Before You Swallow It: researching supplements as if your health depends on it

Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

There is one thing about nutrition trends that I really don't understand:
A supplement becomes a thing on social media on Thursday, and by Monday - BOOM! - everyone seems to be taking it. "So, why did you decide to take this supplement?", I try to sound like a cautious voice of reason, and the answer usually circles around "a friend recommended it to me" or "I heard that it helps with XYZ."
"Do you know what's in it?", I may ask as a natural follow up question, and people usually look to me for an answer. I don't mind, not at all, I am a dietitian after all, but what help is it, if somebody has been taking it for 30 days before seeing me? 
What if the damage is already done?

Here is the thing: we would never behave like that when it comes to running shoes. Or electronics. A cell phone? - we would spend half of Sunday meticulously comparing models and prices before making a final decision. We could go deep, too - comparing storage, display or camera specs. We may even spend a chunk of time figuring out a cellphone case - after all, it has to match our personality, right?
Meantime, we just need to be told that a supplement is good for sleep/digestion/weight loss/hair/...... and - POP! - we chase it with a glass of water with no questions asked.
How did we end up in a situation where we spend more time researching a cell phone case than researching something that enters our body? (we are similarly reckless with beauty products by the way). 

And more importantly - how are we going to reverse it?

• First - let's start with guarding our bodies. I often say "it's the only body I have" and you bet I am going look closely, and pretty much at anything non-food that enters it. I want to invite you to do the same. If you don't guard it, nobody will. Please, please, please take care of your body - there are enough insults and challenges thrown at it already (pollution, microplastics, inadequate sleep, stress), don't risk making it worse, believing that you are making it better. 
• Don't fall for empty promises: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also, there are no "silver bullet" solutions in nutrition. If the promise of the product is that it will fix all the issues you have, it's a red flag right there.
• Don't fall for "all-natural". This one REALLY gets me. Only because it is "all-natural" does not mean it is good for you. Arsenic is all-natural. So is lead. So are poisonous mushrooms. "All natural" is nothing but a marketing technique to make product seem more safe, and make you more likely to spend money.
• Before popping a supplement, answer two questions: "what do I want to accomplish with help of this supplement?" Does it even make sense in a grand scale of what I am working towards?"
• Research it: what's in it? What's the active compound? What is it supposed to do? Look for answers in reputable places (NIH, Harvard, Mayo Clinic, authors and bloggers with appropriate and matching credentials).
• Unsure? Verify before taking: nothing will happen if you postpone taking a trendy supplement for a month or two. Discuss it with your health provider first. Make sure it will not interact/interfere with medications that you may be already taking.
• Check the ingredients and avoid excessive intake: supplements for healthy bones may have Calcium and Vitamin D in them. Supplements to support energy may have Vitamin B12. Supplements for healthy hair may have iron in them. If you are already taking Multivitamin or prescribed supplements (like Vitamin B12 injections), you may be taking too much. Not enough of a needed micronutrient is bad, but too much is not good either. Your health provider will help you figure out where your supplementation is excessive or redundant and will help tailor it to your needs... and save some money in the process.
• More ingredients = more complex conversation. Magnesium for sleep, or a ginger supplement for digestion will be easier to handle than a "Healthy Gut Complex" or "Menopause Support" that may have six, eight or more ingredients. "Proprietary blends" can be even trickier to assess when it comes to safety, and your provider can help you make the best decision possible.
• Last but not least: if/when you decide to take a supplement, and take it for a while - do you feel like it is making a difference? If so, it may be worth continuing, but if not consider whether you are wasting your money.

There is definitely space for supplements - I myself take some. But assess what's needed, be judicious, check twice take once, and remember that "FDA does not approve dietary supplements or their product labeling before they are sold to the public." It's on you and your health professionals to navigate what enters your body.