Mohammed Almahbashi
3/29/14

Supplementing The Body

As we go along in life the human race becomes smarter and smarter everyday. As we get older we start to become more aware of our bodies and health. With better technology and an understanding of medicine and science than ever before, we have developed many new different supplements that can enhance our workouts and bodies. Supplements are becoming very popular, especially amongst gym-goers and athletes. That resulted in a mass supplement industry and a vast use of supplements. According to the CDC(Center for Disease Control and Prevention) the use of supplements has increased in the United States. Over 40% used supplements in 1988–1994, and over one-half in 2003–2006. There are many different supplements, so many that most of them are not even needed in our everyday life. Using supplements can raise many personal questions concerning our health. Especially with the tons of options we can choose from. Prosource.net is a website that sells many different types of supplements, with many categories. Some of the supplements from their categories are , Anti-Aging, healthy fats, mood enhancers, nitric oxide, and many more. That is only a brief list from one website, there is a plethora of other sources and options. That raises many questions about supplements and their effect on the body, but the main ones that raise the most concern are if there are any side effects, the effectiveness of the product, and if there are any long-term effects.

Manufacturers of supplements do not need to inform consumers about side effects even when the ingredients are known to cause side effects(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine). That should raise a lot of awareness amongst the consumers of this market. Creatine is actually one the most popular of substances, believed to enhance muscle mass and help athletes achieve bursts of strength can in rare cases, have adverse effects, particularly when used in excess. Side effects can include, weight gain, anxiety, breathing difficulty, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, headache, kidney problems, nausea, vomiting, rash, and upset stomach(WebMd). Certain drugs, including diabetes medications, acetaminophen, and diuretics, can have dangerous interactions with creatine. Taking the stimulants caffeine and ephedra with creatine can increase the risk of side effects. Knowing what could happen to you if you consume a certain product can lower the risk of having such side effects(National Library of Medicine). Most of those side effects are more likely to occur if consumed in a large amount. Informing the consumer about the potential side effects would encourage that person to consume less. The problem is a lot of people think that the more they take in, the better, especially with protein supplements. According to NBJ( Nutritional business journal) in 2004, $20.3 billion was spent on supplements. As we go on the number of sales inclines higher and higher every year, so is all that money spent worth it? The only way is to find out how effective a certain product is. Creatine, which I previously stated can have many potential side effects, can also be very effective. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence, it rated Creatine as being possibly effective for many reasons like improving the athletic performance of young, healthy people during brief, high-intensity exercise such as sprinting, also increasing strength and endurance in people with heart failure, increasing strength in people with muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy, Slowing loss of sight in an eye disease called gyrate atrophy, and even improving symptoms of a muscle disease called McArdle's disease(National Library of Medicine). The list can go on for longer, but I want to switch the subject to the supplements that don't have much effect on our bodies. Like a lot of the vitamin and fat burning supplements. Vitamin