Dietary supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients and other substances that can be taken orally as pills, tablets, capsules or liquid. While dietary supplements do not treat, cure or mitigate diseases directly, their primary aim is to promote overall wellness.
Although popular supplements exist, their quality can often be hard to ascertain without strict oversight and regulation. Therefore it can be challenging to differentiate which are worth your money and which aren’t.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a prohormone that aids calcium absorption from food sources in the gut and supports bone mineralization and growth. Additionally, vitamin D regulates multiple genes involved with muscle function, cell growth, glucose metabolism, immune response response and more. A deficiency can result in childhood rickets or osteomalacia in adults while an overdose may result in hypercalcemia which could prove deadly.
Most individuals consume enough vitamin D through fortified food or sun exposure, yet certain groups are especially at risk of not meeting their vitamin D needs. This includes infants, older adults (particularly women postmenopause), and those with darker skin who cannot absorb sunlight as efficiently.
Vitamin D can be found both in multivitamin/mineral supplements and as standalone dietary products, typically as D2 (ergocalciferol) or D3 (cholecalciferol). Both forms increase vitamin D levels in blood; D3 increases them more quickly and lasts longer in your system, plus circulates with its own special carrier protein known as vitamin D binding protein.
Multilevel marketing (MLM)
Multilevel marketing (MLM) is an unpaid sales strategy in which unsalaried company salespeople sell directly to consumers while recruiting additional salespeople, known as downlines, through MLM companies. Compensation depends on both how much product was sold directly to consumers as well as recruitment of downlines by each participant; some MLMs also provide cash rewards for recruiting new members.
MLMs have increasingly gained favor within alternative health circles in recent years. One supplement manufacturer called LifeVantage recently made headlines for appealing to anti-vaccine activists who see its claims that its supplements could prevent and cure Covid-19 vaccine as plausible.
Before joining an MLM, it is crucial that one performs extensive research. An excellent place to start would be by reviewing their refund policy – ideally get a written copy so you know all restrictions and penalties as well as return periods. Furthermore, one should inquire how much money participants typically make through MLM programs.
Third-party testing
Third-party testing is a critical element of quality control for supplement companies. It helps ensure products are safe to consume by screening for contaminants such as heavy metals and harmful substances that could potentially contaminate or otherwise compromise them. Testing also facilitates accurate labeling and marketing decisions while helping prevent adverse events by verifying that vitamin D supplements contain the specified dosage IU per serving listed on their labels.
Third-party testing laboratories operate independently from manufacturers and work to verify compliance with national and international standards, protecting consumers from costly recalls or legal issues. They have an in-depth knowledge of regulations applicable to supplements which reduces errors while increasing accuracy; many laboratories even provide custom tests such as those offered by BSCG that help ensure THC doesn’t exceed certain thresholds in hemp-based products.
Adverse events
Dietary supplements are used widely across the United States, yet national data on adverse events related to them are scarce. Such adverse events include nausea, vomiting, dizziness or jitteriness, rapid heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, yellowing skin or eyes (which indicates liver injury) as well as severe allergic reactions caused by combinations or interactions of supplements and drugs; physicians and pharmacists must report such adverse events to public health centers; however, many do not do so.
The FDA utilizes adverse event reports from both consumers and doctors to help identify potentially hazardous products; however, due to federal exemption laws, public release of product names from these reports cannot occur. Investigating this further with the Freedom of Information Act, Consumer Reports found that this exemption was being inconsistently applied by the agency. Consumers can report their experiences via MedWatch while healthcare professionals should encourage patients to do the same; additionally they can request from their physician copies of their dietary supplement history report.
