The supplement industry has become a 37 billion dollar health craze machine. But are all supplements created equally? Are supplements the magic wonder pills that they purport to be or should a cautionary approach and food first baseline be the methodology for healthy living?

Vitamins were first introduced between 1929 and 1943 with Nobel Prizes being awarded to the researchers who were able to synthesize 12 of the essential vitamins. These vitamins were added to foods that had lost nutrients during the processing phase and became known as “fortified”. The notion was, what can be removed from foods can be added in synthetic form to create equally nutritional solutions to nutrient-poor diets.

Perforate St Johns-wort. You may have heard of it, as it is one of the most popular herbal supplements in the United States. In 2000, there was a study that went out to show that his supplement changed the effectiveness of many drugs such as birth control or antibiotics.

But there are more issues with weight loss and muscle building supplements. According to Health Day News, supplements for weight loss and muscle building/pre-workout powder can trigger medical problems in the future. “The [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] has issued countless warnings about supplements sold for weight loss, muscle-building or sports performance, sexual function and energy, and we know these products are widely marketed to and used by young people.” There was a study completed from 2004 to 2015 by the FDA who reported medical problems that are directly associated with supplements on people younger than 25. 40% of the 1000 incidents that were reported, were severe and some even led to death. Some studies have found that muscle building and weight loss supplements can cause strokes, testicular cancer or even liver damage.

Supplements are unregulated, especially for teens. Since you do not need to get them over the counter people think “they must be safe”, but this is not always the case. Dr. Jeffrey Saland of Mount Sinai Health System believes that “ teens are more susceptible to all of the things, one of which is peer pressure, and one of which is body image. So in a sense teens are a little more susceptible.” Many supplements that are marketed to build muscle have shown a serious link to kidney and liver damage. People do not think of supplements, the same way they think of medication.

There is an issue surrounding the marketing of these supplements because most of them are not good. There are many supplements that are made with man-made ingredients that have not been fully tested, causing uncertainty for the customer. Many of the supplements can cause damage to the body.

According to the FDA, an ingredient in supplements may cause miscarriages or even problems with development during pregnancy. There have been warnings towards women to stop/do not use supplements containing “vinpocetine”. Vinpocetine is a man-made chemical that is used as a medicine. Although it is used in weight loss and muscle supplements, it is also used to prevent Alzheimer’s as it is believed to improve blood flow to the brain, which could prevent the disease (or any other disease related to memory & processing information). This sounds great, right? But it is even “exactly” known how this man-made drug even works. It “might” to do this, or that, but it also “might” lead to death. On Web MD, “Vinpocetine appears to be POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth appropriately.” “Possibly safe”! This ingredient is in many supplements, and no one is aware of the many side effects. Most supplements with this ingredient are marketed to improve focus, energy, or weight loss. Recently, many dietary supplements which contain vinpocetine are being “reviewed” because in the US vinpocetine is not “approved” to treat. In 2016, the FDA concluded, “that vinpocetine doesn’t fit the definition of a dietary ingredient and thus can’t be marketed as — or be an ingredient in — dietary supplements.” Yet, this drug is still found in many supplements.

Although there can be good supplements for your body, you should only take them when you truly need it. There are side effects with every drug, even supplements. Some are more severe than others but avoiding these as best as you can reduce the risk.

Teens are taking these supplements like they are nothing. A survey in the mid-2000s was done to show that 50% of the adult’s surveys took at least one supplement a day-but these pills have been proven to be sometimes dangerous and even ineffective.

There is no clear evidence, but a 2016 Study from the New England Journal found that “23,005 emergency room visits a year were linked to supplements”. By eating foods that are high in nutrients and living a healthy lifestyle, is the best option for the body.

Work Cited:

CBS New York. (2019, June 05). Study: Some Teens Using Dietary Supplements Could Be At Risk For Serious Harm. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/06/05/teens-dietary-supplements-harm/

Reinberg, S. (2019, June 05). Many Dietary Supplements Dangerous for Teens. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/nutritional-supplements-health-news-504/many-dietary-supplements-dangerous-for-teens-747120.html

Rettner, R. (2019, June 04). Dietary Supplement Ingredient Linked to Miscarriages, FDA Warns. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.livescience.com/65629-vinpocetine-supplements-miscarriages.html

The $37 billion supplement industry is barely regulated – and it’s allowing dangerous products to slip through the cracks. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://amp.businessinsider.com/supplements-vitamins-bad-or-good-health-2017-8

Vinpocetine: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-175/vinpocetine

Cold-pressed juices are everywhere, but why? Is this a fad? Or will it last? I will tell you all you need to know about juicing.

This health fad has turned into a multi million-dollar industry because of its high prices and celebrity endorsements. I was tired of spending 10$ a bottle to “cleanse my body”. Honestly, I love cold-pressed juices and last summer, I caved and I bought a cold pressed juicer.

With the high pressure of cold-pressed juices, it leaves behind al the pulp-where all of the fiber is stored. All juices are still high in sugar, no matter which process you juice. Fruits and vegetables give your body the nutrients it needs, no matter if they are juiced or not. The fiber that the juices may be lacking, you can consume that from other foods. Currently, these cold-pressed juices are newer to the market, there are very few data to support the fact that cold-pressed juices are “healthier” than others. Drinking fruits and vegetables will give your body the nutrients it needs.

