According to the CDC about 57% of Americans take supplements consistently and spend around 30 billion dollars annually. I believe that deep down most people feel that these would not be necessary if they consumed an overall better diet. There is also validity to the fact that over farming the same ground for the last century has reduced the amount of nutrients in fruits and vegetables. So supplementing a good diet makes sense, and I personally take supplements mostly for that reason; but they have never been designed to be a replacement for quality food.
What I run into often in practice is my patients are taking 4-7 different bottles of supplements per day, and over time they lose track of why they are taking them. They open up a cabinet and see bottles and bottles of supplements; one for Vitamin C, one for Vitamin D, etc—but I recommend patients take a good multivitamin, and skip taking one bottle for each Vitamin/Mineral and save some money.
In the beginning supplements may have been recommended by friends/family; others they saw on an infomercial; and/or they are consuming them to treat a medical condition. Take for example-fish oil and garlic for cardiovascular benefits. As time goes on, the number of bottles grows, and patients to reduce cost buy them at a local drugstore or grocery store. The problem with this approach is that most store- bought vitamins are of extremely poor quality; and you may be saving money, but aren’t absorbing much of what you are buying.
I have patients bring shopping bags of bottles into the office, and my first question is when and why did you start taking all this stuff. Who recommended these, and are you taking them expecting quality, or just hoping they are doing something.
Supplements are like alot of things in life-you get what you pay for. If quality doesnt matter then the store-bought brands will work well-but there isnt much being absorbed, so you are spending less money, but its being wasted based on lack of quality.
Here is an important point: It is impossible to absorb 100% of any supplement you take-that is not how the body works. Even good supplements wont fully absorb—but poor ones are worse—and the supplement companies know most people will shell out money for Vitamins of some sort, and not ask the hard questions. Another question: is it worth spending 10 dollars per month, vs 25 dollars a month on lets say a multivitamin if you knew that the 10 dollar supplement isnt really doing anything to help you?
The goal of this article is to be open about what you may or may not really be getting in your supplements for the price you pay—if you know that going in, and are ok with it, then its all good.
I offer to look through my patients supplements all the time and give my honest feedback if a patient desires that, then they can take the information and make the best decision for themselves. Please call 317.577.9558 to schedule directly with Mason Family Chiropractic & Wellness.