Success or Snake Oil? The Rundown on Health Supplements
(This article was originally written for Rule Mag in July of 2020)
Before we begin, its important to note getting any nutrient through food is preferable to a powder or pill because its easier for your body to absorb. The dietary supplement industry is not regulated the way the rest of the food and drug industry is so you should always be careful. Also, we are not doctors, so please talk to a doctor before making any medical decisions. Alright, lets go.
Creatine
Claim: Helps build muscle mass
Verdict: Yep!
Studies have found that this is a naturally produced molecule created in your liver and kidneys and is stored in your muscles. This supplement is great for or activities that require short bursts of power like sprinting and weightlifting.
Silver
Claim: prevents or cures coronavirus
The verdict: No. Just, no.
Beet Juice
Claim: Aids in athletic performance and lower blood pressure
Verdict: True!
Beets are high in nitrates, and scientists have found that the body converts them into nitric oxide which stimulates blood vessels to widen thus allowing more blood and oxygen to get to your muscles. It lowers blood pressure for the same reason, all those dilated blood vessels. But do note, your number ones might turn a bit pink if you really pound back those glasses of beet juice.
Vitamin C
Claim: Helps prevent the common cold
Verdict: Mom was wrong…sort of.
Its such a cultural wisdom that vitamin C helps prevent a cold that we just chug oj and trust the magic is on its way. But study after study have shown there’s just nothing to definitively prove it can prevent a cold. However, it has been shown to slightly shorten the duration of a cold once you’ve caught it. But citrus is a delicious food you can still taste when you’re congested so at least there’s that.
Melatonin
Claim: Makes you fall asleep and stay asleep
Verdict: Get ready to snuggle up under the covers because this one is real.
Researchers say its primarily useful for people who have irregular or atypical sleep patterns like frequent travelers or night shift workers. The hormone helps reset the so called “internal clock” that has been disrupted preventing you from traveling into dreamland.
Yohimbe Bark
Claim: Its a secret African aphrodisiac
Verdict: Alas, not.
Now is a good time to point out pretty much all aphrodisiacs are snake oil. Human sexual desire is about interpersonal connection, mood, and even pheromones. But this one is particularly dangerous because it has been shown to cause heart attacks and seizures. So just don’t.
Fish Oil
Claim: it cures everything
Verdict: No. But also yes. Sort of.
Fish oil is packed with Omega-3s and is naturally occurring in, you guessed it, fish. Its a nutrient the human body can’t produce on its own so food and supplement intake is the only way to get it. Claims of the wonders it works range from lowering cholesterol to increasing longevity. Like most outlandish health claims, those that promise the world if you would just take these little oil capsules are likely false. However, there are some things its proven to help, namely issues around swelling such as rheumatoid arthritis. But its most popular claim of preventing heart attack and stroke simply have no evidence to support them.
At the end of the day, there are really only two pieces of wisdom. There is no cheat code. The hard answer is what experts have been telling us for decades, to be healthy you have to eat a balanced diet and exercise.
