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Supplements
What You Don’t Know Could Be Hurting You
by Amy E. Lemen
 We live in a culture where taking a little pill to solve our woes is an everyday occurrence. Whether it’s getting rid of a headache, cold, sinus infection or weird rash, there’s usually something we can take to make it go away.
There’s no doubt that supplements have flooded the market, promising 20-pound weight-loss in a matter of weeks, or washboard abs by the time bikini season is here. With brands like Hydroxycut and others on ABC’s “20/20” and dubious doctors whose claims have made the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) question whether or not these miracle pills should be on the market, fitness advocates are right to be skeptical.
The fact is that plenty of people are wondering how food, dietary and other supplements can make them healthier. Surveys show more than half of American adults take some kind of supplement to boost their diets. But the real questions are: What are the best, most effective supplements? And which do you really need?
 After all, there are supplements for just about anything — amino acids, protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals — and after a while the selection is enough to send the most well-meaning health enthusiast over the edge. And it seems so easy to simply take a pill or add some powder to a smoothie to get what you need.
“Supplements or meal replacements are often the easiest thing to do for people,” says Alexa Sparkman, registered dietician, with Sparkman and Ivester Nutritionists in Austin and founder of the Overcoming Mind Hunger program. “But there’s not one supplement that provides everything from A to zinc.”
Good Diets First
Sparkman says that supplements can be advantageous and in some cases are practically essential. (For example, pregnant women are strongly advised to take folic acid to prevent spina bifida in their newborns.) However, she also claims it is possible to get all the nutrients you need from a balanced diet.
 “If it weren’t possible, we wouldn’t be alive,” Sparkman says. “There are a lot of examples that show the benefits of supplements, but it really needs to be food first. Then you can look at where to make things better.”
Experts who work with competitive athletes also agree. Dr. Vince Bellonzi, a chiropractor and owner of Fast Track Health & Fitness — an Austin-based company that provides performance testing for athletes — says we first need to examine our diets and exercise levels before considering supplements. “Your first question should be ‘am I doing what I can to improve my diet and overall fitness,’” he says. “The American way is to take a pill, but you need to look at that first.”
Round Out The Bases
With Supplements
Once you’ve done what you can do, Bellonzi says there is wisdom in building supplements into your diet.
“Unless you’re living on a farm, growing your own food and eating grass-fed beef, a supplement is probably a good idea,” he says. “I advise clients to take a good multivitamin, just to cover all the bases.”
Bellonzi also recommends taking a fish oil supplement for omega-3 fatty acids and advises avoiding generics when buying a multivitamin.
 “It’s important to buy good quality you can trust,” he says. “The more natural the vitamin, the better. Synthetic vitamins and minerals aren’t absorbed as well,” Bellonzi says.
Rick Mull, a personal trainer and owner of Proforce Fitness, specializes in functional and sports-specific training for athletes of all abilities. He’s a big believer in supplements, but only if the body isn’t getting what it needs through food. For example, he recommends protein as a good supplement for general fitness.
“Taking small amounts of protein throughout the day helps the body repair itself,” he says. “Our bodies are always in a natural state of breakdown and fighting to maintain muscle mass. That’s why protein throughout the day is important.”
Mull says the most crucial time for a protein supplement (like whey or whey concentrate) is first thing in the morning and after weight training or vigorous activity.
“About 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving is a reliable rule of thumb,” he says. “The frequency is key — protein every few hours is a good thing.”
 What about those on vegetarian diets? Mull recommends several brands of whey protein supplements, which come in powder, bars or shakes. Though many of the older versions were known to have strange textures or lack real flavor, the newest generation of these products actually tastes pretty good.
“There’s been a lot of advancements in the taste and quality of protein supplements,” Mull says.
All the experts interviewed for this article recommend starting off the day with a healthy mix of protein and fat to jump-start the body’s metabolism. Some examples are yogurt, a whey protein supplement mixed into a smoothie, eggs or cheese. Soy protein powder is also an option, particularly for those who don’t like dairy products or are lactose-intolerant. Mull recommends ProComplex (a protein powder made by Optimum Nutrition); whey concentrate, which comes in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry flavors; and WheyAdvantage by EAS.
“If you can get your needs met through real food, that’s great, but if you occasionally supplement with a protein shake or bar, you won’t go wrong and lose all your hard work,” says Mull.
Buyers Beware
Supplements can be a good thing, but there are a few caveats. For example, some supplements should be avoided if you have an illness or take certain medications.
“Most people buy supplements right off the shelf and don’t know what’s in the product,” says Melissa Tisi-Spiller of USANA Health Sciences, which manufactures dietary and weight loss supplements. “You need to make sure what you’re getting is what you need and that it’s balanced.”
Tisi-Spiller also says it’s crucial to find out as much information about the product as possible, so you’re not wasting your money or buying something that won’t benefit your health.
“There are so many companies out there and all supplements are not the same,” she says. “If you’re serious about improving your health, do your homework.”
Here are some tips from the American Dietetic Association (A.D.A.) to supplement safely:
Do Your Research
If you want to try a supplement after reading or hearing it could improve your health in some way, do your research first. Look on the Internet or in the library for medical literature to support the claims. A great Web resource is www.pubmed.com.
“Be careful about what you’re using and who manufactures the product,” says Sparkman. “There’s no government or industry standard for supplements, and things are not always what they say they are,” she says.
Beware Of False Claims
Supplements that claim to help you stay young, grow hair, lose weight or cure cancer could be false. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
High Doses Of Some
Supplements Can Be Dangerous
There are guidelines for the amounts of vitamins and minerals you should take to stay healthy, but they are not universal. For example, they don’t apply to herbs. Some herbs may be harmful in large amounts, much like mega-doses of vitamins and minerals that can interact with prescription drugs.
“Coordinate any supplement usage with your doctor or dietitian — someone who understands everything that you’re taking,” advises Sparkman.
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