Supplements – JustCare

Supplements can damage your liver

Supplements are a multibillion dollar business in the US ($200 billion globally,) with more than half of Americans taking one or more of the 80,000 different supplements sold. But, in most instances, supplements are a waste of money. They provide no benefit or, worse, pose a threat to your health. Ali Patillo reports for National Geographic on the harm some supplements cause to people’s liver.

What you don’t know about supplements can really hurt you. And, there is no good information helping you to distinguish the supplements that could cause you serious harm from others. It has a lot to do with the ingredients. So, if you care about your health, it’s almost always better to eat a balanced diet and lead a healthy lifestyle than to take supplements.

In the last 25 years, researchers have increasingly found liver harm and liver failure associated with supplement use. Indeed, between 20 and 43 percent of liver harm is associated with herbal and vitamin supplements. People end up going to the emergency room. Check out additional resources on supplements on this government website.

Just last year, one study found that 15 million people in the US take compounds that are known to cause harm to the liver, including: turmeric, ashwagandha, black cohosh, garcinia cambogia, green tea, and red yeast rice.

If not liver issues, people who take supplements can suffer from changes in their mood, gastrointestinal issues, kidney stones and high blood pressure.

As with chemical additives in our food, about which we have little clue their effect on our health, toxic compounds in supplements are on the rise, as are dangerous drug interactions and overuse of supplements. Still, more than eight in ten people believe supplements work and are safe, even though they have not been tested. Many Americans resist going to the doctor for a medical condition for a host of reasons. Instead, they trust supplements to treat their conditions.

In some special cases, supplements can be helpful. Pregnant women might benefit from additional folic acid which prevents birth defects and older adults can benefit from vitamin B12 supplements. But, the available data does not show benefits from the vast majority of supplements.

To be clear, most people who take the appropriate dose of a substance probably will not be harmed, except financially for spending money on a product that does not benefit them. But, experts advise to avoid supplements with herbal and botanical ingredients and dietary supplements, which present greater risk to people.

Megadosing supplements is a particularly bad idea. It can disturb your body’s normal functioning. You can end up with headaches, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues and heart problems.

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February 25, 2025

Don’t trust social media for wellness advice

You likely see dozens of clips each day providing wellness advice. Unfortunately, a lot of what you see on social media and TV should not be trusted. What should you do? Jude Joffe Block reports for NPR on what’s happening on social media. Reed Abelson and Susanne Craig report for the New York Times on the misleading information that Dr. Oz promotes, while benefiting financially.

Dr. Oz has promoted Medicare Advantage plans endlessly, without warning people that they could struggle getting the care they need in a Medicare Advantage plan. Insurers offering Medicare Advantage delay and deny care inappropriately and routinely, particularly costly care. They have a powerful financial incentive to do so. Every treatment they delay or deny helps maximize their profits. Like the insurers, Dr. Oz profits from promoting Medicare Advantage.

Dr. Oz also has profited to the tune of tens of millions of dollars from selling supplements, even when there is little or no scientific evidence to show any benefits from the supplements he promotes and, in some cases, people can be harmed.

Some people are trying to fight online misinformation from wellness influencers with accurate information. That’s tough. You want to be sure that whatever wellness advice you’re taking is based on science and not hokum. You can save money by not consuming products that are of no value or, worse still, harmful to your health.

Whose wellness advice should you take? You probably should not listen to anyone who makes money from providing wellness advice. Anyone profiting from providing advice has a conflict of interest, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services.

For example, if you look at the scientific evidence, you should be getting a vaccines for Covid and a range of other conditions, even though RFK Jr. likely disagrees. Medicare covers a range of vaccines. And, for most, you have no out-of-pocket costs so long as you get them from a Medicare participating provider.

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February 24, 2025

Avoid supplements with these 15 ingredients

From cancer to liver failure — to death. Ingredients in supplements passed off as healthy can harm you. Avoid these 15 ingredients in supplements, identified by an expert panel of independent doctors and dietary-supplement researchers.

