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Over PLN 13 billion – that’s how much we spent on supplements and over-the-counter drugs in 2018. Most of all Europeans. We succumb to intrusive advertising, we buy pseudo drugs that end up in pharmacies without supervision. Do we really need to ingest magnesium, beta carotene, and green coffee capsules to stay healthy? Which supplements have proven effectiveness? – we ask Dr. Anna Uklala, specialist in clinical dietetics.
Dietary supplements – how to buy them wisely?
Zuzanna Opolska, Medonet: What supplements are most often bought by Poles?
Dr Anna Ukleja: Vitamin and mineral preparations, including magnesium, which is advertised as a remedy for all ailments, and vitamin A + E known as the vitamin of youth. The second place is the so-called beauty sector: supplements for skin, hair and nails. Poles also eagerly reach for measures supporting the functioning of the digestive, urinary, bone-muscular and immune systems. Supplements that improve sexual performance are invariably popular.
Are we even able to supplement the deficiencies in the diet by using supplements on our own?
The task of dietary supplements is to supplement deficiencies, but they will not replace a proper and rational diet. Taking dietary supplements can have a real impact on our health, if we consult a doctor and perform appropriate tests (e.g. the concentration of a given ingredient in the blood). We should be especially careful when taking medications at the same time. The quality of the preparation, the origin of the substances it contains and the clinically proven effectiveness should be taken into account. Unfortunately, few supplements have been clinically tested. These positive exceptions include Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium and folic acid.
See also: Seven Signs Your Body Is Craving Vitamin D.
So, should we consult a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian before buying supplements?
Yes, always. Remember that without appropriate laboratory tests, we will not find out what we really lack and what are the causes of our ailments. When choosing to shop at a pharmacy, do not use advertising, but consult a pharmacist. Today, we can buy dietary supplements everywhere, in pharmacies, grocery stores, drugstores, the Internet or even in bazaars. In the case of using several supplements and drugs with a similar composition, an overdose of the substance and deterioration of health may occur. For example, excessive accumulation of certain types of vitamins can cause digestive system disorders. Ingredients of dietary supplements may reduce the absorption of drugs or disturb the metabolism of some of them, therefore people planning surgeries and surgical procedures should not take supplements without consulting a doctor. The use of dietary supplements in children under six years of age, without a medical prescription, may harm the developing body, and negative effects may appear later.
Who among us should take supplements? Vegans, vegetarians, the elderly, athletes?
Adults on a diet below 1600 kcal / day. Pregnant women – dietary supplements containing folic acid and iron, and in justified cases, calcium, iodine and other minerals. Supplementation with vitamins and minerals may also require elderly people on an irrational diet and everyone on diets with restrictions or elimination of certain nutrients. Good examples are vegans and people who give up dairy because they are at risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiency. Likewise, postmenopausal women, whose estrogen reduction affects bone density and can lead to osteoporosis.
What is a supplement really, and what is supplementation?
A supplement is a nutritious food supplement that is not a substitute for a varied diet. It is a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals – in the form of capsules, tablets, sachets or syrups. Supplementation is the supplementation of nutrients (most often vitamins and minerals), the deficiencies of which were found in the patient. In hospital or outpatient conditions, this means that the concentration of a given component in the blood serum was assessed and its deficiency was confirmed before supplementation.
This rarely happens in a hospital setting, most often in your own home. We «diagnose» our health condition on the basis of advertisements?
Yes, very often, and we should never do that. Symptoms such as muscle cramps, fatigue, drowsiness or lack of appetite can have various causes and are not always associated with a lack of potassium, magnesium, vitamins or other substances. Information presented by advertisements or on manufacturers’ websites should be kept at a distance.
What can you do if you exceed your daily allowance?
Vitamins and minerals taken from dietary supplements as well as from fortified foods may exceed upper safe levels for some ingredients. It has been shown that high doses of supplements may have a detrimental effect on health, e.g. by increasing the risk of developing a malignant tumor (colorectal cancer in people taking folic acid). According to the current state of knowledge, based on the consumption data in the European Community countries, it is estimated that there is no risk of exceeding the upper safe level for vitamins B1, B2, B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin K. Among the ingredients, for for which there is a risk related to excessive consumption and the risk of exceeding the limits, such as vitamin A, beta carotene, calcium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, zinc. This risk may depend on many factors and will vary depending on environmental and individual factors.
The biggest mistake is buying supplements from dubious sources or online. We forget that there may be illegal or counterfeit substances on sale outside the pharmacy.
We cannot check this ourselves. What should worry us right away? Price, expiry date ..?
Internet shopping is associated primarily with convenience, time and cost savings. The Internet also makes it possible to easily and quickly compare prices and find the best offer. The main danger is the difficulty in assessing the seller’s credibility or the possibility of purchasing an illegal or counterfeit preparation. We cannot buy prescription-only drugs online. Online pharmacies can only sell OTC drugs by mail order – over the counter. Therefore, if a website offers prescription preparations, we can be sure that it is operating illegally and is most likely selling counterfeit products. There are many shops on the Internet that mimic pharmacies. They offer the sale of miracle pills against cancer, instant slimming preparations, birth control pills and anabolic steroids. On the websites of legally operating pharmacies, there should be a white cross with four stripes in the background. Each internet pharmacy’s website must contain a link to the National Register of Permits for Operating Public Pharmacies and Pharmacy Points. Additionally, the pharmacy website should contain a link to the Public Information Bulletin of the Main Pharmaceutical Inspectorate. A legal internet pharmacy must ensure that the patient is on call by a pharmacist during working hours.
