Are Dietary Supplements Right for You?

By Lisa Larson

A quick trip down the health food aisle of any grocery store or a simple scroll through social media and one thing is clear: the dietary supplements industry is alive and well.

“This is a booming industry in the United States,” said Sara Fausett, clinical and outpatient dietitian for Intermountain Health in southern Utah. “The marketing on dietary supplements is very persuasive, and they sell very well. You can bet supplement manufacturers are making a killing on these products.”

With so much to choose from, including protein powders, ground up greens, probiotics, pills, patches, and liquid drops of every vitamin imaginable, finding the right supplements for your needs can be overwhelming, to say the least. But are all these supplements created equal and are they really necessary?

In order to answer these questions, Fausett draws on years of experience as a registered dietitian as well as hours of coursework studying specific nutrients and the science behind the ways that the body utilizes vitamins and minerals. Her best advice is to skip the opinions of online influencers and instead, get accurate, upto-date information from a dietitian and a pharmacist. “Some of these supplements may not play nicely with other medications, which can be dangerous,” Fausett said. “At the very least, some supplements may make certain medications less effective.”

While there is certainly a place in most people’s lives for a good multivitamin or prenatal vitamin and there are special circumstances when vitamin supplements can be helpful, Fausett encourages those considering dietary supplements to look at other alternatives before making their final decision. “Have you tried getting that nutrient from food instead?” she asked. “People tend to want to use a pill to get the answers, but nine times out of ten, your nutrition is best absorbed through your food. This could be as simple as choosing a peach as a snack instead of a candy bar.”

For more specific questions regarding medications and supplements, Fausett highly recommended speaking with a pharmacist to see if a prescription medication will lose efficacy or react with a specific supplement. For example, patients taking a statin medication should check to learn whether a CoQ10 supplement they are considering will interact well with their prescription. “It’s so common for things like this to be recommended together, but you need to check with a pharmacist to see if they are going to interact well. It’s incredibly complicated. When you start looking at supplements, you’re playing with a lot of chemistry, so it’s better to talk to a professional to figure some of these things out.”

If you are interested in taking supplements for reasons related to overall health, fitness, or beauty, Fausett suggested that you consider the following before climbing on board the supplement bandwagon:

1. Do you actually need it? Set aside the fear or panic that sometimes accompanies a supplement purchase. Instead, determine whether the supplement will actually help you feel better.

2. Verify that the product has been third-party tested. Since supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, having a stamp of approval from an independent certification program like NSF (National Science Foundation) or UPS (United States Pharmacopeia) can help ensure the product actually contains what it claims to contain.

3. Check your list of supplements against your list of medications with a dietitian and a pharmacist.

4. Do an individual gut check. “Check in with yourself when you are calm to decide whether or not the supplement is worth the experiment,” Fausett said. “In some cases, the supplements may actually help. In other cases, you’re paying a lot of money for something your body will eliminate as waste.”

More often than not, the answers people are seeking to improve their health are more straight forward than the supplement industry wants them to believe. Eating a well-balanced diet and maintaining a regular exercise routine are still the best ways to get results. “Following through on a healthy lifestyle plan takes time,” Fausett said. “That is why supplements are so alluring—alluring but expensive—which is why it’s important to find out whether or not your supplements of choice are truly effective.”

About the Author

Lisa Larson is a freelance writer with a background in public relations and public speaking and a passion for sharing great stories. You might spot Lisa with her husband and three children enjoying the downtown carousel or exploring one of the area’s hiking trails. She also enjoys reading and baking, and she is looking to rekindle her romance with running. You can find Lisa on Twitter @ LisaGLarson or at www. facebook.com/larsonlisa.