I often field questions about dietary supplements and vitamins. What do I think about co-enzyme q10 or high dose vitamin E or beta carotene? Flax seed? Ginkgo? Tons of stuff like that. For the most part, we don't know a lot about dietary supplements. No one has studied these things in any really meaningful way. But in reality, eating healthy is such an easy task that it doesn't require much thought.
If everyone simply did two things, then we as a country would be much healthier. If we (1) ate less, and (2) ate less packaged and prepared foods, we would be miles healthier, diabetes would be far less prevalent, and we would stop being the fattest country in the world.
...but at the same time I'm telling patients this, I have a cheeseburger with fries for lunch waiting for me in my office.
2 comments:
Doctors know how to care for others but often due so at the cost of their own health.
I'm a scientist in drug discovery research and several people ask me about dietary supplements - I think it's ironic that these get on the shelves without testing of any kind or data given the highly regulated process for new medications.
My standard response is that without data/ a trial it's impossible to say - maybe it works, maybe it doesn't work but is harmless, maybe it's harmful -
so the wise course of action would be not to bother with the latest supplements....just eat healthy (cheaper than some of these supplements) and exercise (taking a walk is free) :)
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