Posted by Janet Harriett on Aug.07, 2010

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Consumer Reports recently published an expose on nutritional supplements contaminated with ingredients not on the label, and promoted for health claims based on dubious evidence, or occasionally in the face of evidence that the substances could be harmful. The magazine singled out weight loss and bedroom-enhancing supplements as particularly problematic, but any herb or supplement can cause problems with unwise supplementation.

While the science behind the Consumer Reports supplement report isn’t rigorous enough to indicate a red-flag health threat, the report is a reminder to be as mindful with nutritional supplements, vitamins and herbs as you would be with any medication or food. “Natural” or “herbal” doesn’t necessarily mean “safe,” especially when marketing consultants get involved with packaging a product. Green Diva Mom has four simple things to keep in mind when considering and taking herbal or nutritional supplements.

Eat a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet lays the foundation for overall wellness that can eliminate the need for many supplements. With a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight is easier and the body less exposed to the harmful substance in overprocessed foods, lessening the burden on systems that keep the body clean and running efficiently. The particulars of an optimal diet vary from person to person - for some, peanuts may be an valuable source of protein and monounsaturated fatty acids, while for others, they’re a potentially lethal allergen - but sticking to whatever your individual body considers a balanced, healthy diet can head off the need for mood enhancing, appetite suppressing or immune boosting herbs.

Foods contain a motley assortment of vitamins, minerals and phytoactive nutrients that work together for wellness. The complexity of the human body assures that no nutrient works in isolation, and the interplay between them is not fully understood. Some nutrients require the presence of others for effective absorption. While supplement manufacturers can accommodate this by packing multiple nutrients into one pill - calcium alongside the magnesium and Vitamin D required to absorb it - even multi-nutrient supplements can’t replicate nature.

Whole food sources also contain other healthy substances like fiber (and wouldn’t you rather have a nice bowl of fruit-laced oatmeal than a glass of artificially sweetened and flavored Metamucil?) and micronutrients that are largely ignored on the supplement market. Resveratrol, now a popular supplement, didn’t get much nutritional research attention until the 1990s and didn’t really hit the supplement spotlight until the 2000s, but those who enjoyed red grapes before then have been reaping the health benefits of the latest miracle nutrient. Plus, red grapes are tasty.

Take Only What You Need

Not everyone needs everything that’s in the vitamin aisle or the supplement store. Red yeast rice may help control cholesterol, but is your cholesterol at a healthy level already? What does acai even do?

Consider whether other lifestyle adjustments may help alleviate the condition that is causing you to turn to supplements. I spent many years popping St. John’s Wort, valerian and herbs I don’t even remember for, as the bottle says, “mood support.” When I changed my work situation so I work from home and make my own hours, what had presented as mild depression ended.

Even helpful supplements may not need to be taken every day. I take ginger only when I travel, and cod liver oil only in the month or so before and after the winter solstice when the lack of sunlight really gets me. I’m mindful of the signs of some nutritional deficiencies my body periodically runs, like a potassium shortage, and supplement those vitamins and minerals only when the early symptoms of deficiency creep up.

Don’t Take Unfamiliar Supplements

Hand in hand with taking only what you need, know what you’re taking. Many of the problems found with contaminated or otherwise problematic supplements come from blends of multiple herbs, vitamins, minerals and other substances - sometimes prescription or illicit drugs. Before you start taking any supplement, ideally, check with your health care provider. At minimum, educate yourself through objective sources about what each and every ingredient in the proposed supplement does.

It’s also worth remembering that, given the state of the supplement industry, the presence of a bottle in the vitamin store or even the health food shop doesn’t necessarily mean its a safe or even natural substance. Many chain supplement stores sell Xenical, the nonprescription strength version of a prescription weight loss drug, alongside herbal weight loss aids, which are also questionably safe even as single-herb supplements.

Herbs have side effects and interactions, too. Common ones are garlic and ginger’s ability to thin blood. St. John’s Wort speeds up metabolism of some substances, including hormonal contraceptives. When your health care provider asks about what drugs you’re taking, the herbs and supplements count.

Know Your Dose

With vitamins and herbal supplements, more isn’t always better. Some vital nutrients for the body can be toxic in megadoses. A little is good, but a lot may be poison. Selenium is a necessary antioxidant, but in higher doses, can cause hair and fingernails to fall out.

Megadoses don’t necessarily need to be pills by the handful either. If you’re taking a basic multivitamin and a basic calcium supplement, for instance, you might be getting a double shot of Vitamin D, which can accumulate, though vitamin D toxicity generally requires several months of very high doses. It’s also easy to forget that supplements are called that because they supplement foods. If you eat salmon or sardines regularly, additional fish oil supplements may be overkill.

Our bodies shake off megadoses of a lot of nutrients. Water-soluble vitamins like C are simply excreted if the body can’t use everything it gets, thus the bright yellow urine after taking a multivitamin. While this doesn’t harm the body, it doesn’t do the family budget any favors.

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Health Alerts, Supplements.