5 minute read
A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW
HEALTH
A Hard Pill to Swallow:
By Jenna Stedman, MS, RD, LD Tactical Dietitian for O2X Human Performance Do we need Supplements?ONE SIMPLE FACT:
WE CAN GET ALL OF THE NUTRITION THAT WE REQUIRE FROM THE FOOD WE EAT.
Eating mostly whole foods most of the time is a good idea when it comes to getting all the nutrients we need in our daily diet. Simply put: we should aim to make the best nutrition choices that we can and include a variety of foods from each food group.
A balanced meal includes three food groups: protein, carbohydrates and fats. When building your plate to feature those food groups, keep in mind that choosing leaner protein options, such as turkey, fish, soy, chicken or beans more often than fattier protein choices is your best bet. Choosing whole grains, such as whole wheat bread or pasta, brown rice, quinoa or oats provides more nutrients than refined grains. Produce is an easy one to incorporate, because all fruits and vegetables support good health and provide a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
Aiming for more of these whole foods will provide more nutrients than ultra-processed foods. But there are certainly plenty of processed foods that can be part of a healthful nutrition pattern, such as breads, canned foods, frozen foods, juices, condiments or corn chips, to name just a few.
The most important thing to remember is that there is no diet that is perfect for all human beings to follow, but there are patterns of eating that are more helpful than others.
WE DO NOT REQUIRE ANY SUPPLEMENTATION
It is always more satisfying to eat a delicious meal than it is to take a pill, and there is no supplement that will ever truly replace food. That’s a big reason why almost all dietitians across varying specialties take a food-first approach in their nutrition recommendations. For all my supplement junkies out there, this is (groan alert) a hard pill to swallow. If we’re eating well, we don’t
need any supplements in order to train and perform well.
But, if you do want to look at using supplements to meet your nutritional needs, there are key issues to consider. It is important to understand that the dietary supplement industry in the United States is not yet regulated by the FDA and USDA in the same way as food is. This means that when you go into the grocery store, you can trust that everything listed on the nutrition label on a can of soup is, in fact, in the soup, and there is nothing missing and nothing extra. On the other hand, when you walk into a supplement store you cannot necessarily trust that what is listed on the supplement facts label is actually in that product, in the accurate amount, and that there is nothing extra (or illegal) included. The FDA steps in to check supplements once they are on the shelves, but this is a big task. The US supplement industry is a quickly expanding, multibillion dollar a year industry, so there are many factors other than ingredients that are driving it. Consumers need to be wary. There is a silver lining to the possible inconsistency in supplement ingredients: third party testing, which means that an independent lab has checked the label and the product to be sure that they match. You can tell if a product has been third party tested if it includes one of the logos featured below. The USP logo can be found on multivitamins as well as individual vitamins and minerals. Informed Choice or NSF Certified for Sport logos are more likely to be found on sport performance supplements, such as protein powders and pre-workout products that have been third party tested.
SOME DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS CAN BE HELPFUL. SOME ARE LESS SO...
Supplements are intended to correct a deficiency, provide convenience, or improve athletic performance. Supplement packages showcase various claims, so it is important to be an informed consumer and err on the side of caution when choosing whether or not to take a supplement.
The only way to know if you have a nutrient deficiency is to go to your primary care physician for a blood test. They can check levels for vitamins, minerals, hormones, cholesterol, and can perform other lab tests before and after you take a supplement to see if it is actually improving your nutrient deficiency. This is good science! Simply walking into a supplement store and choosing pills that sound powerful is bad science, and not helpful to your health and performance. There are some supplements that are convenient to include in your day-to-day routine. Preparing and packing a piece of chicken for your gym bag may not be exactly practical, while a protein powder is easy to bring and add to your water bottle after training. It’s important to talk with your tactical dietitian to get help in finding foods that will accomplish your goals, and to discuss supplement recommendations if necessary. We usually recommend things like beet juice instead of pre-workout powders, and suggest eating more protein during meals and snacks rather than buying BCAAs, or brand chain amino acids – aka big ol’ waste of money.
There are some supplements that have great data showing their ergogenic (performance enhancing) effects. Creatine and caffeine are two examples for which there is an abundance of research. On the other hand, there are a lot of garbage supplements that have absolutely no data suggesting that they have any positive effects or that their health claims are based on any solid scientific results. “Fat burning products” and “appetite suppressants” are not part of a good health regime.
HOW DO WE CHOOSE?
The best thing that you can do is to work with a healthcare professional who is an expert in dietary supplements – perhaps your favorite tactical dietitian. They will be able to help you make the smartest decisions about including a dietary supplement in your nutrition pattern. Be sure to check any supplement you’re interested in taking using a third party testing list. Keep asking questions
