Girl Gang Guide To: Supplements
By Claire O’Bryan, ANP - C
Ever wondered why your doctor or provider isn’t super excited when you tell them you’re taking a bunch of supplements? It’s not necessarily because we think they’re useless or woo woo, it’s often simply because supplements are not regulated by the FDA, and we can’t tell you as much about them. There are some supplements that have been used and widely studied for decades, but many are new to the market, meaning without FDA regulation it’s what some refer to as the Wild Wild West. There are of course many supplements that have been proven to work for specific conditions at specific doses, but what makes us nervous is the wide availability and easy access to any and all supplements. It makes us nervous that supplements might and can interact with your medications that are needed for your medical issues. It also makes us nervous that we don’t know long term effects they may have!
The natural wellness industry is growing so rapidly, it is estimated that 75% of Americans are taking a supplement. It is an industry worth over ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. ONE. HUNDRED. BILLION. So it seems like everyone and their mother is taking at least one supplement because of natural benefits. Migraine relief, period pain, anxiety… anything and everything it can be cured by a natural supplement, right!? But are your supplements necessary? Are they helpful? And if they’re not helpful, perhaps they’re even harmful? Let’s take a look at a few supplements and see!
Disclaimer: This post is NOT meant to recommend FOR or AGAINST any supplements, as always, you should discuss all of that with your provider! The aim is simply to highlight issues we see with this industry and make patients more aware. I personally take multiple supplements!
1. Vitamin D - Vitamin D has in fact, had a moment. Over the last few years it has been discussed and potentially linked from everything along the health spectrum, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. But in a huge new editorial in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), a highly, HIGHLY respected medical journal, the authors essentially review all of the randomized controlled trials that have really failed to show the benefits of Vitamin D in specific diseases. It’s tough to take too much Vitamin D, so while the supplement may not be considered harmful by most, these authors are saying it’s probably not helpful. Something to consider when putting money towards this supplement. If you’re not deficient? Prob don’t need it.
2. Collagen - This one remains unclear as well. In the world of arthritis (or joint pain) there is some variable evidence about whether supplement with collagen hydrolysate is helpful in pain. There are also variable outcomes in the cosmetic world, with some studies showing 12 weeks of supplementation with collagen improving the look and texture of the skin. Our take on it? If you aren’t taking care of yourself with proper diet, exercise, and a good skincare routine? Don’t waste your money on this expensive supplement.
3. Biotin - Also known as Vitamin B7, and commonly taken for skin/hair/nails. Biotin is readily available in many foods, and humans are rarely deficient (the exception to this is vegans!). Recently the FDA actually came out and issued a warning for Biotin supplementation, noting that it may interfere with vital tests such as thyroid function, and a test to show providers if you’re having a heart attack. Biotin has also not been shown to improve hair or nails in healthy, non deficient individuals (aka… most of us)
4. Vitamin C - Crazy popular in the winter and cold/flu season! But did you know it actually will not help you catch a cold? It has been shown to actually shorten the duration of some upper respiratory illnesses, but it won’t help taking it before you get sick. It has it’s own side effects, so daily supplementation is really not necessary!
5. St. Johns Wort - This is one supplement that is probably universally agreed upon in traditional medicine because it interacts with SO MANY MEDICATIONS!
6. Magnesium - Often recommended for migraines, there are some trials showing benefit (with others showing none). Possibly comes with the lovely side effects of diarrhea and GI upset.
7. Ginger - A new study shows that an eighth teaspoon of powdered ginger was found to work as well as the migraine headache drug sumatriptan (Imitrex) without the side effects. WHOA! While that is absolutely incredible, even ginger comes with the possibility of increased bleeding.
8. Melatonin - My lover, my friend. If I don’t take it, I lose it. But even my lover comes with the possibility of headache, short-term feelings of depression, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, stomach cramps, and irritability.
What I hope you’ve gathered is not that supplements are bad, because inherently they are not! What they are is MEDICINE, and we need to treat them as such! The pendulum has swung the other way, and we’ve become a culture that has started to blindly trust anything we feel fits our description of natural, and natural does NOT equal safe! If you’re going to start a supplement, make sure you know potential side effects and interactions with medications you already take. And with that, happy supplementing!
xo, Claire O’Bryan, ANP - C
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Sources:
Vitamin D and Health Outcomes: Then Came the Randomized Clinical Trials. Anika Lucas, MD1; Myles Wolf, MD, MMSc1,2 Journal of the American Medical Association:
Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Liu X, Machado GC, Eyles JP, Ravi V, Hunter DJ. British Journal of Sports Med. 2018;52(3):167. Epub 2017 Oct 10.
The effect of oral collagen peptide supplementation on skin moisture and the dermal collagen network: evidence from an ex vivo model and randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Asserin J1, Lati E2, Shioya T3, Prawitt J4. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium. Facchinetti F, Sances G, Borella P, Genazzani AR, Nappi G. Headache. 1991;31(5):298.
Comparison between the efficacy of ginger and sumatriptan in the ablative treatment of the common migraine. Maghbooli M1, Golipour F, Moghimi Esfandabadi A, Yousefi M. Phytother Res. 2014 Mar;28(3):412-5. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4996. Epub 2013 May 9.
