08 Jan It’s All Natural So IT Must Be Good, Right?

Adverse reactions to over-the-counter supplements account for over 23,000 ER visits a year.  Most of the problems are caused by OTC weight loss products that result in palpitations and chest pain.  Be careful with products containing caffeine sources such as guarana, yerba mate, kola nut, and bitter orange.  Just because it is natural does not mean that it is safe.  I would not intentionally ingest snake, spider, or wasp venom.  They are all “natural.”  Many plants are also known to be toxic including deadly nightshade, hemlock, jasmine weed, oleander, foxglove, and poison ivy, to name just a few.  Supplements are not required to have warnings about side effects, but it does not mean they don’t exist.  Chose a supplement with the USP Verified Mark if possible.  This will assure that it at least contains what it says it does.  For good factual information about supplements visit the Office of Dietary Supplements, a branch of the National Institute of Health at https://ods.od.nih.gov

Producing about $32 billion in revenue from nutritional supplements alone in 2012, it is projected to double that by topping $60 billion in 2021 according to the Nutritional Business Journal.  People complain of greedy “Big Pharma,” but the supplement industry is not full of saints either.  Buyer beware and do your homework.

Here’s to the Journey!

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician, founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness – a fitness facility for Every Body)