In 2014, we have become, as a nation, both more open to trying supplements and more—much more—confused about what works when. Who wouldn’t be? Lock down the one surety—that the human body needs vitamins, minerals, amino acids and omega oils to function—and then the questions begin. Do we get enough from the food we eat, or do we need extra supplements? Can they cure diseases? Ease chronic pain? Help us concentrate? Will they make me run faster, sleep better, live forever? Universities, doctors, patients, insurance companies, pharmaceutical makers, entrepreneurs and hucksters shout over one another to claim, once and for all, that they have the answer—with differing agendas and differing answers.
In this chapter, Natural Health gives you the definitive answers. And we get there by going way deep under the hood, combing through every important study—the landmark cases, and the brand-new, up-to-the-minute 2013 research—to tell you whether a supplement is worth taking for a specific ailment, or whether you’re rolling the dice. The results are sometimes inspiring (when the evidence is strong), and often frustrating (when “more studies need to be done”), but always the straight truth.
The chapter is organized alphabetically, so it’s easier to use in the supplement aisle, or when you’re searching for one supplement in particular. You’ll find a running theme, as supplements fall into a few different types:
AMINO ACIDS: Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Twenty amino acids are found in protein; the human body can produce 10 of them, the other 10—called “essential” amino acids—come from the food we eat. Unlike fat and sugar, we can’t store amino acids, so they must be replenished daily. And failure to get just one of the amino acids results in a breakdown of proteins to supply the one that is missing.
ANTIOXIDANTS: An antioxidant is a molecule that protects cells from oxidation or cell damage. They are especially of interest in the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and those caused by chronic inflammation. Vitamins C and E, selenium, and carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin all are antioxidants. Vegetables and fruit are rich sources of antioxidants, and research continues to find benefits for using supplements to fill in nutritional gaps.
COMPOUNDS: Dietary supplements are sometimes formulated to contain several vitamins, minerals or other chemical compounds; usually these formulations are created because the elements benefit each other, such as calcium and vitamin D, for instance.
MINERALS: Minerals are the inorganic chemical elements all living organisms need for growth and function; the seven most important minerals for humans are calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine and magnesium; “trace” or minor minerals, necessary for mammalian life, include cobalt, copper, iron, iodine, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.
OMEGA OILS: Omega-3s are essential fatty acids, meaning that we do not produce them and so must get them from food or supplements. Most omega-3s come from fish and fish oil, but they are also available from plants such as flax and algae (which is what the fish eat). Researchers are busy finding ways to support claims that omega-3 supplements can prevent heart disease, cancer, chronic diseases associated with inflammation and aging in general.
VITAMINS: Vitamins are organic compounds that we need for growth and for health, and that cannot be synthesized in sufficient amounts by our bodies, and so must be ingested. Pretty much anything that’s not a mineral, an essential fatty acid or essential amino acid is probably a vitamin. Thirteen vitamins are universally recognized: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E and K.
There you go: from A to Z, with no BS in between.