Supplements can only be helpful, correct? Sadly, there is a rather complex answer to that question.
In this article, I will paraphrase the evidence regarding supplements and then conclude with my advice and takeaways.
Potential Risks: The FDA does not regulate the dietary supplement market, meaning that your new multivitamin may have harmful chemicals in it. Some chemicals that you should watch out for are: food coloring, hydrogenated oils, and metals like lead and mercury (in omega-3 supplements). Food coloring can cause hyperactivity, hydrogenation in oils creates trans fat, which can cause cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and more ailments. Lead and mercury poisoning cause fatigue, pain, and nervous system problems such as difficulty with memory and concentration and personality changes.
Confusing studies: Studies on supplements show contradicting results. For example, the Harvard Medical Center found that high doses of vitamin E can lead to strokes caused by bleeding in the brain, excess calcium and vitamin D can increase the risk of kidney stones, excess folic acid and vitamin B can increase the risk of cancer, and high doses of vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage. However, the same Center also found that vitamin D and calcium can help osteoporosis, a multivitamin consisting of vitamins C, E, carotenoids, zinc, and copper can help fight macular degeneration, and folic acid supplements help prevent birth defects during pregnancy. Each supplement is associated with benefits and drawbacks, meaning that even if they help one condition they may be harming your body in another way at the same time.
Efficacy of Supplements: Many of the tests that study supplements are purely observational, meaning that they test the effect of the supplements without utilizing a placebo control group. From that method of experimentation, it is unclear whether the results stem from the supplements or a person’s lifestyle and habits. For example, some studies show that supplements cause health benefits when in fact the people who take supplements are usually more health conscious and their other lifestyle patterns benefit their health.
The VITAL study: This significant study was conducted at Brigham Women’s Hospital. They recruited 25,871 participants from all over the United States to participate in the trial to determine whether vitamin D3 (2000IU) supplements and omega-3 fatty acid supplements (1 gram) affected the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The findings, presented in November of 2018, showed that vitamin D supplements do not prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease but do lower the risk of cancer death, and omega-3 helps the heart only for those who barely eat fish. Different supplements have variable efficacy and side effects depending on factors such as bodily needs.
What I recommend: Your first lifestyle choice should be to eat a nutritious diet. That is, a plant-based diet with fruits and many vegetables, which supply the nutrients and minerals your body needs. Whole foods supply not only the nutrients that supplements contain, but also various other molecules that make sure your body digests those nutrients in a safe way.
Take a supplement if your doctor recommends it or if you have a certain disease or nutritional deficiency that you are not willing to fix by eating a more plant-based, whole foods diet. If you are willing to become healthier, eat more vegetables and whole foods rather than taking supplements. When you eat the whole foods, your body knows what to do. When you take a supplement, many times your body does not know what to do and needs the other molecules present in whole foods to break down the nutrients in the correct way.