The Wild Wild West of Supplements
Are supplements worth it? How are they evaluated? This week -- an examination into the Wild West of supplement regulation and what you can look for as a consumer.
Supplements are a topic of contention within health and wellness spaces — there are conflicting studies citing their effectiveness, some indicating their benefits and some suggesting that many of the nutrients are excreted before being utilized by the body.
Either way, it is a difficult market to navigate as a consumer. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA — they are categorized as food rather than a drug, meaning that companies can launch onto the market without prior review or approval.
Supplements are typically used as a means of maintaining healthy levels of vitamins and minerals that may be lacking through diet. They are gaining traction as research continues to indicate that a lack of biodiversity in our soil is leading to nutrient depletion — and therefore, less nutrient-dense food.
However, in contrast, there are also a number of issues that can arise from taking supplements. Improper nutrient combinations, unsafe combinations of medicines and supplements, and/or taking too much of a certain nutrient can pose risks to the body. In addition, some vitamins and minerals counteract one another — so it’s important to research this prior to purchasing if you plan on taking counteracting supplements.
Of course, there are other certifications and quality indicators that we, as consumers, can keep in mind. Third-party certifications are a great metric — they examine the strength and purity of supplements, evaluating whether their advertised ingredients are enough to impact the body and offer tangible benefits. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is the leading organization in this field.
We can also examine the ingredient lists ourselves to determine how the supplements are derived. Ideally, you want the vitamins and minerals to be coming from food sources, as these are going to be the most efficiently utilized by the body and the risk of toxic accumulation levels is lower.
Vitamins and minerals
Water-soluble vitamins are difficult to over consume, as any excess is easily expelled by the body’s metabolic process. Fat-soluble vitamins, comparably, are stored in tissue and thus are easier to over-consume. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are some examples.
Ingredients to steer of in supplements (synthetic sources)
Vitamin A - Acetate and Palmitate
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - Riboflavin
Pantothenic Acid - Calcium D-Pantothenate
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) - Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Vitamin B12 - Cobalamin
PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid) - Aminobenzoic Acid
Folic acid - Pteroylglutamic Acid
Choline - Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate
Biotin - d-Biotin
Vitamin C - Absorbic Acid
Vitamin D - Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol
Vitamin E - dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate
Some more transparently sourced supplements
Athletic Greens, or AG1, is all over my social media feeds. The company offers their supplement in powdered form that you can combine with water and drink — all in one place.
Many of their vitamins and minerals are derived from food sources, and are highly bioavailable. The company is constantly doing research on how to improve their product and improve its efficiency, which I really value.
Ritual is my personal favorite as they are more cost-effective and hit all of the bases. Their sourcing is transparently listed on their site, and the breakdown of their multivitamin is researched and backed by science. They even offer vegan omega-3s in their supplement,in addition to many vitamins and minerals that are commonly under consumed based on their research statistics.
Now, in my research, I also came across Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/day. They are very similar to Ritual in a variety of ways — they are even similarly priced. However, unlike the other supplement options, they require a double dosage (one in the morning, one at night). This can be tough to remember if you typically only take medications once per day.
Honorable mentions:
Care/of Women’s Foundation + Iron