The supplement industry is big business—in fact, industry revenue estimates range from $3.8 billion and up. It is expected to exceed 60 billion by 2021. According to a 2011 CNN report, half of the American population uses some type of supplement; from multivitamins to fish oil and even unknown "magic" pills sold on the Internet. As you can see, business is booming! The first question consumers should ask themselves is, "are the supplements safe?"

The secret of the supplement

Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Educational Act in 1994, keeping the FDA at arm's length from the supplement industry. Manufacturers must provide the FDA with only a "reasonable safety exception" and absolutely no evidence of efficacy. This leniency has already deterred us from a bad start: it is essentially completely unregulated.

Here's a quote from a study conducted after the FDA recalled dietary supplements in 2004: "One or more pharmaceutical ingredients were identified in 66.7% of the recalled supplements that were still available for purchase. The supplements remained adulterated in 85% of sports enhancement supplements. , 67% for weight loss and 20% for sex enhancement. Of a subset of supplements made by US manufacturers, 65% remained adulterated with banned ingredients." This information comes from the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Chemicals that are used to manufacture drugs are commonly found in dietary supplements without the consumer's knowledge, some are also known to contain dangerous chemicals, anabolic steroids and other toxic compounds.

Synthetic supplements

Synthetic vitamins are just that, synthetic or not natural. A single nutrient is never isolated in nature, which should be a clear indicator that isolated supplements are not suitable for human health. In order for an isolated vitamin to function properly, it needs other naturally derived compounds and nutrients present to help the body break down, absorb and assimilate the nutrients efficiently. Isolation of the vitamin renders it chemically unusable, making it unavailable to the living cell for absorption. Remember that everything in the body, as in nature, works in synergy.

Whole food supplements - good

There are several small companies that use organic, whole food sources for their supplements, and this would be the route to go if you want to add supplements to your diet and exercise regimen. Whole food supplements, made from concentrated whole foods, are extremely complex structures that consist of various enzymes, coenzymes, activators, trace elements, polyphenols, antioxidants and a number of other undiscovered factors that work together in synergy to be broken down and assimilated into our bodies.

Nothing in nature works alone; all nutrients help the others so that our body can break them down and absorb them properly. Always look for third party testing from NSF, ISO, ECOCERT, AOAC and QCS when purchasing supplements. Make sure the supplements are also non-GMO and have the USDA organic seal.

Real food - the best

Real food is always your best bet, but food isn't as nutritious as it used to be. Soils vary by geography, climate and ecosystem, but some soils are severely depleted of important minerals. Whenever possible, it is best to grow your own vegetables or buy produce from local farms. Nature's own multivitamins are always the best nutritional option, period. Nothing can replace bone broth and vegetable stock; grass-fed and finished meats/organs and fats; raw organic grass-fed dairy products; organic, raw, green leafy vegetables; organic garlic; and last but not least, organic mushrooms.

Even the highest quality supplements are not intended as a substitute for a healthy diet. In fact, your body will not optimally absorb and process the nutrients in supplements if your body is not healthy itself. Always rely on real foods for optimal nutrient intake, but if necessary, choose a complete food supplement as a dietary supplement.