Supplements - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Send us Fan MailSummary:  The thinking that “it’s just a supplement” can lead to some serious problems, possibly due to the actual activity of the supplement and/or possibly due to  interactions with other supplements and medications.  So it's important to have some respect for the possible effects of the supplement, but that said, the claims made on the bottle of the supplement must be followed by the following: “This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”  So where does that leave you?  This episode attempts to provide the big picture of how supplements are regulated and monitored, and also to provide some direction about how to safely use supplements.  Topics:·      Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act 02:00·      Supplement Claims 02:45·      Supplement Disclaimer 02:52·      Side Effects 03:23·      Starting a Supplement 04:28·      Respect the Supplement 05:20·      St. John’s Wort 05:34·      Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Studies 06:58·      Bias 07:21·      Resources 09:45·      Aspirin & the Willow Tree 10:08·      Premarin & Pregnant Mare Urine 10:12·      Digoxin & Digitalis 11:14·      Respect the Supplement! 12:07·      A Good Diet or a Supplement Pill? 12:47·      United States Pharmacopeia 13:17·      FDA Post-Marketing 14:00·      Echinacea 14:30·      Collagen and Proteins 15:50·      Collagen and Chicken 17:29·      Resources 18:31·      Natural/Organic? 19:30 Questions and comments to  [email protected]