Safe Supplements and other Myths

Many of us take supplements in the form of vitamins and other health-inducing hopefuls - how safe are they?

Health shops, drugstores, and groceries stock shelves of vitamins, herbal remedies, and other supplements that generally promise to make our bodies healthier and our minds happier. The fact is, some of them might and others definitely do not.

Regardless of which pill, potion, gel, or powder you consume, if it is labeled supplement without making a real claim to medical healing, it has not been tested (with few exceptions) and is not regulated. Even worse, many that have been tested have been found wanting. In some cases, the main ingredient fell far short of its claimed intensity; in others, the pill itself failed to dissolve even under extreme circumstances.

In the case of lookalike plants, serious cases have been recorded from the use of a supposedly harmless supplement. The manufacturer had mistaken the original plant with one that works like digitalis.

While the well-known ephedra has generally been removed from the market, it is still possible to obtain. This heart-problem inducing "natural" herbal might have been harmless in the smallest doses. When combined with caffeine and activity, however, it could make your heart race right into dangerous rhythms.

Chinese herbals and treatments continue to cause problems. They are touted as proven, centuries-old prescriptives when, in fact, they can be harmful.

Common vitamins and blends are not exempt from this umbrella of unsafe production and handling. Nor are even the most trusted brands to be, well, trusted. No warning labels exist to warn individuals of cross-reactions. It is a fact that garlic and gingko cause blood-thinning, which can be a great danger to anyone already taking a blood-thinning drug. Vitamins D and K also have their drawbacks when taken in excess.

Many vitamins and combinations also can interfere with surgical procedures. They may affect how the anesthetics flow and can impede recovery. When planning for any procedure, be sure to advise the attending physician of which supplements, and how many, are on your intake list. Where possible, it will be wise to refrain from taking any supplement at least two weeks before any surgery.

Bodybuilders and those who wish to lose weight are also at high risk of the adverse effects of supplements. This lies as much in the product itself as it does in its mishandling. In many cases, these additives are abused in abundance - with the hopes to speed up the process by ingesting more. These practices can lead to dire consequences.