The manufacture of medicinal products is supervised by the pharmaceutical inspection. How is it with supplements?
Dietary supplements are the most numerous, but unfortunately the least reliable group of products available in pharmacies. Producers of this type of preparations do not have to perform any tests before placing them on the market. No effects of specific dietary supplements or deviations from the composition declared on the packaging have been found many times. The only thing the manufacturer has to do is send the packaging design to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and inform about the launch. The simplified procedure does not require evidence of efficacy, test results or a safety profile. The quality of the dietary supplement is monitored by the Sanepid, but these are random and irregular checks.
Where can we find information on whether a supplement is on the list of notified supplements and what is its status?
This information can be found on the website of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS). If a specific supplement is not listed, then you should not buy it. If you suspect that the purchased supplement is dangerous (counterfeit / illegal), we should contact the Department of Pro-Health Food or the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station.
If your diet lacks vitamins and minerals, reach for High Five Multivit & Mineral – Viridian’s formula with vitamins and minerals.
Dietary supplements for slimming
The purpose of dietary supplements for weight loss is to support the fat reduction process. The active ingredients contained in them help to get rid of unnecessary kilograms either by reducing the feeling of hunger or by accelerating fat burning. Every year Poles spend huge sums on slimming pills. We can say that we are at the forefront of European countries. This is due to the advertisements we watch on TV or on the Internet. We very often decide to buy tablets that go to pharmacies or drugstores without any supervision. Although dietary supplements are the most numerous group of slimming preparations, they are also the least reliable because their manufacturers do not have to do any research before introducing them to the market. The only obligation of the manufacturer is to send the packaging design of such a preparation to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and inform about its placing on the market. Of course, the quality of slimming supplements that hit the market is controlled by the Sanepid, but these are very often irregular and random checks.
Dietary supplements for men
Supplements for men differ from those intended for women, each sex has a different need for vitamins due to a different lifestyle or different diet. The hormones in the body of men work in a slightly different way than in women. The supplements most commonly used by men are listed below.
- Supplements and fertility. Vitamin C contained in the supplements increases the number of sperm and improves their mobility. Men who take supplements with a high content of this vitamin may reduce possible fertility problems to some extent. Supplements for men also improve their sexual performance, especially those that contain vitamin E and vitamin B6.
- Supplements against hair loss. Alopecia in men is a very common problem, often of a genetic background. Although it is impossible to completely cure this condition, it can be delayed with the use of vitamins A and B. Taking these types of supplements will make your hair look healthy and will fall out less, so that the man will enjoy a lush hairstyle for longer.
- Muscle supplements. Men who want to improve their figure are recommended to take B vitamins. These vitamins affect muscle growth and support their regeneration. Vitamin C also works well, helping to rebuild tendons and flushing lactic acid out of the body. In turn, vitamin D absorbs the calcium needed to build muscle. Providing the body with the necessary vitamins is very important in building your dream figure.
Dietary supplements for athletes
Dietary supplements for athletes are designed to accelerate fat burning (fat burners) and build muscle tissue (mass supplements). It should be emphasized that these types of vitamins are available at the pharmacy without a prescription and are not related to prohormones and anabolic steroids, which, despite their legality, are prohibited and treated as doping in professional athletes. Dietary supplements intended for athletes, used in reasonable amounts, are not dangerous to your health.
There are two types of dietary supplements for athletes that are legal:
- mass supplements – aimed at building muscle tissue,
- fat burners – supplements aimed at mobilizing the body to burn fat.
Important! No dietary supplement will burn fat or increase muscle mass without a proper diet. The diet should be high in protein and low in fat. Physical activity is also important. Therefore, the conclusion is simple: dietary supplements are only supplements that will not bring the expected benefits without additional action.
Talk to your doctor without leaving your home partner link
Warning:
If you suffer from chronic diseases, before buying a dietary supplement:
1. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian whether they will interfere with your medications.
2. Read labels so that you don’t exceed the daily requirement and don’t overlook contraindications.
3. Where possible, look for a source of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial fatty acids in dietary modifications, not supplements.
Dr. n. med. Anna Ukleja – academic teacher – Assistant professor at the Department of Human Nutrition of the Medical University of Warsaw and lecturer in the field of clinical dietetics and clinical nutrition. He has many years of experience in feeding patients at the cardiology department. Author of many publications in the field of dietetics.
Also check:
- Take care and “do not confuse them with drugs”. GIS has published a decalogue of supplementation
- Five Supplements That Really Work
- The most popular dietary supplements have been studied. The producers are lying to us
For a long time you have not been able to find the cause of your ailments or are you still looking for it? Do you want to tell us your story or draw attention to a common health problem? Write to the address [email protected] #Together we can do more
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