We live in a society where supplements are protagonists, settling into our routines with a naturalness that a few years ago seemed unthinkable. If before we took a supplement only when we had a deficiency, now we find in our cabinets vitamins, minerals, probiotics, collagen, melatonin, or creatine with the aim of improving our lifestyle. To sleep better, have more energy, improve the appearance of our skin, or help ease the symptoms of menopause are some of the reasons why we supplement and, at times, they do not focus on the real deficiency. This elevated consumption is joined by marketing and communication that are more attractive, turning them into objects of desire.
But taking more supplements does not necessarily mean that we are taking better care of ourselves. In “Supplements under Debate,” the pharmacist and nutritionist Elisa Escorihuela analyzes what lies behind the industry, unpacks the pros and cons of supplements and proposes reviewing the relationship we have with these products, always from scientific evidence and individual needs. Because between real deficiency and the feeling that “we are missing something” there exists an essential difference, which we must identify and which can be as relevant as choosing the supplement that works best for us.
Do we really need to take so many supplements?
In Elisa Escorihuela’s journey with supplements there are years of analysis in both pharmacy and practice. Therefore, from her position as prescriber she has detected that «in my nutrition consultations, suddenly, the patient pulls out a bag full of 15-20 bottles and when I ask what they are taking it for, obviously by bottle 15 she has lost count.» In addition, «she does not know why she is taking it, she does not know who recommended it and you realize that we have reached a point where most of them do not even come from a professional.» Therefore, we find ourselves many times in a situation where «it has not been confirmed that you have a deficiency».
With this, the pharmacist and nutritionist is not demonizing supplements as they have «an effect, active ingredients» but «they can also have an adverse effect». If we talk about specific supplements, for example, one of the biggest deficiencies we find in our country is vitamin D. One of its main issues, Escorihuela explains, is that «it is liposoluble and can accumulate in fat, which leads to greater toxicity.» With this, the professional warns that it is «the greatest overdosing we Spaniards have», as well as being the vitamin D the active with which we are «most exceeding in supplementation».
A supplement should not be an endless subscription you never cancel
Once we know that the supplement is to treat a deficiency and we put ourselves in the hands of a professional, we also have to know the moment to stop. Escorihuela explains that we have to do this hand in hand with a blood test, both to take the step to supplement and to know when to finish, that is, «when the value has been corrected». The expert adds that «once that value is corrected, we do not enter Netflix subscription territory» and she compares it to the moment when you want to unsubscribe from a platform, but you end up postponing it.
Therefore, the prior and personalized diagnosis is fundamental. Escorihuela states that «it has to be, like nutrition, individualized» with «a name, a surname and an ID» that accompany the person as they change. The pharmacist also warns that supplementation is «a treatment that must have a beginning and an end» because otherwise it stops being a treatment and becomes a lifestyle and the lifestyle is taking the pill. Therefore, the analyses will determine «the end and that everything is well», in short, a warning that supplements are to be taken seriously.
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The trivialization of supplements
We have pills, we have vials, but we also have supplements in candy form. Is this type of presentation really a trivialization of supplementation? The pharmacist and nutritionist points to the classic medication as an example, «which should taste bad, should not be pleasant, nor encourage taking more and more». In the case of gummies, for Elisa Escorihuela it is «a marketing bet that boomed in the 2000s in a brutal way» and that, moreover, «is a trivialization of a substance». The reason for this is that «you don’t know to whom you are selling it, if it has poor absorption, if it has another pathology or if they are taking any other medication» which leads to «health can be excessively affected».
Social networks are also another space where the impact of supplements can be minimized. «Any information that comes from a social network and that is not from a serious educator I don’t believe» emphasizes Elisa Escorihuela. For the author of «Supplements under Debate» it is important to talk about the lights and shadows because «we have to get used to widening our field of vision» and be skeptical of the offers or discount codes that go with it. In short, the professional takes the role of «the bad guy» with a message «zero populism and nothing attractive about the idea that healthy is sexy, but it’s the habit that will take care of you».
The importance of knowing ourselves and staying informed
One of the strongest points of «Supplements under Debate» is the meticulous analysis that is carried out on supplements and the specific categorization according to concerns. The pharmacist and nutritionist believes «the lack of rest is the greatest problem in our society right now». The professional does not attribute it to us actually sleeping poorly or lacking something; the reality for Escorihuela is that «we are truly tired because we work a lot, have many responsibilities, and we increasingly demand more of ourselves». And what we should really do is «change our lifestyle, sleep enough hours» as well as go to bed «overstimulated by the blue light of the phone, Instagram or social networks».
Therefore, it is important to identify whether our problem is real; Escorihuela introduces the SIRVE method in her book and mentions the Consensus academic database, so that we know how to advise ourselves beyond the hands of a professional. «Today we are lucky to have a lot of tools» the professional highlights, but artificial intelligence «will tell you what you are accustomed to. It is the new white coat for many.» With all the tools we have, she recommends patients «be responsible because you are already an empowered patient» and also «you access the tools that professionals have», that is, if you consult a specialist and with the supplement prescription «they give you a discount code in the last sentence, differentiating between marketing and health». Finally, she warns about the sense of guilt that accompanies the proliferation of supplementation on networks, highlighting «we must take away that burden from people. When patients come asking for supplementation because they are not taking anything at all with tremendous guilt, the professional concludes that maybe you don’t need to take anything.»
Habits make the difference
We are substituting healthy habits with supplements, but what about nutrition? Elisa Escorihuela believes that we may come to believe that they are miracle pills, but «in the end there will be nothing like a habit» and a pill cannot be turned into a habit because otherwise it is a lifestyle. She adds that we can end up losing track and move to «living in the culture of ‘just in case’ or the theory of the false deficiency», the latter guided by a feeling of being tired, leading a frenetic life, etc.
If we really have to supplement beyond our routine, when will it take effect? In «Supplements under Debate» we find tables that perfectly organize the ingredients. The pharmacist and nutritionist notes that «the evaluation is at three months, but you have already bought several bottles».
