Dietary supplements: What you need to know

FORT MYERS. Fla.  There are seven things consumers need to consider before buying a dietary supplement:

• Be wary of anything with a “kitchen sink” worth of ingredients. Paul Doering, a professor of Pharmacy at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine, says supplement companies will often fill labels with lengthy chemical names. Often times, there’s no research on any of these chemicals and whether or not the combination of them can actually do what the supplement companies claim they’re intended to do.
• “Proprietary Formulation” is a red flag.  Proprietary formulation is another way of saying “trade secrets,” Doering said. As a chemist and healthcare professional, Doering wouldn’t take a supplement if he doesn’t know what’s in it.
• “Be a little skeptical if they don’t readily tell you what the ingredients are.” Supplement reviewer Joe Cannon, who runs the website Supplement-Geek.com, said he’s had to call or email supplement makers to get a straight answer on ingredients.
• Look for research.   Before buying a supplement, Cannon says to type the name of the product and the words “pub med” into Google to find out what studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of the supplement. The website consumer lab is a good resource for product reviews.
• Beware of stimulants.  Many supplements contain caffeine and other types of stimulants, which can have an adverse effect on certain people, according to Cannon. “Anything with the words ‘phen’ , ‘thermo’ or ‘lipo’ is likely to contain stimulants,” he said.
• Stimulant names can be disguised. A supplement label may contain the words ‘bitter orange,’ ‘naturally occurring citrus arantheum,’ but, according to Doering, it’s all the same chemical: synephrine.  Syneprihine has chemical structure close in formula to amphetamine, he said.
• Beware of banned substances. Supplements may often contain substances banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency. Doering, who sits on the University of Florida’s Athletic drug testing committee, said college athletes should never take a supplement without consulting their school’s training staff.