How to choose your supplements?

You may have heard people saying, 'Taking nutrition is only making your pee more expensive.' Some even goes to the extreme and say, 'It doesn't cure last stage cancer. So it doesn't work!' Have we heard of 'prevention is better than cure'? Even the most advanced technology and medicine sometimes doesn't cure cancer.

I am not eliminating the fact that medicine is vital, I am only saying that nutritional supplements are preparing us better to support the functioning of our bodies.

Many of us would agree to eating healthy and exercising will help improve our health. As more and more of us are becoming aware of the importance of supplements, it has also created a profitable industry from selling nutritional products.

How are we to determine what is good and safe for us? Not all of us have the access to the in-depth information of this knowledge, nor the time to research in such detail of what's what that we are buying from the shelves or over the counter, or even through direct selling. But there are a few simple steps we can take before buying any supplements. At the end of the day, we are the ones who will be putting this substance inside ourselves that is not easily taken out as easily as we put it in, of course certain precaution needs to be taken.

1.'Natural' is not necessarily as it claims
Products which are labeled as using natural ingredients may not necessarily mean the whole product is produced using natural products. It may be just a puff to attract consumers. Did they say which particular ingredient is natural and how much natural is 'natural'?

2. More does not equal to better
The ideal amount of supplements differs among each individual. This is also the same with the quantity of the ingredients contained in a product. Don't buy a supplement because it has more in certain ingredients you are told to be beneficial to you. Look for one that can be safely consumed and made use of biologically. Usually a good company background of the manufacturer will justify the ethics in the production of a safe supplement.

3. Do some research
Buy from a manufacturer that clearly states the amount of ingredients contained in the supplements and they are honest about the figure. Research has shown that many supplements are of low or zero nutritional value. This is happening because the ruels and regulations for such products are almost non existance.

4. Buying it from a health shop does not necessarily mean that it is healthyThere is substance used in making supplements which are harmful to us, some taking a large amount may be poisonous. A good example is a type of Chinese herbs called Ephedra. It is a component of a multi-herb cold formula made by boiling ephedra with cinnamon twig, licorice root and almond. It is also marketed for weight loss, athletic performance and physical and mental stimulation. However, it is banned in the US because it was found that the use of ephedra has been associated with stroke, seizures, psychosis and death. As the use of the ingredient and the right to sell is not managed properly in certain countries, the chances of buying it without knowing is quite likely.

5. Pricing is not everythingSome buy certain supplements because it is cheaper. You would think the nutritional value of all supplements is the same. It is not. The nutritional value of a product can never be determined by its price. The importance is buying the type that works for you and that are safe to consume.

6. Avoid buying supplements with combination of multi herbsEvery type of herbs affect our bodies. Each of them results in different effect when combined differently. Therefore, combining more herbal into one supplement does not necessarily be better. It may seem that it is more valuable to have a supplement with more herbal combination but this is very deceiving. A supplement with herbal ingredients should have been included with sufficient research and development to ensure that the amount is safe.

7. How the supplements are manufacturedThe producing and packaging of the supplements are done according to a complete manufacturing guidelines. This will ensure that the products are hygienic and safe.

8. Choose a supplement without chemicalThat simply means that supplements which are food, should be made from food and not chemically combined substance

9. Choose organicApart from choosing supplements which are compressed from the essence of food, choosing supplements of organic food source makes it even safer to consume

10. Obtain your information from the right sourceOf course you can't depend on articles or information based on advertisement or sales centered presentation. Find independent source which is non-profitable and also scientists backed articles (be careful though some scientists aren't real)

11. If you are also under medicationYou may want to check with your physician about whether taking supplements is not going to give you side effects under your medication

12. Beware of Ayurvedic productsSome of these products contain heavy metals, which we know are not good for us. Traditionally, many Indian herbal practices still believe that heavy metal is good for us

13. Be smart
Reach a conclusion that is supported by good grounds, facts and evidence. Understand your body, discuss with your physician and do research.

I would trust a company with transparency that tells you how the supplements are produced. From the way the food is planted, processed and manufactured, even down to the packaging and the labels attached to it. It should be informative and honest.

It is easy to take any substance without consideration, thinking that it will be processed as a natural given function with our livers and kidneys. However, if a little thoughts are put in to determine the safety of a substance, we will save ourselves a lot more trouble in the future. It means responsibility to yourself and those around you.

Do we need to take supplements / vitamins?

Other than some of my friends who think that medicine like Panadol is the only way when they have flu or a headache, some of my friends actually believe that taking supplements/vitamins is also important. Just the portion they are taking, people still think that taking too much supplements/vitamins can kill.

Well, the fear is not unfounded. There are many reports of 'overdosed' supplements/vitamins. I won't even call those supplement/vitamins. I will explain about this in another topic.

