Every week I see patients who bring in their bags of “goodies.” Those multiple supplements that promise if “you take this” it will “fix that, or if “you take that,” it will “fix this.” The following was taken from one single health magazine I picked up “Resveratrol, a grape seed extract is documented to alter some of the genes that cause us to age, and vitamin E reduces body inflammation, fish oil keeps arteries healthy, Vitamin B prevents memory loss, selenium cuts down on women’s bladder cancer risk, and L-Carnitine decreases bad LDL cholesterol, and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improves heart and body strength, and saw palmetto protects the prostate gland, and the tea extracts theaflavins protect oxidation that causes inflammation in your arteries and body overall, and creatine and glutamine enhance muscle building, glucosamine for joint health, and vitamin D protects you from certain cancers, and”……..well, you see what I mean.

Most of these statements have a level of truth to them. However, by the time you buy these supplements separately you have a box full of pills and powders that if you take will fill your belly and you have no room for food. And by the time you add up the cost, you have spent your grocery money. So how do you sort out all these supplements and how do you begin to decide what you need and how to take them?

Though most of these claims are true, there is a great deal of half-truth or a big jump from the initial good studies done to practical application for human use. One great example is a product I was recently asked to endorse that promised to increase stem cells in your body, which would help replace dysfunctional cells to maintain your optimal health. There is a single study they base this product’s claims on that shows an increase in stem cells in humans. There is lots of marketing and it is being sold to the public as we speak. However, it was a small study, it did not answer whether there was any health benefit at all in taking the product, whether there may be any negative short or long term negative issues associated with chronic intake of the product, or even who should or shouldn’t take the product. All those questions need to be answered before it should be marketed and taken as a supplement.

Even if you decided to limit what supplements you take and you follow the directions on a bottle you purchase, it may not be the way your body needs the supplement and if you took it as directed, it may not even be the right supplement that the human body can use.

So what do you do? First, you go see a physician who knows how to correlate where your body is physiologically, interpret a full metabolic functional lab panel to what is optimal for you and use expert knowledge and experience in medicine, nutrition, and supplementation to manage your overall health. Second, look at any marketing claims concerning any supplement with a critical eye. If you are considering a supplement for whatever reason, take that supplement to an expert and see if the claims are legitimate or whether it may be useful to you. It is worth a consultation that may at least save you some money, at most, save you from a bad health outcome.