Supplements Galore!

You go online or walk into a GNC or similar supplement store and you are bombarded by thousands of products. Most of these products are not only way over priced but a complete waste of money. Most of the products found in these stores will just go through your body and be urinated out and have no nutritional or "supplemental" benefit. Essentially, you are pissing away your money. Now, that is not to say that all supplements are bad and that no one should take supplements. However, MOST of the supplements sold in these stores are simply modified sugars and caffeine. The problem is, people still buy these products. Supplements are just like anything else, a business. The companies are going to do whatever it takes to sell there products and make them money. So they write things like muscle building, fat losing, energy boosting, faster reovery, vasodilation, and loose 100lbs in a week all over there bottles. The sad thing is, people read that and automatically believe it. So, the supplement company just won, becasue they made money of that person. That is all they care about.

Now, like I mentioned not all supplements are junk. Things like multivitamins, proteins, fish oil, fax seed, and even creatine are proven to be beneficial. That is not to say that everyone should go out and buy these supplements. In my opinion, if you are under the age of 18, you diet should only consist of whole foods, no supplements, unless there is a medical deficiency. Now, after the age of 18 you begin to add some supplements to your diet IF you have a good diet. Think about the word supplement. When you supplement something you complement it. So, if you don't have a good, well balanced diet, then don't even bother adding supplements. After you have perfected your diet you can then start adding things like whey protein, fish oil, flax seed, and creatine monohydrate.

Just remember, although supplements may say it on the bottle they are not instant body transformers. If you want to change your body you must have a well designed exercise program and more importantly a well rounded diet. If and when you have both of those you can then use certain supplements to your benefit.

If you have any questions about supplements, nutrition, or an exercise program feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu