“All Natural”

I recently received an email from my little sister about how she has been able to lose all her baby fat.  I guess people have been asking her “what is your secret”.  If you know my sister she eats very healthy and exercises regularly.  She is also taking a supplement that she says helps.  My bet is that my sister lost her weight because of diet and exercise and not because of the supplement. Whether or not this supplement helps is not what I’m about to rant about but it is the way that this supplement was presented that makes me a little wary.

I’m sure all of you have heard from time to time the term “All Natural” pertaining to food, vitamins, creams, and many other things.  It bothers me that we take that phrase and immediately think “oh that must be good for me”.  Well someone could sell you a tape worm in a pill form (which has happened) and call it “all natural” and they wouldn’t be lying about it.  Would you take it then if you knew it was a tape worm?  Most of us would pass.  I have a bachelors degree in community health from BYU and one of the subjects we talked about in my training was how dangerous supplements and herbal remedies can be.

Number one warning about supplements and herbal remedies is that they aren’t required by the FDA to pass any kind of test to be considered safe or healthy for you.  In fact the supplement is presumed safe and put onto the shelves for the consumers to use.  If the FDA receives many reports about adverse reactions to a supplement only then will they warn the public.

Another problem with supplements is there is no way to know if it does what it says it will do. I remember back in 2002 my parents were taking echinacea to prevent them from getting colds.  They even convinced me to take it a couple of times.  Echinacea was a popular supplement that people took because it claimed it could prevent and treat colds. In 2005 a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  It concluded that echinacea did not have any effect on colds.  Those given echinacea and those given a placebo had the same effect. Meaning essentially taking echinacea is the same as taking a sugar pill.

There are also dangerous herbs out there that can actually cause kidney failure, liver problems, and even death.  I’m not saying all herbs are bad, you just need to know what is in a supplement and know what the risks are. Don’t just take something because it says “All Natural”.  Do your research.  Make sure your research isn’t biased.  If you are getting your information from the company that is selling or producing or in anyway connected with the supplement, that information will most likely be biased.  Do the research yourself before you try any supplement.  Don’t just take your friend’s advise.  Also once you’ve done your research then discuss it with your doctor.  Just be smart about taking supplements.  Don’t be duped by the “All Natural” phrase.