This is part five in a series; read the series from the start here.
In reality, there’s a lot more than 99 supplements on the wall. So how do you know which ones to take?
Dietary supplements are usually only needed if you are deficient in something. For example, if your doctor does a blood test and discovers that your vitamin D is low, then maybe you should consider taking some vitamin D. But you shouldn’t take vitamin D because the internet or a supplement salesperson says it’s good for you. You probably have enough vitamin D in your system naturally without having to take another pill.
Typically your doctor can tell, based on your medical history, list of medications, and described symptoms if you need to be tested for a vitamin deficiency. For example, hypertensive patients taking statins, like Lipitor and Crestor, are usually low on the natural antioxidant CoQ10, so Dr. Edward Leonard, with Florida Wellness Medical Group, tests for this in those patients. Alcoholics and daily drinkers, on the other hand, are often deficient in vitamin B, says Palm Harbor physician Dr. Margaret Amanti. Deficiencies like these, confirmed by blood tests, are a good reason to buy supplements.
You know what’s not a good reason to buy supplements? Applied kinesiology.
“It sounds really scientific and valuable,” says Leonard, but “this, for me, is another one of those 'buyer beware things'. What they’ll do is they’ll hold up a bottle of substance, say it’s coffee or vitamin D, and they do muscle testing on you — that’s the applied kinesiology component.” Dr. Leonard tried to explain it to me using his colleague, Tony, and an empty bottle of water. We pretend that the empty bottle of water is a cup of coffee.
“So I would walk up to Tony here,” he said, “I’d have him hold out his arm.
I’d say, ‘Close your eyes. I’m going to place this bottle next to you.’”
Tony looks skeptical, but eventually holds out his arm.
Leonard then positioned the bottle next to Tony’s outstretched arm.
“I’m going to hold [the bottle here] so he’s feeling this coffee energy,” says Leonard.
Now he tells Tony to hold his arm up nice and strong, as he moves the bottle away.
“Can you hold up this coffee for me?” he asks Tony.
Leonard hands Tony the bottle of water, then theatrically pushes down his arm.
“Ah, he needs coffee,” he says.
Confused? Me too. That’s probably because applied kinesiology makes no damn sense.
“Somehow, some way, the energy of the coffee transcends the bottle it’s contained in and makes its way into his energy mojo, so they can sell him whatever that supplement is,” says Leonard, “and if you Google acupuncture, chiropractic, or massage therapy, there are, unfortunately, a lot of providers that are currently selling this snake oil. And there is zero evidence on it."
There are good ways and there are bad ways to determine if a person needs dietary supplements. It’s better to ask your doctor about it before you take the advice of a salesperson at your local health food store.
Jen Ring discovered her love of writing through the lens of a brand new camera. When she’s not taking photographs, she’s writing about taking photographs and other fun things to do in the Tampa Bay area. Check out her Photographer’s Notebook for photography tips, tricks, and pics, and subscribe to her newsletter to follow her other adventures.
This article appears in May 24-31, 2018.