Welcome toThrifty. A weekly column where nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball keeps it real on how to grocery shop on a budget, make healthy meals for one or two, and make Earth-friendly choices without overhauling your entire life.
Supplements are a billion-dollar industry—$152 billion in 2021, to be exact.The range of different products on the market seems endless, and they all claim to help improve your health in one way or another. Don’t get me wrong; there are somesupplementsthat can actually be worthwhile, especially for nutrients you have a hard time getting in your diet (like iron or vitamin D if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet). But several are not worth the hype—or the money. Here I’ll break down five supplements I’d recommend skipping as a registered dietitian.
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5 Supplements You Shouldn’t Be Taking, According to a Dietitian
1. Weight-Loss Supplements
The Best Way to Lose Weight & Keep It Off Long Term, According to Experts
2. Supplements without Independent Certification
3. Supplements That Interfere with Your Medications
If you are taking any medication, be sure to consult with your health care team before trying a new supplement. In my undergraduate education in dietetics, I vividly remember the heavy book on food and drug interactions that I lugged around in my backpack for class. So many nutrients impact different medications, and it’s not something that’s displayed when you purchase a supplement. For example, vitamin K can impactblood-thinning medicationlike Warfarin, and people on Warfarin typically need to monitor their vitamin K intake closely. In this case, a vitamin K supplement would not be safe for someone on this medication. That’s why it’s important to talk to a professional before starting something new, even if it’s just a single-ingredient vitamin or mineral.
4. Caffeine Supplements
Caffeine is arguably the most popular drug in the world, and in moderation, it can even boast some health benefits. Drinks like coffee and tea are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which can give you an energy and nutrition boost, and it can be easier to tell when you’re drinking too much. But high-dose caffeine supplements are easy to take and usually contain two to three times more caffeine per pill than an 8-ounce cup of coffee, which is probably more than you would usually consume in one sitting. Besides shakiness, anxiety and jitters in the short term, regularlyoverdoing it on caffeinecan mess with your mental health, make certain medical conditions like heart disease and diabetes worse and can negatively impact your sleep. If you’re feeling tired on the road or in a pinch, opt for another form of caffeine and skip the jitter-inducing supplements.
5. High-Dose Supplements
There are numerous vitamins and minerals that our body needs to thrive. But too much of a good thing can sometimes be not so good for us, and nutrients are no exception. Many vitamins and minerals have what’s called a “tolerable upper limit” (UL).This is the maximum daily intake that is unlikely to cause adverse effects. Exceeding these limits can create too high of a concentration of the nutrient in our bodies and can lead to adverse health effects, particularly for fat-soluble vitamins (like A, D, E and K) or heavy metals (like iron, copper and zinc). Since supplements aren’t vetted before they go to market, there is no standardized way to check that the dose they are recommending is below the UL. Not only are super-high-dose supplements unnecessary, but they could also potentially be dangerous.
This is why it’s important to do a bit of research and have a specific idea of what you want before shopping for a supplement. TheDaily Recommended Intakesare a good place to start to get an idea of how much you need, and also consider if you regularly consume food sources of the nutrient (which is usually a better way to meet your needs).Supplements are meant to do just that: supplement your food intake to help you meet your needs. So skip the high-dose supplements and choose one that can help you fill in the gaps without overdoing it.
The Bottom Line
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Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Food and Drug Administration.Dietary Supplements.
The Department of Defense Dietary Supplement Resource.OPSS Scorecard.
National Institute of Health.Nutrient Recommendations and Databases.
United States Department of Agriculture.DRI Calculator for Health Professionals.
