Supplements

• Role of Supplements, their effectiveness and selection

by Prateek Dasgupta
 Defining a Supplement

• US Congress defines the term "dietary supplement to mean a product (other than tobacco)
intended to supplement the diet that bears or contains one or more dietary ingredients,
including a vitamin, a mineral, an herb or other botanical, an amino acid, a dietary
substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake,
or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any of the
aforementioned ingredients”

• The above definition is insufficient as it depends on whether a “healthy diet” is consumed or not.

• European Parliament definition of supplement: “As an addition to a normal diet, food

business operators market food supplements, which are concentrated sources of
nutrients (or other substances) with a nutritional or physiological effect. Such food
supplements can be marketed in “dose” form, such as pills, tablets, capsules, liquids in
measured doses, etc”.

• Definition is more comprehensive and satisfactory

• International Olympic Committee definition: “A food, food component, nutrient or non food
component that is purposefully ingested in addition to the habitually consumed diet with
the aim of achieving a special health or performance benefit”
 Types of Supplements
• Functional Foods: Foods enriched with vitamins
or minerals such as fortified cereals or vitamin
enriched foods

• Formulated Foods: Such as sports foods which

are concentrated forms of regular foods but targeted
around exercise activities, example: liquid meal
replacements

• Single Nutrients and components of foods or

herbal products in concentrated form
Typical Supplements
• Multi Ingredient supplements : Which contain
a combination of above with targeted similar
outcomes
 Supplement Risks

• Often products are dubious, 1/5

products contained the ingredients as
per an investigation by NY attorney
general’s office. Some didn’t contain
anything except fillers

• May contain potentially banned

substances. Vegan B12 supplements
often contain animal feral matter

• Supplements may have adverse side

effects which include 1. Safety of
Supplement 2.Inappropriate use 3.
Composition of supplement.
 Why supplements are high risk?

• Supplements may contain banned substances

• Supplements maybe contaminated during manufacturing process

• Supplement manufacturers often list ingredients differently than how they would
appear in the banned ingredients list

• Risk of counterfeit supplements when purchased online containing banned

substances.

• Presence of toxic substances and harmful microbes.

 Minimising Supplement Risk :Quality Assurance

• Make sure supplement is in line with World Anti

Doping Association (WADA) code of conduct

• Carry out reputable quality checks through

established Quality Assurance Programs other than
the FDA

• Reputed Quality Assurance Programs include:

Inform Sport, Trusted Sport, , NZVT, NSF

• It should be kept in mind many of these QA tests

do test for banned substances but don’t always test
for contents
Quality Assurance: Helps Minimising Risk
Supplement : Risks vs Benefits
 Guide to Minimizing Supplement Risk
• USADA(United States Anti Doping Agency) 4 Step Guide for Athletes

1. Seek Professional Advice: Consult a nutritionist to ensure there is a clear health benefit and there is no food
alternative

2. Third Party Certification: Ensure product is third party certified, after knowing the limitations of each testing.
If the product isn’t certified look for certified alternatives or food alternatives

3. Research Specific Warnings: Supplement 411 High Risk List and FDA Health fraud risk

4. Review the Label for Red Flags

• UKAD’s Guide: The ANARAC

A. Assess the Need (AN)

B. Assess the Risk (AR)

C. Assess the Consequence (AC)

Decision Making: Flowchart for Safe Supplement
Use