Americans seem to have a reasonably positive view of it dietary supplements. According to a 2023 survey, 74% of U.S. adults use drugs vitamins, prebiotics and the like.
The the supplement business is booming, and with all the hype around them, it is easy to forget what they are surely: substances that may have a powerful impact on the body and health, and yet they aren’t regulated like drugs. They are adjustable more like food.
Thanks largely to the 1994 law, the Food and Drug Administration is actually toothless when it comes to supplements. How – admits the agency: “The FDA doesn’t have the authority to approve dietary supplements before they’re placed on the market. Companies can sell supplements without going through any approval process and even having to provide evidence of safety.
As a researcher in higher medical education, My responsibilities include teaching resident physicians how to understand and critically approach health research. I write too about health, good condition and supplements for a wider audience. As a result, I spend lots of time fascinated about supplements.
It’s necessary to consider why so many individuals consider that supplements may help them lead healthier lives. While there are a lot of reasons, the way supplements are marketed is that this undeniably necessary. In observing the industry over the years, I’ve found that three false assumptions consistently arise in supplement marketing.
1. Appeal to the error of nature
The appeal to the error of nature is when you assume that because something is “natural” it should be good. The word “natural” is usually utilized in supplement marketing. In the context of health, it often seems right to want natural medicine, remedies, preventive techniques, and so forth.
For example, if I say “vitamin C”, what’s going to you immediately consider? Probably oranges or citrus normally and flu prevention. But if I say “flu vaccine,” what immediately comes to mind? Probably doctor’s offices, some pain and pharmaceutical firms. One of them is clinically proven to prevent flu infections and reduce the severity of the disease. Other has been placed on the market like he was doing the same thing, but there is no such thing as a clinical evidence support it.
The supplement industry is flooded with brands that include the word “nature,” appealing to the myth of nature. Also have a look at web sites and advertisements that encourage consumers to ditch “artificial” products in favor of “clean” and “natural” nutrition. Using the word artificial to describe other products and natural to describe a selected supplement is meant to make you feel that this product can be higher than the competition and that you need it to be healthy.
To be clear, “natural” doesn’t mean “better,” but marketing would have you think that it does.
2. The belief that more of thing is all the time higher
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There is one other assumption that is predicated on the natural fallacy: if something is natural, it should be good, and more must all the time be higher. If somewhat vitamin C is nice for us, then lots of it should be great!
The truth is that our bodies tightly regulate the levels of vitamins and minerals we devour. Unless you’re deficient, taking more of a selected vitamin or mineral in supplement form won’t necessarily make it so Health advantages. That’s why supplement skeptics sometimes say, “You’re just paying for expensive pee” – because your body has expelled the excess.
Virtually everyone seems to be an example of the “more is better” myth vitamin C supplement. The packaging often prominently displays doses, which will be as high as 750 or 1,000 milligrams. But adults only need approximately 75 to 120 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Similarly, look vitamin D supplements which could also be available in 5,000 IU or international units – a undeniable fact that is usually clearly visible on the packaging as well. But adults mustn’t take greater than 4,000 IU per day. Again, it is easy to exceed what we’d like.
3. Action bias
Finally, the supplement industry likes to capitalize on the concept that doing something is best than nothing. This is motion bias. Taking motion makes people feel they’ve more control over the situation, which is very necessary when it comes to health. “Even if I don’t need extra vitamin C,” they may think, “I’ll take it just to be protected. What’s the harm to me?
The examples in the last section show that supplements often contain repeatedly the beneficial each day allowance of a given vitamin or mineral. It is assumed that taking this amount of any of those particular substances is protected.
You can have an excessive amount of of thing. What can excess vitamin C lead to? diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and more. Excess vitamin D may cause, amongst others: nausea, vomiting and kidney stones. Supplements can also interact with prescribed medications. For example, St. John’s wort is legendary for its interactions contraceptives, immunosuppressive drugs, statins and chemotherapy exacerbating or weakening their effects. When it comes to supplements, taking them is just not necessarily higher than not.
Be careful with these marketing messages – they aren’t necessarily correct or good on your health. And talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
