There is increasing scientific scepticism about the use of supplements. While it has been claimed for a while that various supplements offer a variety of benefits, new studies are popping up constantly with evidence suggesting that either they are not providing what they promise, or that they are actually dangerous to our health.
According to a recent report, nearly half of all Americans take supplements on a daily basis. This makes it a huge industry, generating around $30 billion worth of sales every year. But given the mounting evidence that supplements might not be everything that we are hoping for, a new study has set out to understand why Americans continue to take their supplements.
It seems that there is a kind of in-built common sense logic that is betraying many people. The idea that ‘more is better’ seems to be applied everywhere, and that includes peoples’ daily routine of taking supplement pills.
Interestingly, it has been noted that people who take supplements are actually very likely to have a healthy lifestyle anyway. This means that they often attribute their good health to taking supplements when the reality is that they would have remained healthy anyway thanks to their good eating habits and regular exercise.
Multi-vitamin tablets are the most popular product amongst Americans, with calcium supplements and fish oil not too far behind. But it is notable that this popularity of pills has not been generated by medical science; less than a quarter of the supplements used by adults are recommended by their doctor.
Indeed it’s actually more sensible to get the vitamins and minerals you need for your food rather than in tablet or powder form. It’s well known that the body is better at absorbing nutrients from food and this can help you avoid all of the unwanted side-effects.
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