Turn on your TV or your radio and it’s highly
likely a “miracle” supplement is advertised. It seems as though every week, a
new supplement is touted to help you lose fat or gain muscle ridiculously fast
with minimum efforts. Well, I hate to break it to you, but illegal anabolic
steroids are usually the only thing capable of producing rapid fat loss or quick
muscle growth.
Dietary supplements are protected under The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), meaning dietary supplements do not have to demonstrate proof of effectiveness or even safety. Scary right!? Some fat burners have even been linked with inflammation of the liver. That’s not all… A product marketed as a vitamin B supplement was linked with unusual hair growth in women and impotence in men.1 Why? Two potentially harmful anabolic steroids were found in the product.
So just how can you tell if a
dietary supplement is a fad? Fear no more, The Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics has provide you with 10 red flags. Now you have the ability to decide
if a supplement or even a diet is credible or if it’s a fad promising to give
you a fat burning and muscle building “super powers.”
Here it goes: It promises a quick
fix, there are dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen, the
claims sound too good to be true, there are simplistic conclusions drawn from a
“complex” study, the recommendations are based on a single study, there are dramatic
statements that are disproved by reputable scientific organizations, it lists
“good” and “bad” foods, testimonials that are used to help sell the product are
present, the recommendations are based on studies published without a peer
review, and finally the recommendations from studies ignore differences among
individuals or groups.3
Hoofta, give
me a chance to catch my breath!
The best approach to a weight loss
program includes healthy food choices with exercise, behavior modifications,
nutrition education and some motivation. Building muscle requires a gradual
increase in energy intake with combined weight lifting to maximize muscle mass
gain over fat gain. Finally focus on proper fueling with food rather than
dietary supplements.
Once your
food is in place, certain dietary supplements can be effective.
Whey protein, creatine, and even caffeine
have been proven to be effective in aiding your training. But before whipping
out your wallet for supplements, make sure you keep the 10 red flags in the
back of your mind to save your health and your wallet talk with a Registered
Dietitian.
Gavin Van De Walle is an ISSA Certified Fitness
Trainer, a freelance writer on topics of fitness and nutrition, and a dietetic
student at South Dakota State University. Once Gavin becomes an RD, he will aim
to achieve the distinguished Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
credential. Gavin can be reached at gavin@supranutrition.com
Reference
1.
Y
Radha Krishna, V Mittal, P. Grewal, Mi Fiel, T Schiano. Acute liver failure
caused by ‘fat burner’ and dietary supplements: A case report and literature
review. Can J Gastroenterol. 2011;
25(3): 157-160.
2. Food and Drug Administration: FDA
warns consumers about health risks with Healthy Life Chemistry dietary
supplement.
3.
ADA. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food and nutrition
misinformation. J Am Diet Assoc.
2006;106:601.
