They may seem like "easy fixes," but multivitamins, dietary supplements and energy-boosting pills may not be the safe cures they promise to be. A new federal study, completed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in association with the Food and Drug Administration and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reports that supplements were the reasons behind approximately 23,000 emergency room visits each year.
From heart problems—which include irregular heartbeat and chest pain—to choking on pills or even accidental ingesting of pills by children, the complications with the supplements show that the popular pills can have seriously adverse effects.
Weight loss and energy pills—the most common supplements taken—were behind the majority of the visits. By studying the emergency visits throughout a 10-year period of time, researchers investigated the ones where dietary supplements were involved. Patients reported severe allergic reactions, nausea, vomiting and heart troubles, from having taken supplements. But as one doctor notes, the statistics may not even scratch the surface.
"This is just a sampling of emergency rooms around the country," says Mark Moyad, MD, MPh, author of The Supplement Handbook. "Patients who have side-effects from supplements don't always think of emergency rooms. They think of urgent care or their primary care doctors. If [this study] is not capturing all of the urgent cares and minute clinics and visits to the internists or primary care doctors, that number is much higher."
In fact, as the study notes, the 23,000 patients who visited the emergency room are just one-tenth of one percent of the number of people who use supplements. But as Moyad points out, it could be much higher.
"This has been a long time coming and I think the real number are a lot larger than this," Moyad adds.
So if you're considering adding a supplement to your diet, follow Moyad's top recommendations for supplement care:
1. Read the Ingredient List
"When you look at a lot of products on sale today, they have a list of ingredients," says Moyad. In reality, your supplement should not have a blend of ingredients. "If you go to a health foods store and buy melatonin, for example, you're buying melatonin," Moyad continues. "But when you go to a CVS or a Walgreens, a lot of the products say 'melatonin' on the front, but have a mixture of ingredients companies have put together to create a proprietary or unique blend. The problem with those blends is that they've never been tested on human beings."
2. Read the Studies
With your doctor—or individually—look up the actual study that proves a specific supplement should be used. "By doing a little bit of homework and looking up the paper, you can reward the research that went throuth the study," Moyad says. "The supplement industry is a $35 billion business and there are are many fly-by-night companies, so looking up the facts and specific ingredients used in a study, you can get the best products."
3. Get Verified
"Don't be shy to look on the supplement's website, call the company or look on the bottle for some kind of label," Moyad adds. "Look for items that have the NSF stamp. It's a third-party control system—used by the NFL—that audits supplement companies and it means that your product has gone through some scrutiny."
4. Set a Higher Standard
"This should up the threshold of what people should require of their supplements," Moyad says. "Instead of getting information, people are being clinical trials of one and they're signing up to be a clinical project." That means speaking to a doctor, confirming that a supplement will deliver on its promises and not buying pills simply thanks to their celebrity endorsements. "Take an extra effort," he adds. "Supplements can really change your life if they're done correctly."
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Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!