This series, titled “The Supplement Symposium,” will take a look at various supplements and which ones you can (or should) utilize for specific goals. Part One will cover the debate of whole foods vs. supplements.
Supplements vs. Whole Foods
Americans have a reputation of looking for the quick fix, a way to cheat natural processes and to defy not only age, but also bad habits. Our diets have gone to shit and we have become increasingly sedentary, resulting in unprecedented rates of degenerative diseases and obesity. In an effort to take advantage of our laziness, and propensity to look for band-aids instead of real solutions, the supplement industry has exploded to over $61 billion a year. The once small industry has expanded from multi-vitamins and mineral supplements, to a wide variety of everything from food replacement shakes, herbal remedies, vitamin abstracts, and even colonics. As crap supplements have flooded the market, many doctors and nutritionists have made a kneejerk reaction and said that you should avoid supplements altogether and rely only on whole foods and exercise to get results. The debate has raged on, with the naturalists claiming that since we evolved without all this added junk, we are better off without it. The advocates of supplements say that advances in technology and science have allowed us to push performance further than ever with these products, natural or not. Which side is right?
The quick answer, as with most debates, is that the truth lies somewhere in the middle in the gray shady area. Both sides have good points and all claims should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s true there is a lot of crap out there, but if you do your due diligence and use them correctly, good supplements can certainly help you attain your goals a little quicker than just whole foods and exercise alone. Here are some of the pros, cons and issues you should have in mind when thinking about whether to supplement or rely on whole foods.
Lost in the shuffle of trying to fix all of our problems is the fact that supplements are exactly what their name suggests: meant to SUPPLEMENT our normal diet. We are meant to eat food and to move around, ‘cause when it all comes down to it, we are animals. The fact that we developed a neo-cortex, and culture and technology merely complicates that fact. Our bodies were designed to run on nutrients we get from real food, and to adapt to the movements we make on a regular basis. The way our bodies utilize nutrients is based on the evolutionary changes we have made over a millennia of eating whole foods. The metabolic processes and the way certain combinations of nutrients from whole foods work in our bodies are impossible to replicate with supplements.
That being said, because our diets have gotten so bad with all the processing, our food has become extremely deficient in many essential vitamins and minerals. Utilizing multi-vitamins and various other supplements to make sure we get all the nutrients we need to keep our bodies running properly is a very smart thing to do. Not only can you ensure that you are getting everything you need to function, but the various convenience factors provided by supplements trump whole foods by a long shot. Here are some reasons why supplements can be better than whole foods in certain situations:
1. Nutrient timing - pills and capsules allow for nutrient timing that are just plain a pain in the ass if eating whole meals (for example getting ample protein and/or carbs right after a workout). Slamming a shake is easier than packing a meal, and the quick action of the combination of whey protein and high glycemic carbs in a good shake will utilize the anabolic window much better than a meal of say chicken, broccoli and brown rice.
2. Nutrient amounts – some beneficial nutrients are simply impossible to get in ample amounts naturally. Good examples include fish oils and creatine. You would have to eat ridiculous amounts of fish and red meat to get enough of either of these compounds to match what you can get from a small capsule or teaspoon of a supplement.
3. Spoilage – contrary to what some people say, some food processing can actually be a good thing. For example, removing mercury from fish oil and putting it in a capsule to prevent it from oxidizing quickly makes it that much easier to get the great polyunsaturated fats they contain.
On the other hand, whole food people have a great point in that there are a lot of really badly designed supplements out there. Many products are pumped full of chemicals, sugars, useless proteins and other garbage that can be harmful to our bodies. In many cases, just as with food products, over-refining removes a lot of the good things that we need such as fiber. Many are also based on badly designed research studies and bad science as well. To make matters worse, supplements aren’t yet regulated like food is, so it’s difficult to know which products are safe and contain good ingredients and which ones are crap. Here are some things to look for when choosing supplements:
1. Good science – the more research there is, and the longer the studies on a certain compound, the better. One 3-week study on 8 rats that showed a product made one group stronger is not good science. Just ‘cause there is a guy in a white coat touting the product doesn’t mean jack.
2. Quality ingredients – check the ingredients list to make sure there isn’t a ton of added sugars and filler proteins that your body can’t use, especially with shakes and protein bars.
3. Bioavailability – many minerals can’t be processed unless they are "chelated," and some need to be taken in the right combination with other minerals/vitamins to be properly assimilated, such as needing to take calcium, magnesium, and vitamins D & K in the proper ratios to ensure proper absorption and use.
4. Proper content – try to find companies that use independent lab testing to ensure that what’s on the label is actually in the product.
This is one debate where it is okay to sit on the fence and take both sides every once in a while. Now that that is settled, we will move forward by talking about what supplements can be used to attain certain goals.
Peter Bauman – Peter is a chef first and personal trainer second. With a background in the biological sciences and degree in psychology, Peter knows how to make food that tastes great and keeps you lean and healthy.