There is a lot of talk about the evils of "Big Pharma", but a lot of people fail to understand that the supplement industry might be worse...
The supplement industry is a $40 billion industry in the US alone and, unlike the pharmaceutical industry, regulations for what is put into products and sold to consumers is minimal.
In fact a recent study (citation) tested 57 performance enhancing supplements and found that only 11% had within 10% of the listed quantities of the performance enhancing ingredients that they were being sold for. They also found that 10% of the supplements contained ingredients that were banned by the FDA .
All of this to say that you want to be very careful when taking a supplement and be skeptical when supplements are being promoted to you as having unique benefits because the reality is that most of them have very little benefits, IF ANY.
Supplements CAN be useful, however, if you choose the right dose of a quality supplement and choose to take them for the right reasons.
There are two main reasons why I would recommend taking a supplement:
- You are supplement replacing a nutrient that you are not getting enough of through your diet.
- You are supplement a compound that has been shown in HUMAN studies (more than one) to have benefits for a specific outcome you are wanting to achieve.
For example, many people have low levels of Vitamin D. Taking a vitamin D supplement can help increase Vitamin D levels which can support bone health, immune health, and more. So for this reason it may be worth supplementing with Vitamin D. An example of the 2nd is creatine for someone who is wanting to increase strength and lean muscle mass. Creatine has shown to be safe, well tolerated, and beneficial for these specific outcomes. So, in this case it would be worth considering.
If a supplement doesn't meet one of these two criteria, it is probably best to skip it. The vast majority (95%+) of the results you achieve are going to come from your nutrition, exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle habits, NOT from a supplement or supplement stack. So now that I got that part out of the way, I want to discuss some supplements that might be beneficial for you.
Protein Supplements
Photo by Kristiana Pinne on UnsplashProtein is not just important for muscle growth, protein provides amino acids which function as building blocks for every organ system in our body as well as for immune cells, neurotransmitters, hormones, and more. If we were building a house, proteins represent the bricks, sheet rock, and other materials that the house is made from.
Protein is also very filling and higher protein diets tend to help control apetite and energy intake better than diets lower in protein.
The average American is consuming only 16% of their total calories from protein, which is below the 1.2-16 g/kg/day that is considered “optimal.”
Bottom line is that many people can benefit from eating more protein and using a protein supplement can help with that.
Just 1 scoop of protein per day mixed with water, yogurt, oatmeal, or into a smoothie, can help a lot of people meet their protein needs. Usually one scoop is about 20 grams of protein but there are options like pre-made smoothies that have more - up to 42 grams per drink. And no I don’t recommend a collagen protein to meet your protein needs. I explain why in this podcast episode.
A Multivitamin
Photo by Leohoho on UnsplashA multivitamin is the insurance policy when it comes to supplement nutrients that you may not be getting enough of through food. If you are eating a mostly unprocessed diet, that is not restrictive in any way and includes a wide variety of foods then you are probably meeting your nutrient needs quite well.
However, pregnant women, aging adults, picky eaters, and those on restrictive diets may be lacking in various nutrients that they may benefit from by supplementing. In this case, a multivitamin can serve as a “safety net” to ensure that you are getting those essential nutrients.
Vitamin D
Photo by Diana Polekhina on UnsplashLow vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of fracture, hypertension, diabetes, depression, and more (citation). Vitamin D levels vary largely based on skin tone, sun exposure, where we live, and more.
For this reason, it is important to get your vitamin D levels tested and supplement if needed. A standard dose is between 2,000 and 4,000 IU per day, but this will depend on vitamin D level. If it is very low, then the 4,000 IU dose is likely a better option.
Many Vitamin D supplements are sold with K2. This is because without vitamin K, vitamin D can increase calcium in the blood and Vitamin K helps to get it into the bones where it belongs and can’t cause harm. The K is not NECESSARY, but this is the reason that a lot of companies are adding it.
Fish Oil
Photo by Sharon Pittaway on UnsplashFatty fish is rich in EPA/DHA which are types of fats that we can’t get from other foods. DHA is important for the development of our brain and nervous system and is especially important during development (birth and childhood) and EPA helps to reduce inflammation in our body.
If you don’t eat fatty fish weekly, chances are your consumption of EPA and DHA are going to be very low. Supplementing with a fish oil supplement (or an algae oil for those who are vegetarian) can be helpful here.
A general recommendation for fish oil is to take ~1 grams of EPA+DHA per day for an adult.
Magnesium
Photo by ASN on UnsplashThe last supplement on my list is magnesium. Nearly 60% of the US doesn’t consume enough magnesium through food each day and magnesium supplementation has shown to reduce the frequency of migraines, reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke, and improve sleep quality in older adults.
You can find dietary sources of magnesium here (magnesium). If you find that you are not consuming enough magnesium rich food sources and/or you experience migraines, poor sleep, restless legs, anxiety, etc. and you think that you can benefit from a magnesium supplement it may be worth a shot.
With supplements you don’t want to go over 400 mg per day, most studies use about 300. Nearly any form of magnesium works.
Bonus: Creatine
Photo by Aleksander Saks on UnsplashA bonus one that I am including is creatine. If you engage in resistance training and you are wanting to increase strength and lean muscle mass, creatine is a supplement worth taking. Creatine has shown to be safe, well tolerated, and it may even have some cognitive benefits.
A standard dose of creatine is 5 grams per day. You can buy pure plain creatine which is what I do. There are also post-workout creatine supplements that may also be a good options if you don’t like just drinking the plain powder and prefer something with taste.
Bonus Bonus: Pre-workout
Photo by Derick McKinney on UnsplashI am going to offer another bonus here and that is pre-workout. This one is absolutely NOT NECESSARY, but it can help with performance in the gym and increase productivity during your exercise training.
I don’t use a preworkout all of the time, but I do like to use it for that extra boost when I want to kick things up a notch.
A good preworkout is going to have some caffeine, some beta-alanine which causes the tingly feeling but helps you lift a little more, and some citrulline which helps our blood vessels dilate,
And Finally...
Photo by Jp Valery on UnsplashThese are the main supplements that you will find me recommending. There are other more specialized supplements that can be useful in very specific scenarios, but those are more for clinical use rather than general population.
Remember supplements are not harmless and most of them are not effective so be skeptical when taking any and focus your energy on your diet and lifestyle FIRST And stay away from the liver pills, greens powders, functional mushrooms, salt supplements, and other supplements being widely promoted as having special health benefits.
These people just want to make commissions from you buying a product you don’t need.
I choose giving helpful advice that is going to improve people’s health over increased commissions any day.
