Jin-Woo Kim

ENGLISH 1121-D432

Professor Dr. Leigh Gold

(Revise)

Genre Research

Medical Journals of Supplements review

• “Do you need supplements?” by Dr. Mark Hyman
• “Potential for Harm in Dietary Supplements” by Jane E. Brody
• “Should you Take Dietary Supplements?” by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
• “Bodybuilder Supplement Abuse a Growing Concern” by Dennis Thompson
• “Multi-organ damage induce by anabolic steroid supplements” by Ali A Samaha

 

The Supplement is a product intended for ingestion that contains a dietary ingredient intended to add further nutritional value to supplement the diet. This is intended to help ensure people are getting enough nutrients, while others are promoted as helping to reduce disease or to increase strength. Supplements are a combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, etc. There are marketed in forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, powders, and liquids. More than half of adults in the United States use at least one type of dietary supplement. People have been taking dietary supplement for health benefits. It began to become more popularized in the 2000s, and awareness of supplements began to dramatically increase. From the following reviews, shows us why we need to take the right amount of supplements.

 

• “Do you need supplements?” by Dr. Mark Hyman

“Even with a perfect diet, make it impossible for us to get the vitamins and minerals we need solely from the foods we eat.”(https://drhyman.com/blog/2015/04/02/do-you-need-supplements/)

 

Dr. Mark Hyman, MD, empower people communities to heal their bodies and minds, and improve our social and economic resilience, quotes “Even with a perfect diet, make it impossible for us to get the vitamins and minerals we need solely from the foods we eat”. Since nutrients that people can absorb from food are limited, it is hard to continue to eat enough amount of food for nutrients. In addition, the animals and vegetables we eat have fewer nutrients because of – depleted soils, industrial farming, and hybridization techniques. Processed factory-made food have no nutrients. Especially, the lack of nutrients is fatal to women. For instance, women need iron during pregnancy, and breastfed infants need vitamin D. Folic acid—400 micrograms daily, whether from supplements or fortified food—is important for all women of childbearing age. Except vitamin D, includes omega-3 fats, folate, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Some people wonder why we should be taken this dietary supplement. However, think about processed factory-made foods have no nutrients and obesity due to nutritional imbalance. These nutritional imbalances cause many diseases over time.

• “Potential for Harm in Dietary Supplements” by Jane E. Brody

A form of substance abuse rampant in this country is rarely discussed publicly or privately. It involves abusing legally sold dietary supplements — vitamins, minerals, herbals and homeopathic remedies — all of which can be sold over the counter without prior approval for safety and effectiveness. (https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/health/08brod.html)

 

Getting too much of certain vitamins or minerals can cause uncomfortable side effects, like vomiting or diarrhea, and more serious health problems, like liver damage. No one knows how many such adverse effects befall supplement users, because there has been no reliable reporting system. A new federal law requires supplement manufacturers to report serious adverse effects to the Food and Drug Administration, but it depends on consumers to call in reactions. Experts say most consumers are unlikely to relate health problems to a supplement they assume to be safe, and even if they do, they may be reluctant to report an adverse effect from a self-medicated substance. Michael Alexander, a regular vitamin supplement consumer in San Francisco, wrote to Kaiser Permanente that a vitamin supplement he had bought from the Kaiser pharmacy caused years of leg cramps, eventually diagnosed by a neurologist as vitamin B6-induced neuropathy. The supplement had 100 milligrams of B6, or 50 times the recommended daily amount. The ill effect developed even though Mr. Alexander cut each tablet in four parts and took “only” 25 milligrams daily. Most people who suffer unexpected side effects, illnesses, or drug interactions from dietary supplements don’t call a poison control center or the supplement manufacturer. This means that the numbers we have are likely very low estimates of actual events. Used properly, certain dietary supplements may help reduce the risk of some diseases, reduce discomfort caused by certain drugs or conditions, or simply make you feel better.

 

• “Should you Take Dietary Supplements?” by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.