When receiving the food guide, I realized that the food guide does not focus on any types of healthy juicing. Health Canada stated, “Depending on the conclusions of the scientific review, guidance for consumption [quantity and frequency] of various foods, including juice, could be updated in the future.”

If you purchase juices with fewer fruits and more vegetables will result in lower sugar intake and an easy way to keep calories low. Expecting instant results from cold-pressed juice is not realistic, but the yummy juices will hopefully help make it easier to get all of the necessary nutrients one needs to stay healthy.

I have included a recipe for a green juice that has both fruits and vegetables?:)
Recipe:
1 large cucumber
1 bunch of kale
1 bunch of celery
8 apples
2 lemons
1 handful of spinach
1 bag of grapes
1 cluster of ginger
1 orange

Link to video:

Work Cited

Is Cold-Pressed Juice Really Healthier? (2017, March 12). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/drink/is-cold-pressed-juice-healthier/

Is cold-pressed juice really that healthy, or is it all just hype? (2018, May 15). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/is-cold-pressed-juice-any-more-healthy-or-is-it-all-just-hype/article24548835/

The paleo diet is based on foods from The Paleolithic era, dating back 10,000 years. The aim of the paleo diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, as it eats closely to the way humans ate in the early ages. When the technology became more advanced – people began developing dairy, grains, and legumes. These factors in many people’s diets supposedly contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. For the paleo diet, you can eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, lean meats, and oils from nuts. You are supposed to avoid grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, potatoes, processed foods, and refined sugar.

The Paelo diet supposedly has many benefits, like weight loss, but the main reason I was so interested in the diet is that you are eating directly from the earth. People who do the paleo diet are less likely to consume any preservatives, refined sugars, or chemicals.

I have always been interested in dieting. Although it was never to lose weight, I always like experimenting with the foods I eat. I have tried cutting lots of different foods, just to see how I feel. I will never be able to know the long term effects (because I only diet for a short time), yet still, it is interesting to compare the short term effects for my body.

I have gone sugar-free, gluten free, dairy free, but never paleo. I knew that it was very healthy and emphasized everything I wanted in a diet. I read blogs and found that people were loving it, and being easily convinced, I obviously had to try it. So, last winter I tried the diet, but it was a lot harder than I had expected.

During the diet, I brought my lunch to school every day, which is something I would not have done before this. It forced me to meal prep, as I couldn’t eat most of the food at my school.

But, for me, there were a couple of problems with the diet.

I am Italian, and I eat a lot of pasta. It was very difficult for me to enjoy my meals when I had to eat something different than everyone around me. Going into it, I knew I had to cut out some of the foods I loved and craved, but food became something I was unable to look forward to, as I could not something I was craving. I couldn’t eat most of my favorite foods- pasta, cookies or ice cream.

I was eating good food, but the people around me were eating things that wanted to eat, but were unable to. Surrounding myself with this negatively affected my mental health, and I knew I needed to stop.

Although I think dieting can be fun for a short period of time, I do not think that there is value in doing this diet in the long term. While researching this, I found some dangers regarding the paleo diet, that I had never heard about. During the diet you cut out grains, but what I did not know is that there are many different types of wheat that contain great sources of vitamins and nutrients. Since you are eliminating this from your diet, people are at risk of lower cholesterol and chronic diseases because grains help our bodies with these aspects. With a lower carbohydrate intake, the body can resort to using fat and muscle for energy, when working out.

When you are participating in any type of diet, it is very important to understand that when you remove something from your diet it can lead to deficiencies. Taking out dairy or carbohydrates can be helpful in the short term, but in the long term, it can lead to many risks. Restricting yourself from dairy, for example, can lead to deficiencies related to bone health. These deficines are not specific to going paleo, but since you  are removing a lot of foods, you are put at greater risk.

Everything is good in moderation. It is not good to go on a crazy diet where you are restricting your body of its needed nutrients, but it can be good to try in the short term.

If  you are not happy when you are eating, you should not be participating in a diet. This diet was a good learning experience because I was able to try healthier foods and challenge my body.

Overall, I would recommend the diet, but I do not think it should be part of your lifestyle, unless your body can handle it. Mine couldn’t, and I know other people who went through similar situations. Rather than going paleo, I suggest that you eat less refined sugars and preservatives and make goals, rather than restrictions. Doing this will insure an overall healthier diet, well still eating the things you love (in moderation).

Work Cited:

Everything You Need to Know About the Paleo Diet. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20786451,00.html

5 Hidden Dangers of the Paleo Diet. (2018, September 10). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/5-hidden-dangers-of-the-paleo-diet/

Original PaleoDiet. (2017, December 04). Scientific Verification of the Long Term Effects of Paleolithic Diets. Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://thepaleodiet.com/long-term-scientific-verification-of-the-paleo-diet/

Paleo diet: Eat like a cave man and lose weight? (2017, August 08). Retrieved June 7, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182