Do Supplements Work?

Friday night, while looking at the Dali exhibit in the High Museum, my friend’s cousin asked me “do multivitamins work?” Startled I responded, “wow that’s one loaded question. Work for what? What result are you looking for?”

Neither supplements or the entire broad topic of nutrition for that matter, are cut and dry like an algebra problem. For x + y = z in your body, you must take the right form of the supplement, take it at the right time (with or without food; noting attention to specific types of foods that may help or hinder your supplement’s absorption) and look at how much you are taking at a time. In addition, to notice a benefit, many supplements need to be taken for a period of time, not just a one stop, pop it and bam! you feel amazingly better. Because of all of these factors, part of the responsibility of taking supplements falls on you, the consumer. But, here’s a quick cheat sheet for some common nutrition supplements.

In addition, I encourage people to follow this train of thought when considering a dietary supplement: