Is the UK Overdosing on Supplements? Asks Our Editor
In my kitchen, there’s now a dedicated cupboard for my supplement stash. In regular use are my multivits and omega-3s. But there are also a number of products I dip in and out of. There’s turmeric extract and a vial of CBD oil from Puresport; Dirtea lion’s mane gummies; collagen capsules from Ancient + Brave; a bottle of purple pills that I think are supposed to do something good for my skin.
On the countertop sits a 1.7kg bag of Huel (cinnamon swirl) and a tub of PhD pre-workout (lemon sherbet). In my work bag, a tube of High5 electrolytes. Forgive the overshare, but at this point my urine is the colour of the phosphorescent rod in the opening credits of The Simpsons. If you shake me, I probably rattle.
I’m not sure when or why I started taking so many, and I’m not certain I need them, either. I’m fairly active, but I’m hardly a high-performance athlete. I’m not particularly anxious about nutritional deficiencies. I take them because they’re… there?
What the Stats Say
The latest stats suggest I’m far from an anomaly. Collectively, we’re all dosing up more frequently than we used to: by 2030, the global supplements industry is expected to be worth around £251.5bn, up from £136.5bn today. I certainly don’t feel like I’m alone in my supp obsession, either. Casual conversations in the gym and office often turn to the relative merits of various canned BCAA drinks, or the best-tasting plant-based proteins. My inbox also offers some indication of where things are headed. Have I tried Irish sea moss extract, asks one PR? Is okra the new spirulina? Am I adding creatine to my coffee yet? If not, why not?
When I run this past Morgan Pfiffner – who has a master’s in nutrition and works as a content writer at independent research body Examine.com, – he points to a growing trend for supplements taken in edible or drinkable forms. ‘I call it the “food-ification” of dietary supplements,’ he says.
He references the rise of powdered greens and protein bars fortified with vitamins, plus ‘gummies containing all sorts of things, like melatonin and probiotics’. Does chewing rather than swallowing our supps lull us into a false sense of security?
On one hand, swallowing handfuls of pills daily has become something of a flex; ‘biohacker’ and tech entrepreneur Dave Asprey recently told Men’s Health he takes 150 supplements a day, swallowing 50 at a time, while superstar DJ Steve Aoki takes 50 each a day (25 at a time).
But, for most of the supp-curious, this is likely to be excessive – making chewable and chuggable alternatives ‘pretty broadly appealing’, says Pfiffner. And the broader the range of delivery methods, the more supps we can take.
I’m starting to wonder whether this is good for us – or good for me, perhaps. Is a surplus of choice creating the illusion of necessity?
Don't Believe Everything You Read
Aoife Lynch, a specialist dietitian at Cleveland Clinic London, has her concerns. ‘Clever marketing strategies have convinced us that these products will improve our health or are better or safer than medications,’ she says. But there’s always some risk. Supps simply aren’t as well-regulated as medicines.
While the vast majority of products are likely to be safe, there’s mounting evidence that some don’t contain what they say they do. ‘Some products have been found to have trace elements of dangerous molecules,’ she says. It’s supps roulette: the more you pop, the greater the risk of accidentally ingesting something dodgy.
Another concern for super-suppers is the risk of overlapping ingredients. If your electrolytes, protein bars and probiotic sodas are all fortified with high doses of vitamins, you might be overdoing it. A megadose of nutrients can place a burden on your body, says Kerry Rehnberg, a doctor at Nuffield Health. ‘The excess needs to be excreted, often via the kidneys, or sometimes they can accumulate in the liver and cause toxicity,’ she adds.
Chris Roughley, a Cleveland Clinic London GP, tells me he regularly sees patients with high B12 levels – a result of fortified foods and multivit use. ‘This has not correlated to symptoms and disease as yet – but we do need to be aware of it,’ he says.
The problem with some of the more niche products is that we don’t really understand exactly how they affect us yet. ‘With many of the newer supplements on the market, such as nootropics or mushroom extracts, we don’t have adequate evidence for the potential risks associated with longer-term use or their potential interactions,’ says Lynch. Scientists just don’t have data on the cumulative risks associated with stacking multiple random compounds.
Signs You're Taking Too Many Supplements
So, how do you know if something’s wrong? Well, there are some pretty obvious signs: increased urination, joint pain, muscle weakness, yellowing skin and rashes are red flags. Gut symptoms such as nausea, cramping and abdominal bloating are also worth heeding. Although it’s not just the active ingredients themselves you want to watch out for; added sweeteners and caffeine can also cause issues.
This doesn’t mean we need to call it quits. Some nutrients benefit from a top-up: vitamin D in the winter; B12 for vegans; iron for those with anaemia; omega-3s if you don’t eat oily fish. Both creatine and caffeine also have well-established benefits. I’m not here to yuck anyone’s chaga-gummy yums.
But I suspect my own supp compulsion is rooted in something deeper – a breakfast shake and a pill are a plaster for a diet that can lean too heavily on supermarket sandwiches. Evidence suggests a varied wholefood diet nixes the need for most supps. But convenience foods leave us nutritionally deficient – a gap we then bridge with (convenient) pills and shakes.
My new nutrition goal? It might be time to clear a bit of space in that cupboard...
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