LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Fitness: Miracle Pills |
by Rick Moore |
I always get asked the inevitable question: "What supplements should I take, now that I've started on an exercise program?" That, my friends, is a really tough question to answer. There are so many new herbals and nutritional supplements on the market that it's difficult to choose one to recommendif I were to recommend any at all. Part of the problem is that people think these are miracle pills which will help them lose weight, gain muscle, and feel perky all the time, regardless of their diet and exercise level (or lack thereof). I've even talked to people who said they were going to get the benefits of exercise without actually exercising, simply by taking supplements. Hey! Why didn't I think of that? It seems that every manufacturer has jumped on the bandwagon with their own line of brightly packaged powders and pills. I got a catalog in the mail recently, and the brands and varieties of supplements were absolutely mind-bogglingnot just a pamphlet but a big, thick catalog full of supplements! I've never heard of some of these things, but I can tell that a lot of them are being over-sold with too many enticing promises. People want to believe that a supplement will give them the body they want, so the advertising works. Supplements are HOT. Americans have spent over $12 billion (as of 1997) for these vitamins, minerals, and herbals. Why, even your local grocery store pharmacy has them displayed out on the counter or in nice, eye-catching end-cap displays purporting to cure you of anything or everything. And all this for products that the FDA doesn't even overseethanks to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which severely restricted the FDA's authority over nearly any product labeled "supplement," so long as the item makes no direct claim to affect a disease. Drugs claim to affect a disease, and are therefore subjected to clinical studies for their safety and effectiveness. Supplements avoid this FDA scrutiny by making claims that come across the same, but with fuzzier language. They use phrases such as "may help to," "has been shown that," or even "could promote." Nearly all supplements are thought to be safe, that is, until the FDA gets a report or claim of adverse reactions. Since no testing is required before a supplement is introduced, do you feel like a guinea pig? I know that many of these supplements come from Chinese and other traditional types of medicine, that they have been used for centuries, and that many of them really work when used correctly. But these days there are problems. For example, not all supplements are the samethat is, even though they're labeled identically, they don't contain the same amount of their active ingredients. They vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from batch to batch. Just recently, Good Housekeeping magazine tested brands of St. John's Wort supplements for the quantity of ingredients they contained, and seven of the nine brands came up short. This was found to be true for ginkgo biloba and echinacea, too. These are some of the biggest sellers today. Kinda makes you think. What's in this stuff? What benefit do you get from it? What does it really do to improve your health? I've always said "an educated consumer is a smart consumer," so let me list some of the more popular supplements now being taken by the general public: DHEA: Claims to slow the aging process, increase your energy and even control your weight. In reality it's been shown to have mixed results, but its side effects may increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Echinacea: It's supposed to prevent and treat a cold. A clinical trial showed that it did not prevent colds, but it "might" help to reduce their symptoms. A big word of warning on this one: do not take it if you have a compromised immune system. Ephedra (Ma Huang): This supplement has been in the news a lot lately. This is the main ingredient of those diet pills you hear advertised on the radio day and night. It claims to be for energy and weight control, but it's been linked to high blood pressure, seizures, headache, and even deaths have occurred. Kava-Kava: I first thought this was a new brand of coffee, but I was wrong. It's supposed to reduce stress, but it's been reported to cause gastrointestinal upset and temporary discoloration of the skin, hair, and nails. Lobelia: Taken as an aid for asthma and even bronchitis, it's been linked to respiratory suppression, rapid heart rate, coma, and uh-oh, even death. Saw Palmetto: This herbal is showing some promise. It's for the treatment of enlarged prostate glands and has been shown to help men increase their urinary flow and reduce their urge to urinate at night. The down side is that it can cause upset stomach, headache, and here it goes guyserectile dysfunction (can I say that?) St. John's Wort: This is the one that's supposed to relieve depression. The jury is out, though. The U.S. Government is funding a 3-year study that will compare it to prescription anti-depressant drugs. Side effects can be dizziness, dry mouth, and a sensitivity to light. Yohimbe: It's supposed to be a man's aphrodisiac. You may be better off with a six-pack and some old Johnny Mathis records. Studies of this supplement have been very sparse, but side effects at high doses (and who takes little doses of an aphrodisiac?) can include paralysis, weakness, and even death. It comes down to this: am I anti-supplement? No, not really. If a supplement works for you, then that's great. But in my opinion, a lot more research needs to be done to show that they are safe and effective. I generally think that good nutrition, exercise, and proper rest are the best supplements. Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates. He believes in common-sense, drug-free training. Visit him at Ricks Fitness & Health, Inc., in beautiful downtown Milton. Check out his website at http://www.enrapt.com/ricksfitness, or give him a call at (302) 684-3669. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 11, Aug. 13, 1999 |