Natural Supplements | 3 Side Effects
There is something fascinating about supplements. Probably it's the sense of safety, a reassurance that by taking them, we are back on track or we can perform better. But there are some flaws in this approach, let's have a look at 3 of them:
1. Culture. In a modern society where we often run short of time, we look for quick-fix, something that works without requiring a fundamental change in our lifestyle. The idea "a pill will save me" is at the root of this approach. Basically we delegate our health to a pill and this works the same whether the pill is natural or synthetic. Instead of changing our culture, we found easier to add some pill to our diet.
2. Dependency. When we delegate something we create a dependency. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, we need to find the right balance before things gets out of control. For example, if a glass of wine is costing us more than the bottle, then we may have a problem. If we can't do without the pill, then we'd start asking: Do I really need this pill? What side effects it's having on me? Is there any alternative that may work better? Of course, if it's a medication you'd first contact your doctor.
When a dependency is created, we normally go with it without worrying too much about alternatives, especially if these require a change in our lifestyle. Unfortunately this approach promote a behaviour that leave the root cause of the problem as it is, giving us a false sense of confidence that everything is under control.
3. Quality. So-called natural supplements are not regulated as other pharmaceutical medications. This means you can find anything in a natural supplement, including toxic metals and other harmful chemicals.
It's simply impossible for a Department of Health to check every natural supplement that is sold in the market.
For example, the FDA in US, does not test dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers. As this occur in most countries, you're free to take them at your own risk.
Moreover, unlike drug makers, the manufacturers of supplements are not required to report to the FDA health problems that might be related to their products.
Unfortunately, "natural" and "safe" are not the same thing; arsenic is natural, for example, as are lead and mercury, but it is not safe to eat them.
A study published in October 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reviewed 776 supplements that the FDA found to contain unapproved and sometimes dangerous pharmaceutical ingredients.
1. Culture. In a modern society where we often run short of time, we look for quick-fix, something that works without requiring a fundamental change in our lifestyle. The idea "a pill will save me" is at the root of this approach. Basically we delegate our health to a pill and this works the same whether the pill is natural or synthetic. Instead of changing our culture, we found easier to add some pill to our diet.
2. Dependency. When we delegate something we create a dependency. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, we need to find the right balance before things gets out of control. For example, if a glass of wine is costing us more than the bottle, then we may have a problem. If we can't do without the pill, then we'd start asking: Do I really need this pill? What side effects it's having on me? Is there any alternative that may work better? Of course, if it's a medication you'd first contact your doctor.
When a dependency is created, we normally go with it without worrying too much about alternatives, especially if these require a change in our lifestyle. Unfortunately this approach promote a behaviour that leave the root cause of the problem as it is, giving us a false sense of confidence that everything is under control.
3. Quality. So-called natural supplements are not regulated as other pharmaceutical medications. This means you can find anything in a natural supplement, including toxic metals and other harmful chemicals.
It's simply impossible for a Department of Health to check every natural supplement that is sold in the market.
For example, the FDA in US, does not test dietary supplements before they are sold to consumers. As this occur in most countries, you're free to take them at your own risk.
Moreover, unlike drug makers, the manufacturers of supplements are not required to report to the FDA health problems that might be related to their products.
Unfortunately, "natural" and "safe" are not the same thing; arsenic is natural, for example, as are lead and mercury, but it is not safe to eat them.
A study published in October 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reviewed 776 supplements that the FDA found to contain unapproved and sometimes dangerous pharmaceutical ingredients.
