Making the world of supplements less intimidating

By Nicole Gould, RD, LD

You’re watching television and hear about a great new supplement that will fix all your problems. Your best friend takes it and swears by it. You ask your health professional, but they say no. Most of the time, they don’t even give you a reason. Again you’re left confused, and not knowing who to believe.

That’s what I am here for! I want to make the world of nutrition and supplements less overwhelming.

As a registered dietitian, I started out like most in western medicine and pretty much dismissed supplements. I thought they all were the same and because they are not approved by the FDA, they don’t work and are not safe. Furthermore, every time I tried a multi-vitamin I would get stomach aches and just assumed it was because I didn’t need it. We get everything we need from food, right?

I have to be realistic. Most Americans do not get 3 to 5 servings from different colored vegetables each day. Also, the quality of our food is not the same as it once was.  There are some great options such as whole food multivitamins and green supplements.  Some are even USDA certified organic!  In fact, Mike did a podcast on one of my favorite green products called Berry Green.

It really wasn’t until I got involved with Vital Choice that Mike opened my eyes to a lot of the research out there on nutritional supplements. When I did my dietetic internship in New York, I had the opportunity to work with RD’s that had the same philosophy. There is room for dietary supplements and the fact of the matter is they are not all the same. Yes, there are dangerous supplements and companies just looking to make a buck, but many companies produce pure products that do make a difference.

With Americans spending over $15 billion on nutritional supplements, it’s important to stay educated on the facts and not get caught up in the tricky marketing. It’s hard to know what to believe, but hopefully, I can provide some research and an unbiased opinion to make your decision a little easier.

If you have any questions on a supplement you are considering taking, would like me to analyze your current regiment or simply would like more education on the intimidating world of supplements please contact me.   I would love to help!

* Though you should always consult your doctor before taking supplements, I can at least provide them with some research or more information about a product if they are unfamiliar with it.