How Can I Tell Which Supplements Are Safe?
Take a look in your cabinet or on your kitchen counter or nightstand. Chances are, you have a bottle of vitamins or some supplements there reminding you to take them. If so, you’re not alone. According to a 2024 report, approximately 59 million Americans use them on a regular basis.
Supplements and vitamins can be great immune boosters and health aids when taken properly, if you can truly benefit from them, and if you are taking quality products. But how do you know these things?
Start by asking yourself some questions. When deciding whether to start taking a supplement, think about the following:
- What should I take?
- Is it safe for me?
- Why do I need it?
- What do I hope to gain from using it?
- What does research say about this product?
- How much should I take?
- How long should I take it?
- Are there any side effects?
- Will it interact with any other meds or anything else I am taking?
Once you determine the answers to these questions, consult your doctor. Many supplements are perfectly fine to take in the recommended doses. Some are simply not necessary. For example, simple blood work can determine if you have a vitamin D or B deficiency and need to supplement your food intake with those vitamins.
But your doctor will also help you determine if the supplements or vitamins you want to take will interact with any other meds you are taking, will interact with each other, or will be too much for your body. Your doctor will also advise you about what to take based on any medical conditions or diseases you have.
And women, remember, if you’re pregnant, some supplements can affect the growing baby, so always consult your doctor before taking anything new.
It’s also important to understand that you can get too much of a good thing. Some vitamins, like A, D, E, and K, can be harmful in high doses because they are fat-soluble. That means that excess amounts can build up in your body and become toxic. My doctor once told me that she treated a young 19-year-old man who complained of fatigue, muscle weakness, and blurred vision. After much discussion with him, she found that he had been taking mega-doses of vitamin E and was having a toxic reaction. Once he stopped and his body cleared the excess E, his symptoms went away.
That young man is certainly not the only person this has happened to. What we put into our bodies matters. So once you have gotten the approval of your doctor, here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing a supplement.
- Check ingredients
The US Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate dietary supplements as drugs, so it’s up to the consumer to find a reliable company to purchase from so you know that what’s in that bottle—and what you are putting into your body—is what it’s supposed to be.
At Performance Inspired, we use only clean and natural ingredients, and none of our products contain artificial sweeteners. Why do we take that approach? Our site explains that “studies have shown that artificial sweeteners have significant negative effects on the body and are dangerous versions of the natural sugars they attempt to imitate.” Further, some people report getting a chemical taste from these artificial sweeteners. This then impacts the taste of the food or drink.
Additionally, all of the ingredients we put into our products are necessary, and we use them only in efficacious amounts. That means we put only what is needed into the product, no more and no less.
- Purchase supplements made only in the United States and from established outlets
If you purchase your supplements or vitamins from disreputable companies, you have no guarantee what you will get. You may get what you ordered, but you may also get a product with too much or too little of the ingredient you want or with unhealthy fillers. There is also a chance that your product could be tainted with unknown ingredients. Dr. Simon Yeung, a pharmacist and herbalist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explained that consumers should feel more comfortable purchasing supplements from a major pharmacy or health store. So stick with reputable companies in the US.
- Read scientific studies
If you want to start taking a supplement, do some research about it and how it has helped or affected others. Check to see if there have been any clinical trials. Read about scientific studies from credible publications, such as those published on the National Institutes of Health website. These will all help you determine if the product could help you or not or if you will just be wasting your time and money.
- Be wary of false promises
It would be great if diseases were magically cured by a supplement or if you could take a pill and lose thirty pounds in three weeks. But these results aren’t likely to happen, and any claims such as these should raise a red flag. Stay away from companies that offer these types of false promises.
- Determine if it’s GMP certified
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering explains that the Good Manufacturing Practice “is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.” Further, GMP “covers all aspects of production from the starting materials, premises, and equipment to the training and personal hygiene of staff. Detailed written procedures are essential for each process that could affect the quality of the finished product. There must be systems to provide documented proof that correct procedures are consistently followed at each step in the manufacturing process—every time a product is made.”
Knowing a product is GMP certified helps you feel confident that what you are taking is a quality product.
Why Performance Inspired?
We understand that you want to take care of your body; we want that too. That’s why we want you to trust us. In fact, we trust—and love—our own products. Our co-founder, Mark Wahlberg, uses them on a daily basis, and we work hard to give you quality and safe products.
As our website explains,
Our commitment to quality is demonstrated in the status of all our co-manufacturers as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) plants, requiring our manufacturing processes to follow stringent guidelines for safety and quality. Daily inspections ensure compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practices, and our facilities have earned one or more of the following certifications: NSF Sport, SQF Level 3, 21 CFR 117 & 111, FSMA compliant, LGC – Informed Choice and Sport. In addition, they all have multiple product certifications. Some examples are: gluten free, Kosher, Halal, FDA & state, non-GMO, QAI, and vegan/vegetarian – just to name a few.
In addition to this testing, you can be assured that our products contain no artificial sweeteners and that we use only the highest-quality ingredients, each one with a Certificate of Analysis.
So before you dive into a new supplement routine, do some research and talk to your doctor so that you will make the best decision for your body and your health.
