How many is too many supplements?
The supplement industry raked in more than $42 billion in just the United States in 2019. There seemingly is a product for every issue but how many is too many supplements?
Supplements are everywhere and provide an answer for everything. You do not even need to go to a vitamin store to find them. Grocery stores have entire sections devoted to these over the counter products. Pharmacies carry them, college campuses carry them, even convenience stores have them.
Eating too much? Appetite suppressants. Not hungry? Powders are available to make sure you get the calories and protein you need. Need something to charge you up for exercise? Preworkout. Can’t sleep now? Melatonin. What about the basic daily multivitamin? You get the picture.
For every problem there is supposedly a solution. The question becomes is it really making us healthier and how did we get here?
Psychologists say supplement overuse may be an eating disorder
Dietary supplements are popular among men who are striving for a lean, muscular body. However, a new study asserts that overuse of and dependence on these substances may be a sign of deeper problems. It’s to the point where it may qualify as an emerging eating disorder. The findings were presented on August 6, 2015 at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention.
The study authors claim that the media’s increasing objectification of men’s bodies is partially to blame for the increased use of supplements. They focused on legal appearance or performance-enhancing supplements, such as whey protein, creatine and L-carnitine, because they claim to give the user the exact body type that they strive for. That body type is often perceived as balanced, muscular, and low in fat.
The study group comprised 195 men from age 18 to 65 years (average: 33 years). All had consumed legal supplements in the past 30 days, and they worked out a minimum of two times a week. The investigators used an online survey to collect information on supplement use, self-esteem, body image, eating habits, and gender role conflicts.
Study findings
The researchers found that 29% of men were concerned with their use of supplements. However, 40% had increased their use, which the investigators believe indicated underlying psychological and emotional issues preventing an individual from stopping what they know is dangerous behavior. The men were also asked about physiological changes. The men in the study appeared fit and healthy, but medical evaluation unearthed deterioration of the body due to supplement use.
A small proportion (3%) reported that they had been hospitalized for kidney or liver problems related to supplement use. 8% responded that their doctor had told them to cut back or stop out of concerns for their health. The investigators note that their reasoning for categorizing supplement overuse as an eating disorder was two-fold. First, supplements are often sold in the form of foods, bars, or powders, which become part of a person’s dietary habits. They also found a significant positive correlation between risky use of legal supplements and sub-scales on the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, which is a well-established diagnostic tool for establishing eating disorder behaviors.
The study authors note that most eating disorder research has focused on women. This is due to their desire to be thin, which typically manifests in food restriction and binging, or men who exhibit the same behavior. Supplement research has focused on bodybuilders and illegal steroid and human-growth hormone use. Thus, this study was a departure from that type of research in that it focused on men taking legal dietary supplements. The researchers noted that society and research tend to under diagnose abnormal behavior among male populations. This is a problem because men engage in self-destructive behaviors, which are viewed as normal activities; thus, they do not come under scrutiny.
Potentially dangerous supplements
Another danger of supplement use is that they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many companies have proprietary blends, and not all ingredients are listed. The authors note that over the past decade, it has been found that some supplements contain a significant amount of arsenic. The researchers note that the most significant feature of their study is to point out the dangers of risky, excessive legal supplement use by many men.
Can you take too many supplements?
Yes. Supplements are simply additions to your diet not a replacement. They certainly should not be taken in a haphazard way either. While athletes and bodybuilders may be able to tolerate a bit more supplementation than an average individual, an over the counter product should not replace a balanced, healthy diet.
