
in the form of supplements. Knowing this, it probably won’t
come as a surprise that most supplements are completely
bogus. However, it’s also true that some supplements can
be beneficial - at least in certain situations. So how do you
distinguish the good from the bad?
To simplify the issue, I’ve broken down the following
popular supplements into three categories; The Good, The
Bad and The Uncertain.
The Good
Supplements that have a solid body of research behind
them to indicate their use in certain situations.
Vitamin or mineral supplements – Vitamins and minerals
can make a lot of sense if you’ve been diagnosed with a
deficiency or are at risk for developing a deficiency. A few
such examples are calcium for post-menopausal women,
folic acid during pregnancy or multi-vitamins for children
with low fruit and vegetable intakes.
Probiotics – These “good” bacteria are a great option to
help to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms associated with
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and also appear to improve
immunity.
Omega-3’s – Most people don’t eat enough fish, and thus
have a difficult time getting the required omega-3 fatty
acids in their diet. In this situation omega-3 supplements,
like fish oil or flax seed oil, can help to reduce your risk of
developing heart disease.
The Bad
Supplements that make wild, “too-good-to-be-true” claims
with essentially zero scientific research to back them up.
Don’t waste your money.
Raspberry Ketones – Despite getting a lot of press in recent
years (and even celebrity endorsements!) there hasn’t been
a single study done in humans that demonstrates raspberry
ketones will help you to lose weight.
Cinnamon (or other natural supplements that claim to
improve your blood sugar) – These can be downright
dangerous, as there is no evidence that they have any
positive impact on your blood sugar levels. People with
diabetes who choose to forego their medications in
favour of these supplements can suffer serious health
complications.
The Uncertain
Supplements that have not yet been proven to be
beneficial in humans. They may have shown promise in
animal studies or in the lab, but in the real world the results
are mixed at best. Also probably not worth your time.
Glutamine – This amino acid is a supplement that has been
around for a while and is claimed to help improve everything
from immunity to protein metabolism to cravings for sugar.
Unfortunately the evidence for such claims is often greatly
exaggerated. For every study showing promise, there are
several others showing it has no meaningful effect.
Carnitine – This supplement has some legitimate medical
uses - in kidney disease for example - however, as a
nutritional supplement it is most often marketed as a “fat
burner” that will help to improve your exercise performance
and perhaps help you to lose weight. Sadly, the evidence
for these claims just doesn’t exist.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) – Despite being marketed
as a powerful weight loss supplement, studies show that
while supplementing with CLA may result in weight loss
in some people, the effect is so small that it’s clinically
irrelevant.
Generally speaking, if you’re a healthy individual who eats
a balanced diet, including plenty of fruits and vegetables,
there’s probably little need for you to be taking supplements.
However, if you do choose to take them, keep in mind that
some supplements can interact with other medications or
even be toxic at high levels, so it’s a good idea to consult
with your healthcare professional before adding them to
your daily regimen.
Marcus O’Neill is a Registered Dietitian from
Canada, currently residing in Maadi. He can
be reached by email at marcusoneill79@
yahoo.com, or you can follow him via
Twitter (@marcusoneillrd), or his website
(www.dietitianabroad.com).
CAIROWESTMAG.COM