Are Your Supplements Helping or Hurting You?

Americans spend over 30 billion dollars a year on supplements. 86% of us report taking nutritional supplements on a regular basis, yet only 21% of the population actually show a nutritional deficiency. I’ve been researching the subject of nutritional supplements for several months now. Even though we sell supplements in our office, what I’ve read is concerning enough that I’m now reconsidering how and when to recommend nutritional supplements.

In my practice it’s not unusual to have patients bring in bags of supplements for me to look at. Sometimes they are taking over 50 pills or tablets a day. I’ve long suspected that this can’t be healthy, and my recent research is helping me understand why.

I’ve now read several credible sources which indicate that supplementation, especially at high dosages for a prolonged time may actually be harmful. There is mounting scientific evidence that excessive and long term supplementation could even shorten our lifespan! It’s important that you understand the biological reasons for this conclusion so you can make an informed choice about using nutritional supplements.

In 1956, Dr. Denham Harman proposed the free radical theory of disease in which oxygen free radicals were supposedly the cause of over 100 diseases including cancer, heart disease, and aging. Free radicals are chemicals which have unpaired electrons which were thought to damage lipids, proteins, and DNA through oxidation. Denham’s theory was quickly elaborated by others who touted antioxidants like Vitamins C, A and E as the savior from the supposed damaging threats of oxidation by free radicals. While in-vitro studies (studies done on isolated cell cultures) did show that cells can be damaged by free radicals, the truth about how free radicals work in a living animal or human are much different that what was seen with in-vitro studies.

We are absolutely dependant on oxygen for life, yet according the the free radical theory, this life giving gas was somehow the cause of disease and aging. It turns out that free radicals, also known as reactive oxygen species (ROS), are crucial to a multitude of biological functions. This is known as the redox (reduction/oxidation) signaling system which is an important regulator of physiological outcomes. This signaling system has been widely studied in bacteria and plants which rely heavily on oxidant signaling, suggesting that these mechanisms are ancient and evolutionarily conserved in all biological life. This system is exquisitely balanced, and studies are now showing that the excessive use of antioxidant supplements can dysregulate this system and have detrimental effects on the body, and may actually cause problems like heart disease and cancer. Free radicals are important intermediates in natural processes like detoxification, vascular functions, and nerve signaling. They are also responsible for destroying bacteria and viruses, killing cancer cells, turning genes on and off, and keeping our brains alert and focused.

I’ve been thinking about this through the lens of evolutionary biology. Our bodies evolved over millions of years to use the foods available in a wide variety to sustain life. I’ve written before about how indigenous cultures had high levels of health and vitality from eating foods naturally present in their environment. They certainly didn’t have or need nutritional supplements to maintain optimal health! We also know that when people don’t get certain crucial vitamins in their diet they can develop serious nutritional deficiencies. Scurvy is a classic example. When early explorers started sailing the world they didn’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. On some voyages over 50% of the crews died of scurvy. Vitamin C hadn’t been discovered, but captains found that when they took limes and sauerkraut along, the incidence of scurvy plummeted. This is why British sailors became known as “limeys”.

The point is that we are biologically designed to get all the nutrients we need for health from the food we eat. No amount of supplementation will substitute for a lousy diet. This is why it’s so important to avoid processed foods devoid of nutrients, and eat whole foods locally or organically grown without toxic pesticides and chemicals.

If a patient has to take handfuls of supplements in order to function, I know they have some underlying physical or neurological dysfunction that has never been addressed. This is why I use the Neurological Integration System (NIS) in my practice. NIS pinpoints the cause of many health problems very accurately, and can restore normal function in many cases.

My advice is to choose carefully and limit the number of supplements you are taking, especially when it comes to antioxidants like Vitamin C, D, and A. If you feel you need these limit the number you take. This also applies to anti-inflammatories like tumeric, green tea, resveratrol, and fish oil. You’ll be much better off getting these from food in the amounts nature designed us for. Supplements are processed, isolated factors.

However when consumed in whole food forms they are combined with many other cofactors that make them more effective and safer. You could make an analogy between nutritional supplements and processed foods. Both are isolated substances devoid of the cofactors and complexes found in a natural state. Both may cause harm if consumed frequently or in large quantities. Neither will sustain health if we rely on them solely for our nutritional needs.

I’m not saying you should stop taking all supplements. Supplements which are sourced from whole foods like Standard Process Labs, and Heart and Soil can be safely used in judicious amounts. Standard Process grows many of the foods in their supplements organically on their farm in Wisconsin. Heart and Soil sells freeze dried organ supplements sourced from grass fed New Zealand beef. Organs like liver, heart, kidneys and spleen are full of important nutrients in a very bioavailable form, and were always prized over muscle meat by indigenous cultures.

Also, our premier gut product, Ion Biome, is perfectly safe to use on a regular basis. ION* Gut Health helps with inflammatory response, enhancing mental clarity, promoting immune function, supporting digestion, and alleviating gluten sensitivity. ION*Gut Health has been shown to promote the strengthening of the gut barrier, which supplies the first line of defense against everyday exposures to environmental and food borne toxins like glyphosate and gluten that can degrade tight junctions in the epithelial layer of the gut lining. You can find this product in our clinic.

Finally, If you live in a climate without much sunshine during winter months it is a good idea to take a high quality Vitamin D supplement containing Vitamin A and K2 at a dosage of 4-5000 IU 2-3 times a week. You can find these with our discount in Wellevate on our website.