Are Supplements Safe?

By trimwithjenn

This is a question most people wonder about if they want to lose weight, or build muscle, or both!

The big question…. are supplements safe?

Supplements are just what they say they are… supplementing your weight loss or fitness journey. There is not one supplement on the market that is an overnight physique game changer. So, with that being said, you shouldn’t rely on a supplement {or aid} to transform your body. I promise you that you will lose inches on your waistline if you eat healthy foods & exercise regularly.

There are a ton of supplements on the market that will help you reach your goals … and then they are supplements that will hinder your goals. Supplements are not regulated as strictly by the FDA as common foods are. To put it simply, the FDA treats dietary supplements as if they are ‘special foods’ and the regulations aren’t regulated as firmly. Some states, such as Californa, have other laws regulating supplements which could result in a warning label on certain products.

I’ve become a research junkie on supplement ingredients and supplement brands. If anyone has any questions about supplements, feel free to e-mail me for a general Q&A {trimwithjenn@gmail.com}.

  • In my opinion, it’s not needed to take a “fat burner” or a thermogenic to lose weight/ achieve your physique. A lot of fitness competitors and intense fitness enthusiasts add fat burners into their supplement stack. If you choose a fat burner, make sure you do your research. There are a handful of companies who claim help you burn fat but all you’re really doing is hurting your digestive system. Also, I recommend that you have a consistent healthy eating lifestyle coupled with consistent exercise before adding a ‘fat burner’ to your stack.
  • Pre-workouts do help give you energy but be extra careful in this market because there are a handful of nasty ingredients that can be found in pre-workouts.
  • Amino acids and BCAA powders are generally clean but some are better than the others as far as ratios are concerned. Amino acids / BCAA supplements are a great addition to any stack!
  • Protein powders are also generally clean but pay attention to fat calories and sodium. Sometimes, we may think a protein powder is good but really it’s a bit of a setback with unneeded fat and sodium intake.
  • Protein bars can be helpful but also super bad for you if you aren’t careful. Only protein bar I trust is Quest Nutrition’s protein bars.
  •  CLA, L-Carnitine and other additional supplements {which could be borderline viatmines} should be consumed in moderation.

Please, for the love of your body, don’t take weight loss supplements and eat unhealthy and expect to lose weight {drops mic}.

Stay healthy,
Jenn

PS: You can get trim with Jenn 🙂 

References:

*American Cancer Society 
*USDA / FDA

About trimwithjenn

My blogging goal is to give you at least one health, fitness and / or wellness tip!

20 Responses

  2. Darrick Dean

    It’s a shame that many supplements aren’t clean and natural, seems to defeat the purpose. There’s a couple Quest bars I like (i.e. Double Choc Chunk), but a couple I avoid – for some reason not all of them are all natural. My go to protein bar has been Cliff Bars, but Quest protein chips are quite good.

    I’ve toyed with my supp plan for awhile and have settled on this: protein powder, creatine, superfood powder (Amazing Grass), omega 3 fish oil and a multivit (when needed).

    Liked by 1 person

  3. kevines255

    If you want a “fat burner” or something to speed up your metabolism, just go with caffeine. Coffee works, if you don’t put in all the junk, those MIO Energy drinks have a ton of caffeine for a great price (not sure about the other stuff in them…) or for about $8 you can get 100 200mg tablets of caffeine. You can break them in half or quarter them and take according to your tolerance. The thing is being careful to not over-do it. I would say the best results, as far as fat burning goes, is caffeine, combined with eating something small every few hours.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. trimwithjenn

        Right, caffeine does boost your metabolism but it’s not good to consume a bunch of caffeine and not fuel your body with nutrients… that could cause some metabolic issues. At the end of the day… the best way to lose fat is to eat healthy and to exercise.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Saurab

    To be on the safe side, don’t take supplements at all 😛
    Personally, I’m an advocate of clean change. Really good post. It’s a question many people want answered. So, in the end, are you for or against supplements?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. trimwithjenn

      I’m a fan of BCAA’s (or amino acids) and protein powder. The protein powder helps me get the amount of protein I need a day and so do the BCAA’s. I will sometimes take a pre-workout but only if it’s a clean one. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. bdphysique

    I agree with you to an extent. Fat burners are used by many trying to achieve a shredded physique. It is almost uncommon if a fitness junkie is not on a fat burner. Fat burners aid in speeding up your metabolism as well as controlling cravings. Everything else I do agree with you on. The supplement industry is becoming so shady nowadays and its hard to find good clean products anymore. Great post!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. trimwithjenn

      I probably should have included that these tips / opinions are for someone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle while balancing a busy schedule. Not someone who is trying to get shredded {I’ll add the preface now} such as a fitness competitor. I agree, fat burners can speed up your metabolism but should be used in moderation & after research. There are so many phoney supplements on the market these days that can really hurt your digestive system and organs. Thanks for the feedback!

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  9. Vik Khanna (@exercisewithvik)

    This isn’t completely correct. The comparison should not be between supplements and foods, but between supplements and drugs. Drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription, are FDA regulated. Manufacturers must get prior approval before sales and marketing, which includes submission of randomized clinical trials showing clinical benefits. Supplements, by an act of Congress, are exempt from that level of scrutiny. Supplement manufacturers can bring pretty much anything they want to market whenever they want. They may not make false claims about the product, and they may not claim that it can prevent or cure an illness, but label and marketing claims often dance right up to the edge of that threshold. Supplement manufacturers rarely test their products in rigorous randomized clinical trials and have those papers published in reputable scientific journals.

    Foods are not pre-market regulated by the FDA except in unusual circumstances. So, if an apple grower creates a new variety of apple via hybridization, there is no FDA prior approval. However, the FDA has approved the sale of new genetically engineered salmon because they are a scientifically engineered variant of something that occurs naturally in the food chain. Food manufacturers can come with virtually any new product they want as long as they use component ingredients that are generally recognized as safe. There is no prior approval of most foods, but there is prosecution of false and misleading claims about foods or mislabeling.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. trimwithjenn

      Thanks for the comment! Although I mentioned that supplements are treated as ‘special foods’, I do not mean to put them in the same category as ‘foods’ {nor as drugs}. Sorry if that came off confusing! I added a link to my blog post with an article from the American Cancer Society that states supplements are treated as ‘special foods.’ Correct, drugs are regulated by the FDA. You’re also correct in that supplement companies can’t make false claims, they can’t claim to cure illness and that they can release products whenever. Supplement companies are also required to comply with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. You’re also right in that supplement companies rarely test properly!

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