INGREDIENT	CLAIMED BENEFITS	RISKS
Aconite Also called: Aconiti tuber, aconitum, angustifolium, monkshood, radix aconti, wolfsbane	Reduces inflammation, joint pain, gout	Nausea, vomiting, weakness, paralysis, breathing and heart problems, possibly death
Caffeine Powder Also called: 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine	Improves attention, enhances athletic performance, weight loss	Seizures, heart arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, possibly death; particularly dangerous when combined with other stimulants
Chaparral Also called: Creosote bush, greasewood, larrea divaricata, larrea tridentata, larreastat	Weight loss; improves inflammation; treats colds, infections, skin rashes, cancer	Kidney problems, liver damage, possibly death
Coltsfoot Also called: Coughwort, farfarae folium leaf, foalswort, tussilago farfara	Relieves cough, sore throat, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma	Liver damage, possible carcinogen
Comfrey Also called: Blackwort, bruisewort, slippery root, symphytum officinale	Relieves cough, heavy menstrual periods, stomach problems, chest pain; treats cancer	Liver damage, cancer, possibly death
Germander Also called: Teucrium chamaedrys, viscidum	Weight loss; alleviates fever, arthritis, gout, stomach problems	Liver damage, hepatitis, possibly death
Greater Celandine Also called: Celandine, chelidonium majus, chelidonii herba	Alleviates stomach ache	Liver damage
Green Tea Extract Powder Also called: Camellia sinensis	Weight loss	Dizziness, ringing in the ears, reduced absorption of iron; exacerbates anemia and glaucoma; elevates blood pressure and heart rate; liver damage; possibly death
Kava Also called: Ava pepper, kava kava, piper methysticum	Reduces anxiety, improves insomnia	Liver damage, exacerbates Parkinson’s and depression, impairs driving, possibly death
Lobelia Also called: Asthma weed, lobelia inflata, vomit wort, wild tobacco	Improves respiratory problems, aids smoking cessation	Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, rapid heartbeat, confusion, seizures, hypothermia, coma, possibly death
Methylsynephrine Also called: Oxilofrine, p-hydroxyephedrine, oxy ephedrine, 4-HMP	Weight loss, increases energy, improves athletic performance	Causes heart rate and rhythm abnormalities, cardiac arrest; particularly risky when taken with other stimulants
Pennyroyal Oil Also called: Hedeoma pulegioides, mentha pulegium	Improves breathing problems, digestive disorders	Liver and kidney failure, nerve damage, convulsions, possibly death
Red Yeast Rice Also called: Monascus purpureus	Lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, prevents heart disease	Kidney and muscle problems, liver problems, hair loss; can magnify effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, increasing the risk of side effects
Usnic Acid Also called: Beard moss, tree moss, usnea	Weight loss, pain relief	Liver injury
Yohimbe Also called: Johimbi, pausinystalia yohimbe, yohimbine, corynanthe johimbi	Treats low libido and erectile dysfunction, depression, obesity	Raises blood pressure; causes rapid heart rate, headaches, seizures, liver and kidney problems, heart problems, panic attacks, possibly death

[Editor’s note: This post was reprinted with permission from Medshadow.org. This post was originally published on December 5, 2017.]

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December 4, 2023

Should you take Vitamin C tablets?

Many of my patients tell me that they are taking large doses of Vitamin C tablets to boost their immune system. If your diet is balanced, with all the food groups represented, you are likely getting enough Vitamin C without any reason to take additional tablets.

According to the NIH, one medium orange contains more than enough vitamin C, around 117% of what you need daily. Adding oranges, grapefruits and lemons to your diet or broccoli and other fruits and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C, can help greatly. And, you can eat as much of these foods as you’d like without side effects.

With Vitamin C supplements, in extremely high doses, there is a risk of developing kidney stones and severe diarrhea. Vitamin C supplements can potentially interact with your medications in harmful ways. If you take iron pills or have an iron disorder, for example, a Vitamin C supplement could increase iron absorption and be really bad for you.

What you may find hard to believe is that the scientific evidence shows that Vitamin C supplements are not as effective as you think. One reason people often take them is to prevent the common cold. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database found that claim lacks evidence and it is possibly ineffective. Other systematic reviews of the Vitamin C supplement also show that it lacks the efficacy that the public believes it has. For example, in a systematic review of 29 studies released by the Cochrane Collaboration in 2013, Vitamin C supplements did not reduce the number of colds of participants in the studies. If you think the Vitamin C supplement keeps you from getting a cold or shortens it, think again.

The one evidence-based reason to take Vitamin C supplements is that they can treat scurvy. Scurvy is a condition caused by an actual Vitamin C deficiency. In all of my years of practice, I have had ONE case of scurvy. You might have heard of scurvy in the past being an ailment of those sailing for long periods of time without a varied diet, but it is not limited to pirates and sailors. To read more about the history of scurvy click here.

If you are worried about needing more Vitamin C, make sure you are eating enough Vitamin C-rich foods, including oranges, red peppers, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, strawberries, oranges and grapefruit. Changing your diet could be a simple non-supplement solution. If you still have concerns, discuss them with your doctor before taking any supplements. That’s the smartest way to protect your health and to save money.

[N.B. This post was originally published on January 10, 2017.]

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January 24, 2023

How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

It’s getting colder outside and that means that you are more likely to get sick with a virus. The cold weather won’t make you sick. But, viruses spread more easily when it’s cold out. Hannah Seo reports for the New York Times on four ways to strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick this flu and Covid season.

