Are Supplements Healthy & When Do Supplements Become Unhealthy?
Supplements can be an effective tool to lose weight, build muscle or tone up. But at what point do supplements become unhealthy?
The world of supplements can be a confusing one. There are hundreds of varieties of protein powders, amino acid mixes, fatty acids, carbohydrate drinks, veggie and fruit capsules, vitamins, minerals, multi-vitamins, joint formula’s and so on.
With so many supplements available, you could practically replace all your food with supplements. Note that this would be extremely expensive and science (let alone common sense) would tell you that this would be extremely unhealthy.
Are Supplements Unhealthy?
So at what point does supplementing with these products become unhealthy? It is okay to drink a protein shake every once in a while – or five times a day? Should you replace meals with meal replacement supplements? Or should you stay away from supplements altogether?
Let’s begin by defining when supplementing does become unhealthy. Extreme cases aside, in my opinion, this is when:
- You consume supplements to replace whole-food meals regularly;
and/or - You rely on supplements as a primary source of nutrition
The word “supplement” by definition is to “add onto” and not “replace”. So as soon as your primary use of these dietary products shifts to replacing, rather than supplementing a whole-food diet, you are following unhealthy dietary patterns.
Why exactly it is important to base your diet on whole-foods? Foods in their whole and unprocessed form are extremely nutrient dense. It is important to know that nutrients (which are essential for the normal functioning of the body) extend far beyond fats, carbohydrates and proteins. They not only encapsulate vitamins and minerals, but also include special nutrients known as “phytonutrients”, or “plant nutrients”. There are hundreds of phytonutrients and I do recommend that you read further on this topic in a recent phytonutrients article that we published.
Whilst supplements may contain some vitamins, some minerals and even a very limited number of phytonutrients, no supplement can contain the same degree of nourishment obtained from a well rounded whole-food diet. This is a diet based on natural, unprocessed foods across all food groups.
Supplements, Fitness Goals & Unhealthy Practices
There is a general assumption within the bodybuilding community that the more protein consumed, the more muscle development one can expect. Whilst there is no conclusive scientific evidence to justify this belief, it is common practice to consume excessive amounts of protein powder each day as a substitute for whole-foods. This does have the potential to lead to serious health complications and of course, sub-optimal muscle development rates.
A similar practice is commonplace within the dieting industry. Replacing whole-food meals with meal replacement supplements is often construed as a healthy and calorie-controlled alternative to facilitate weight loss. There are some primary concerns associated with such a practice:
- You are risking malnourishment by restricting your nutrient intake
- Excessive calorie deficit can lead to health complications
The truth is that a healthy calorie deficit can be obtained through a whole-food diet without the need for “diet” meal replacements. This approach to nutrition will almost guarantee a greater micronutrient intake.
Healthy Consumption of Supplements
Supplementation can certainly be of benefit if you are trying to accomplish a health and fitness goal. If they weren’t, we certainly wouldn’t be selling them in our supplement store!
As suggested above, it is important to integrate your supplementation regime into a whole-food diet in a healthy manner. Here are what I believe to be some healthy uses of supplements:
- Consuming a meal replacement occasionally for convenience
- Consuming a protein powder surrounding your workout and sparingly throughout the day in conjunction with whole-foods
- Taking a multi-vitamin, or specific vitamin/minerals to compliment a diet already rich in fruits and vegetables
- Using supplements for sports specific purposes to enhance results, without detracting from a well balanced whole-food diet
Supplements do have unique advantages over whole-foods, such as faster absorption times, higher quality proteins, convenience etc. However these do not overshadow the fact that our bodies are built to consume whole-foods as a primary food source – not pills and powders.
Be wise with your nutrition and your body will thank you for it!