Do You Even Lift Bro?

By Jose Gallardo

Now a days, you can find the fitness trend to be all over our feeds. Almost everyone we know has posted a story about working out or their plans on getting fit. On this path some people decide to start taking supplements without being properly educated on these supplements. Some people get to dependent on supplements so they start taking all these pills without the proper nutrition, fitness program, and I say again KNOWLEDGE. So how safe are supplements ?

Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, describes that one can get all of their minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from the food they consume. Zelman explains that the nutrition data about foods are intensely known, yet still being researched for more nutrition. This nutrition data can still help consumer choose what combination of foods to intake in order to provide a healthier lifestyle, without the need of supplements.

Zelman, does make the argument that particular individuals should take supplements such as pregnant women, the elderly, and people with food allergies because consuming food will not have the same effect in nutrition as it would on someone who was not in this criteria.

Rachael Rettner, illustrator for Life Science, describes that fat burners have little proof that they really do work, which is counter to what is being advertised. Rettner explains that fat burners can even be harmful to ingest on the consumer because the combination of ingredients, which have not been researched, may have a serious harm on the consumer. Think about it like this, if we know what is in a clear glass, such as a glass of water, we will drink it right? Now think of another clear glass yet we do not recognize the smell of the unknown liquid and it just looks different than something we would drink. Would you still drink it? So why would someone take fat burners without knowing the ingredients in these pills!

Caroline Cederquist, M.D. and writer for the Huffpost, shows that some supplements advertise the wrong ingredients. She explains, ” a particular brand of supplements was labeled “gluten free” and when it was tested to see its purity the test showed that these pills had wheat and other potential allergens not listed on the bottle.” Just imagine being allergic to one of these ingredients and you think it something else versus the supplements that are labeled “gluten free.”

Cari Nierenberg, writer for WebMD, shows that too many supplements can be harmful for the body. Nierenberg shows how to much vitamin C or Zinc can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Furthermore, Nierenberg quotes David Katz, MD, that an over “consumption of supplements can cause difficulty in sleeping or concentrating, nerve problems such as numbness and tingling.” If over the counter pills that can be bought in any vitamin store such as GNC, the Vitamin Shoppe, or the mom and pop supplement stores can make you go numb unintentionally, why would someone continue to take them ? Just to be able to post a picture on Instagram?

An article from Consumer Reports points out that supplements are not regulated by the Federal Drug Administration. This means that supplements are not required to warn the consumers about anything in the bottle because the FDA does not require supplements to have warning labels, unless they contain iron. Consumer Reports details how some companies will not put warning labels on the bottle because the company feels it will not be a serious harm to the consumer. We should be able to dictate would be safe or not safe for us right? The supplement companies have took that deciding factor away from their consumers. Yet few people really know that supplements do this, as well as supplements not being regulated by the FDA.

Overall, we as consumers need to be aware how companies such as in the fitness world market their products. Like mentioned early, some people just take supplements without being knowledgable on the product, the company, or the FDA regulations on the supplement. Be careful and be knowledgeable if you do decide to partake in supplements.