Believe it or not, exercise and other activities that get you moving, such as walking and dancing, help ward off sickness. One study found that people who exercise at least five times a week got sick less often from an upper respiratory tract infection than people who exercised rarely. That said, overall, people who did a little exercise were less likely to get sick than people who did not exercise at all.
Enough sleep and good quality sleep also give your body what it needs to ward off viruses. You should sleep more than seven hours a night.
Eating healthy, particularly different colored fruits and vegetables, gives your body flavonoids, which fight inflammation and illness.
Make sure you get this year’s flu shot and the Covid-19 bivalent booster. If you have Medicare, you should pay nothing for them.

Why is exercise helpful in warding off sickness? It stimulates immune cells to wipe out cells infected with a virus.

Why is proper sleep helpful? It regulates stress, lowering inflammation, strengthening your immune system and allowing your body to fight off infection.

Why is a proper diet helpful? Processed foods, cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol intake can keep your immune system from working well. Supplements also are of no help, based on the evidence, and often contain ingredients that can be harmful to your health. It’s better to eat a good diet.

Why are vaccines helpful? They give your body the antibodies needed to fight off flus and Covid-19 infections. And, even if you catch the flu or get Covid-19, if you’ve been vaccinated, you will increase your chances of having only a mild case.

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October 17, 2022

Herbal remedies, including supplements, can cause serious harm

More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements and herbal remedies. Most of them fail to realize that herbal remedies and supplements, can cause serious harm, even death. Kaiser Health News reports on one woman’s death from taking a mulberry leaf supplement.

In December 2021, Lori McClintock, Congressman Tom McClintock’s wife, died after consuming an herb from a white mulberry tree that people tend to think is safe and use to treat diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. There’s evidence that this herb lowers blood sugar levels. McClintock was 61.

Dehydration resulting from gastroenteritis was the cause of death for McClintock, according to the coroner’s report. Gastroenteritis inflames the stomach and intestines. In McClintock’s case, eating mulberry leaf caused the
gastroenteritis.

The autopsy report did not say whether Lori McClintock took a white mulberry leaf dietary supplement, drank tea brewed from the mulberry leaf or ate fresh or dried leaves. But, it did find a piece of white mulberry leaf in her stomach.

Rep. McClinton said his wife had been dieting and going to the gym to lose weight. She had complained of an upset stomach the day before she died. Side effects of the white mulberry leaf include nausea and diarrhea.

No one has reported a death from consuming white mulberry leaf in the last 10 years, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Of the 148 reported cases of accidental consumption, only one needed follow-up medical care. Since 2004, the FDA has received only two reports of people who got sick from the mulberry leaf; one or both of them needed hospitalization.

Supplement manufacturers can include all sorts of ingredients in their products. And, these ingredients can be harmful on their own or cause harmful interactions with medications you are taking. What’s worse is that the FDA does not subject supplements to the kinds of safety testing that prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines are subject to.

Four in five Americans use supplements. Notwithstanding the risks supplements pose, it’s a $54 billion market in the US. No one tracks the number of supplement products on the market, but the FDA estimates 40,000-80,000.

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) have introduced legislation to strengthen oversight of dietary supplements. They want to require supplement manufacturers to register with the FDA and publicly list all ingredients in their products. The dietary supplement industry, for its part, is opposed. Moreover, it wants you to believe that the white mulberry leaf supplement was not responsible for McClintock’s death, suggesting that any number of things might have caused her dehydration.

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August 30, 2022

Yes, you need vitamin D, but not from supplements

Last year, a large study came out on vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements, supporting earlier findings that routine use of these supplements has little if any value for healthy people. Now, Elissa Welle reports for Stat News on a new study further finding that vitamin D supplements do not make for healthy bones or prevent bone fractures in older age. You should aim to get your vitamin D from the sun, fatty acids and mushrooms.

The new New England Journal of Medicine study dives deep into whether vitamin D supplements offer any value against bone fractures to specific subpopulations of mid-life and older adults. They found that vitamin D supplements did nothing to reduce the number of bone fractures. No one, whether from different race and ethnic groups, of different weights and body types, or of different ages, appeared to have any bone benefits from taking vitamin D supplements.

Vitamin D supplements alone are not going to help with bone health. You should try to get your vitamin D naturally, through exposure to sunlight and eating fatty fish and mushrooms. The VITAL study, released last year, found that 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily did not reduce people’s risk of bone fracture over five years. Among the 1,551 who took either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo, fracture rates were similar.

The VITAL study also found that taking vitamin D supplements offered no benefit in reducing your risk of cancer and heart disease. Taking vitamin D supplements is likely a waste of money.