You should discuss with your doctor what supplements you’re taking so your care can be integrated and managed. Dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods, not as drugs. The label may claim certain health benefits. But unlike medicines, supplements can’t claim to cure, treat or prevent a disease. (https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/08/should-you-take-dietary-supplements)

 

Each person has a different amount of supplements to be recommended, and different abilities to absorb. Be sure to follow the dosage recommendations printed on the label, or suggested by your doctor, when taking supplements. Be particularly careful when it comes to the following common supplements: Iron, Vitamins A, D and E. Iron is an essential mineral for the human body whose main function iron is to carry oxygen to tissues. Iron is also important for maintaining muscles and brain function, as well the immune system. However, if you take in more iron than you need, this can build up to toxic levels in the heart and liver. Iron overload can cause symptoms from fatigue and joint pain to sexual impotence and depression. Extremely excessive doses can damage your organs or lead to coma and death. Public health officials recommend that adult men and postmenopausal women consult a doctor before using iron supplements, as it is rare for people in these categories to be iron deficient. The upper level intake is 40-45 mg, depending on age. Vitamins A, D and E are fat-soluble vitamins, which means your body will store surplus in your liver and fat tissue. While many vitamins are water-soluble and can pass through your body with relatively mild side effects, fat-soluble vitamins can build up to toxic levels over time. We should remember supplements provide additional nutrients to those getting from our meals throughout the day. There’s no real health advantage to getting more of a particular vitamin or mineral than you need. Therefore, before you taking supplements, read carefully the directions on the label, or talk with your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take and potential interactions.

 

• “Bodybuilder Supplement Abuse a Growing Concern” by Dennis Thompson

Quite a few men are indeed using these supplements in a way that can adversely affect their physical health.

(https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/eating-and-appetite-disorder-news-223/bodybuilder-supplement-abuse-a-growing-concern-702124.html)

 

I use supplements in my practice as a cornerstone of healing and repair. I’m interested in fitness, workout 5 days a week, and taking 7 different kinds of supplements, such as, multi-Vitamins, Omega-3 fat, Magnesium, Milk Thistle, etc. based on doctor’s recommendations, because I have a higher blood pressure, fatty liver, and diabetes since I was 18-years-old. Doctor told me to taking supplements with proper exercise. If I didn’t, many complications could take my life away. Omega-3 fat was really helped on losing weight, kept away from the unsaturated fat. Magnesium increased my vein muscles and dropped my pressure. In addition, I have tried Tourine, L-carnitine, and L-arginine for body strength, but I stopped because of frequent fatigue and skin troubles. It means that I took wrong supplements and overdose. So, I kept trying several supplements to balance nutrients, better performance, and losing weight. If I had not noticed body changes early, supplements would have adversely affected my health.

 

• “Multi-organ damage induce by anabolic steroid supplements” by Ali A Samaha

Anabolic supplements may lead to abnormal functioning of many organs, which could be fatal in some instances. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596162/)

 

Steroids use to treat some hormone problems in men, delayed puberty, and muscle loss from diseases. In otherwise, these can be used as performance-enhancing drugs that increase muscle mass and decrease fat, as well as causing many undesirable effects. Athletes, weightlifters and bodybuilders take them regularly to improve their physical performance and build up their bodies. However, side effects may include sexual and reproductive disorders, fluid retention, and severe acne. Especially, multi-organ (Liver, Heart, and Kidneys) damage induce by long-term use. Due to the sustained stimulus, all organs work excessively. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is an Austrian-American actor and formal professional bodybuilder, continued to use steroids while he was a body builder. He has a long history of taking excessive doses of 1960s preferred anabolic steroid Dianabol thus he has the effects of kidney, heart, liver damage that most get from taking the stuff. Finally, he lost all his muscles, got sagging flesh, and had several heart surgeries. Who take this drugs to build muscle, but who could wind up with significantly damaged hearts and livers at the end.

Supplements are not an actual medicine that treat diseases. It is not a drug that causes illness. There is no need to consume hundreds of supplements. Even if you take one, many decisions are needed. If you do not want to find information of supplements, check your doctor’s recommendations or read product label at least. Wrong supplementation can lead to addiction and illness. Using the right amount of supplements make us keep away from diseas