Now, coming back to why we need to take supplements/vitamins. A classic example is Vitamin C. If animals really need it, why doesn't dog, cat or any animal take supplements/vitamins? Throughout evolution, human has lost the ability that other animals possess - that is the ability to self-produce Vitamin C. The human's diet rich in fruits and vegetables have given us sufficient source of the nutrient, hence we grew to lost this instinct.

Most animals produce 3,000 to 16,000 mg of Vitamin C per day. Guess how much is required from our RDA? 60mg. Taking this amount can decrease the risk of getting cancer and boost our immunity; taking 1,000mg can significantly lower blood pressure. In fact, animals which can produce 3,000 to 16,000mg of Vitamin C are immune to cancer and viral disease. Now, do you still think that we don't need supplements/vitamins?

Alright, I did say that human has evolved through eating high fruits and vegetables diet to lost the ability to self-produce Vitamin C. That does sound like eating enough fruits and vegetables should get us the sufficient nutrients to battle off cancer and viral disease. Theoretically, it is correct; realistically, not quite.

In the past before we became industrialised, there was hardly any pollution. We were living in an almost stressed-free world where people did not have to compete with each other to be more powerful, richer or get a high rank. Now we have water pollution, air pollution and even the population in the world has tripled over the past one century.

Pollution and stress create free radicals. Free radicals create disease and cancers. Vitamins A, C, E are the most common anti-oxidants to battle the free radicals. The amount we used to consume at 60mg could only handle the kind of lifestyle we used to have - stressed free. With the adding up on these two stressful elements, only an increase in the dosage can cover the damage that is created in us, by our surroundings.

To make it easier for you to measure, 1,000mg of Vitamin C is equivalent to 22 oranges. Can you eat 22 oranges a day just to get the 1,000mg of Vitamin C? Won't popping a Vitamin C tablet be an easier task? Then you will still have space in your stomach to fit in other delicious food that we Malaysians so hate to miss.

Bravo! You are one step further in understanding your body. Next chapter I will discuss with you how to choose your supplements.

What is RDA?

We notice that almost all supplements, vitamins, food that has anything to do with health effects take the measurement of RDA. So do you know what RDA is?

RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance used for each nutrient. You wonder how the numbers for the RDA are derived from.

You see, the discovery of nutrition is less than 100 years. Before that time, our ancestors were hunters or farmers. Only until the 20th century, we have propelled to building cities and townships during industrial revolution to create new jobs. At that time, many jobs were created for industrial workers. They ate bread and biscuits which were cheap energy foods. Bread and biscuits are made of refine flour and sugar and also saturated fat. The nutrition value is almost nil!

Workers became sick due to mulnutrition, you can also call it nutrition disorders. They started to have scurvy, rickets, pellagra, beriberi, tetany, osteoporosis, kwashiorkor, mental retardation and marasmus. Now, here is where the RDA comes in. If you supply your body with the vital nutrients listed in the RDA then you can avoid all the above nutrition disorder diseases.

Is that it? Not yet. I am certain you will agree with me that every one of us is different, physically. Our genes are different and our lifestyle too (I will in a later post discuss with you about how our gene, environment and lifestyle affects our health). Therefore, RDA is only the standard minimum requirement of nutrition to avoid the disorder but it has nothing to do with individual nutrition assessment. Hence, we need supplements / vitamins to help us achieve the health we desire so that we feel good about ourselves physically and mentally. Of course, the most important one is to prolong our lifespan in a healthy state.

We still have bread and biscuits for tea time or part of a meal, but for those who 'live on' them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you seriously have to adjust your diet before it is too late.

Shortfalls between RDA and ODA
Nutrients	RDA	ODA	Shortfall
Vitamin A (mcg)	800	2500	1000
Vitamin B1(mg)	1.4	35	30
Vitamin B2 (mg)	1.6	35	30
Vitamin B3 (mg)	18	85	35
Vitamin B5 (mg)	6	100	80
Vitamin B6 (mg)	2	75	70
Vitamin B12 (mcg)	1	25	15
Vitamin C (mg)	60	2000	1800
Vitamin D (mcg)	5	11	4
Vitamin E (mcg)	10	300	250
Folic Acid (mcg)	200	800	400
Biotin (mcg)	150	225	105
Calcium (mg)	800	1000	200
Magnesium (mcg)	300	500	150
Iron (mg)	14	20	20
Zinc (mg)	15	20	10
Iodine (mcg)	150	300	60
GLA (Omega 6) (mg)	-	150	110
EPA/DHA (Omega-3) (mg)	-	700	600
Selenium (mcg)	-	100	50
Chromium (mcg)	-	125	50
Manganese (mcg)	-	10	4

ODA - Optimum Daily allowance

*The chart is taken from Patrick Holdford's New Optimum Nutrition Bible