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August 9, 2022

Protein helps older adults maintain muscle mass

Older adults should work to ensure they maintain muscle mass. While people can lose muscle mass beginning in their 30’s, people in their 60’s and older lose muscle mass more rapidly. Anahad O’Connor writes for the New York Times about the value of protein and resistance exercises to help older adults maintain muscle mass.

Loss of muscle mass as you age–sarcopenia–can jeopardize your health. It increases your risk of falling, breaking bones and becoming physically disabled. That, in turn, can mean loss of independence and a poor quality of life.

Protein can be a solution to retaining muscle mass as you age. There are plenty of foods you can eat to ensure you have enough protein in your diet, including avocados, nuts, milk, yogurt, eggs, lentils, hummus and fish.

Combining protein with resistance exercises, such as squats, lunges, pushups and weight-lifting, is the best way to go for your muscles. That will lessen the likelihood of your getting sarcopenia. Walking and other aerobic exercise are also helpful.

How much protein do you need? Some experts recommend eating 1 to 1.2 grams of protein daily for every 2.2 pounds you weigh. That’s about 60-70 grams of protein a day if you weigh 133 pounds. But, other factors contribute to the calculation, including exercise and physical health.

How should you include protein in your diet? It’s best to consume foods with protein throughout the day rather than in bulk. That way your body better absorbs the protein

Are protein supplements advisable? You should not need to take protein supplements if you eat a healthy diet with protein-rich foods. If that’s not possible, whey protein is recommended by some as a good protein supplement. It has lots of amino acids and can be easily absorbed. But, as with most supplements, the data is not clear that whey protein has any effect on muscle mass.

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May 31, 2022

To stave off dementia, change up your diet

There’s plenty of talk about foods that can improve brain function. Amelia Nierenberg reports for the New York Times on “brain food,” along with its effect on your mental health and how you think. To stave off dementia, you might consider changing up your diet.

We don’t yet know as much as we’d like about the causes of dementia. But, we do know that loss of mental acuity is more common among people with heart disease and high blood pressure, people who are overweight and people with diabetes. And, people who don’t eat well and don’t exercise are more likely to have these conditions and experience dementia.

We also know that people who eat more fresh foods, nuts, fruits, vegetables, as well as whole grains and olive oil are likely to have greater protection against developing dementia. Fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are particularly great for the brain, as are blueberries, walnuts, lentils, soybeans and leafy greens.

One recent study found that people who largely ate these foods and not processed foods or red meat, people who followed the Mediterranean and MIND diets, are far less likely (by 30-35 percent) to suffer from a mental impairment than people who do not.

If you’re keeping your arteries in good order, you are more likely to be keeping your brain in good order as well. Eating a variety of different-colored foods and foods packed with flavonoids matters.

Vitamin supplements are of little or no help in preventing against mental decline. Supplements are no substitute for a Mediterranean or MIND diet. And, many supplements contain harmful ingredients.

Words of wisdom from a Mayo clinic physician: “If it comes from a plant, eat it. If it’s made in a plant, don’t eat it.”

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April 27, 2022

Exercise helps strengthen your knees, even when it causes pain

As we age, there’s a high likelihood that we will develop knee pain. There’s also a lot of folk wisdom around what you should do to preserve your knees. Alex Hutchinson, The New York Times, dispels some of the myths and reports on what the science tells us: exercise helps strengthen your knees.

Almost half of all Americans (44.7 percent) will get osteoarthritis in their knees over time. A lot of osteoarthritis is caused by knee injuries rather than too much exercise. And, a lot of it can be reversed through exercise.

Intense exercise, in fact, can help strengthen your knees. 43 studies indicate that running does not cause lesions in your lower legs and does not destroy your knees or the cartilage around them. In fact, the cartilage that protects your bones around your knees can adapt to injury and repair itself even though it does not have a blood or nerve supply.

When you bicycle, walk or run, the cartilage in your knees squeeze, eliminating bad stuff and taking in fluids that help to strengthen and improve the cartilage. So, if you have knee problems, eliminating high impact activities actually deprives your knee cartilage of nutrients it needs to stay strong.

What to do if you get lasting knee pain or knee pain that emerges the day after a strenuous workout? You likely put too much stress on your knees. You can continue exercising but change up your routine. Exercise more frequently for shorter time periods.

If you’re thinking about skiing and have not been exercising, prepare yourself. Do some squats and lunges to keep your knees and the muscles around them strong. Check out fittoplay.org, a web site created by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center in Norway. It offers some good exercise regimes for several dozen sports.

P.S. Supplements are not an answer to knee problems, according to the evidence. Glucosamine and chondroitin are of no proven benefit and come at a financial cost.

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Tag: Supplements