DO NOT ASSUME SUPPLEMENTS ARE SAFE : 9 REASONS

November 25, 2007

Now here is a touchy subject! People seem to be strongly positioned on one side of this fence or the other. From my article on Foods That Fight Cancer, you know that I am in the ‘against’ camp.

My intention is NOT to challenge the medical community’s recommendations for iron supplements, or for folic acid for pregnant women. At certain times, there is a demand for more of a substance than can reasonably provided through diet, and adequate research exists to validate the use of the supplement.

What about all those other chemicals you swallow? The traditional, like high doses of vitamins C and E, and the non-traditional ones like Noni Juice and mushroom extracts, all the way to the truly creative like ground rhinoceros horn. I can’t imagine who is brave enough to swallow this stuff.

I’m saying that we have no idea what we’re doing by taking exaggerated doses of bizarre material in concentrated form. Here are 9 situations where supplements can do more harm than good:

1. When we extract these chemicals from their indigenous cultures, where the collective knowledge of how to use them and how to counterbalance them has evolved over centuries. The Indian diet developed the use of spices because of the lack of refrigeration, but the ratios are important and adhered to for reasons that we have long forgotten. For instance, it’s 1 cumin : 3 coriander.

Turmeric is a staple in the Indian diet (there is speculation that this is the reason they have a fraction of the Alzheimer’s disease that we have). Here, it is a popular supplement, but it is never eaten in its pure form in its original usage. In fact, it appears to be far less effective to fight cancer, when taken on its own, rather than mixed with certain other spices.

We also forget to respect the native traditions like always eating spicy foods and curries with yogurt or raita, that were learned over centuries by the people who ate these foods.

2. When we eat supplements in quantities never intended or used by the culture that learned to use them safely over millennia of experimentation. It seems consistent with North American culture that if 1 is good, 20 is better.

Think about Brazil nuts and selenium, a chemical that may have benefits to the immune system. This study suggests there may be increased risk of diseases other than cancer, such as diabetes, if an excessive amount is consumed. Six Brazil nuts contain 800ug. The upper limit safe dose is half that, at 400ug. One Brazil nut per day is plenty.

3. When we forget this is an unregulated industry. Did the pet food scandal in spring 07 teach us anything? Do we actually think it’s all over or that this does not affect humans?

4. When their instability in pill form renders them useless. Are supplements stable in gelatin capsules? Very likely not. In fact, it is known that anti-oxidants are unstable compounds. That is the very basis of how they work, by reacting with other molecules to make them, in turn, less dangerous.

5. When the combinations are potentially hazardous. Do supplements mix together safely? Nobody knows. What about how they mix with conventional medication? If you even told your doctor, data may not be available to answer to these questions.

6. When it is counter-intuitive. Does Echinacea make any sense?? Why would you suppress an immune response? You want to create an immune response after being sick, don’t you? The symptoms of illness are a demonstration of your body producing an immune response. Do you really want to dampen that, or prevent it entirely?

Could you be doing harm at a more fundamental level, such as preventing your suppressed immune system from detecting even more dangerous risks, like a new cancer cell that might otherwise be immediately detected and wiped out by its neighbor cells?

7. When we overdo it. Why would you expose yourself to unnatural amounts of oxygen? A diet rich in fruit and vegetables to provide anti-oxidants is encouraged, since these function to neutralize free radicals that cause harm. In humans, did you know that the most common form of free radicals is oxygen?

Certainly, you could find studies that show oxygen to be beneficial in some situations; the point is, do not go to extremes because nobody has the final answer on this yet.

8. When there is research showing that the supplement causes harm. This is a great article from the Seattle Times on how supplements are not showing themselves to be of great benefit, and in fact how some increase cancer or risk of dying.

When you eat the antioxidant in food, it is counterbalanced by the millions of other chemicals present in that food, the rest of the meal, and in your body. A pure supplement consisting of one isolated chemical is a completely artificial type of exposure.

8. When they’re being sold as the latest wonder-cure with only anecdotal data to back up the assertion that they are beneficial. Supplements are often sold using testimonials by (apparent) runners or rich-and-healthy- looking 60yr olds. This is about as dependable as the fountain of youth miracle antiwrinkle creams. Don’t buy into this stuff. Think about the extraordinary claims a little more critically.

9. When the concentration of the chemical is extreme and unnatural. Even in a multivitamin, the amounts are high because they are less stable and less well absorbed than the same substance in the natural food, but is it safe to consume these abnormally high concentrations?

No substitutes for food

I’m aware that using food instead of neat, easy little pills is more work. It’s a lot more work and quite expensive too. You have to drag it home, store it, wash it, chop it, and eat this slightly bitter stuff that needs a lot of chewing, and no matter how much you try to improve your ways, there’s always someone out there telling you it’s not enough. Believe me when I tell you : I know.

Deal with it. You’ll get used to it. It’s like deciding to get rid of the sugar in your coffee; for the first month, it’s disgusting. By the second month, you can’t imagine going back to using sugar in coffee.

It’s just about changing what you’re used to. You’re doing it risk-free. Don’t load your cart full of vegetables the first week. You’ll hate thinking about having to prepare them and fight with your kids to eat them, who will pretend you’re trying to feed them toxic waste. It’s one thing at a time.

Make the change for yourself first. There is no rule that says you have to eat what your family eats. Although your kids may not listen to a word you say, they’re watching every move you make. If the family senses a change and makes a few remarks to test your resolve, just give them all your best Mona Lisa smile. Never stop doing what is best for you.

Posted by Christine Scaman | Filed Under Food & Recipes