Are Supplements Doing You More Harm Than Good?

MARCH 27, 2017 by OLIVIA NEELY, RDN, LD

Fillers supplements harm

The quick answer is: it depends.

Are you getting supplements that contain a potentially dangerous combination of fillers and questionable ingredients? Then yes, these might not be helping you reach your health goals… and what a waste of money!

This is what happens when regulation laws aren’t in place. A recent study by the New York State attorney general’s office revealed that 4 out of 5 supplements on the shelves of popular retailers (GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart) contain NONE of the herbs and ingredients listed on the labels! Instead, they contain a potentially dangerous mix of cheap fillers and mystery ingredients. Talk about false advertising!

Not only does this make us as consumers feel taken advantage of; it’s also scary to think we might not actually know what we’re ingesting! If you’re anything like me (or have had nutrition counseling sessions with me) you like to know what you’re putting in your body. You may read nutrition labels to look for sneaky sugars, or even better, most of the foods in your diet don’t have a nutrition label because they are fresh whole foods (think potato chips vs. a whole, organic potato). You’ve even moved to buying grass-fed, pastured or organic animal products because you know you’re not only eating the animal, but what that animal ate (think GMO wheat, corn and soy).

But most people aren’t aware that supplements are not regulated the way prescription drugs are. This means supplement manufacturers can fill their vitamins and supplements with junk that’s harmful for your body and brain! It slows metabolism, impairs thinking, reduces immune function, increases inflammation and can cause more harm than good. These reactions in the body can actually keep you from getting healthy, feeling more energized, and even losing weight!!

So when do supplements actually help??

I don’t want to make this seem all doom and gloom – but if you want to take good care of what you put into your body, supplements are no exception. Just as it’s important to be mindful of your food, you need to be careful about your supplement intake.

At the same time, when you’re taking high-quality supplements (not the ones you’d find at the drugstore or health foods store), they can be extremely effective—not only in filling in nutrient gaps when you waiver from your healthy eating regimen (because hey, no one is perfect right!?), but in reducing inflammation, kicking sugar cravings and shedding pounds.

So how do you pick the right supplements? Good news! We do all of the hard work for you…

By constantly researching new and emerging physician-quality supplements to provide you, we get to see you reach your goals faster! That’s because many of the brands we recommend on our Wellness Shop are third-party tested, meaning they actually contain what they say they contain. In order to keep the quality high and the product safe for you, some of the brands we carry are only available through licensed healthcare professionals. Some brands that we carry, like Xymogen have spent millions of dollars shutting down third-party selling on sites like Amazon and e-bay. When re-sold on sites like these, there is no guarantee the product you think you’re getting is the product you will actually get.

How do I purchase them?

Head over to our Wellness Shop now to browse our quality brands. If you want to purchase Xymogen products, please call our office for a practitioner code to access their product list and prices. If you are in a Comprehensive Wellness Program ask for your program code to apply at checkout!