Studies Show Supplements Are Shortening Our Lifespan, But Is It Really True?

Today I wanted to write about a subject that I have a lot of  personal interest in – supplements. While I am no nutritionist or biochemist, I have done my fair share of research on this topic, and will be giving you guys my opinion on their potential benefits and drawbacks.

I’m fascinated at the fact that the supplement industry is now worth hundreds of billions of dollars – and still growing! Things have really evolved from the days when Vitamin C supplements came from orange peel extract.

Of course, excellent marketing also helps.  On top of that, thanks to Internet resources like Pubmed and Examine, we can find out within minutes (literally) whether something will work, or is all hype.

I personally take several supplements myself, however a few studies have shown that there might be a bit of a downside to taking them.

For example, the Archives of Internal Medicine released one which found that women who used dietary supplements actually increased their risk of death by 5%.

Another study in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association, one the largest medical journals around) found that the intake of several antioxidant supplements also increased mortality in randomized trials.

So, What’s Really Going On?

Does this mean all supplements are nonsense? Absolutely not, in fact there are supplement companies out there who make extremely high-quality products. But there are also companies that matter utter trash. So how can you tell?

Well there are many things you should look for when purchasing a good supplement. Let’s take a look at the top 3 factors:

1. First off, the products should be GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) compliant.  This means that the ingredients that are in the product are actually what they say they are as labeled.
2. Next, the product should have a type of process for quality control.  By this, I mean it is sent to independent labs for analysis to ensure that the product is safe and maintains its potency. This is also very important for professional athletes that get tested by the WADA. You don’t want to be banned or fined for taking protein powder that was contaminated with, say, DMAA for example (a strong stimulant).
3. Finally, beware of products that exemplify their safety because they’re “all natural.” After all, dirt is natural too but you wouldn’t ingest that in pill form, would you?

But what about those studies? Are they accurate? And if so, what lessons can we take away from them?

Simply put, when more deeply investigated, the researchers found that people who take nutritional supplements are also far more likely to consume greater amounts of alcohol, eat a large variety of unhealthy foods, and generally life a riskier lifestyle.

Supplements it seems, gives its users a feeling of insurance or entitlement that they’ll be okay if they partake in extremely unhealthy activity. It seems to provide a false sense of security, and that can be a very bad thing.

Supplements are called supplements for a reason – they are there to complement any nutrients your body may not be getting from your current diet.

Of course, there’s always the “easy fix” of just simply eating a well-balanced diet. While this the best and most obvious solution, most people just don’t have any idea as to what type of foods can make up for the deficiencies.

For example, when women are low in iron, it’s much easier for them to buy an iron supplement than realize that increasing their intake of meat (especially organ meat) can do the same thing, while providing additional benefits to the body such as vitamin A, a multitude of B vitamins and CoQ10 which is pretty important in helping maintain healthy cardiovascular function.

Also, in today’s day and age, where we’re working more, traveling more, etc., eating a well-balanced diet isn’t very simple. It actually takes a bit of work and planning (which is why hiring a coach is usually a really smart option).

However, most individuals must rely on purchasing outside food. Some people’s work schedule just doesn’t allow them to eat properly at all, and this is just the reality of the world we live in. We’re commuting far more than ever before, which is probably a good reason why podcasts are getting very popular. Additionally, we’re stressed more and therefore eating more poorly and becoming less active.

It’s ironic, that we are stressed more in our jobs and sacrifice our health to make more money, yet later on when we’re older we sacrifice our money to regain our health.

So while saying that all you have to do is eat a proper balance of good foods to get all your essential vitamins and minerals, the fact is that we’re NOT eating all our fruits and vegetables. So in my opinion, proper supplementation can be beneficial. Just don’t think of it as it the ultimate equalizer.

References:

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