The dietary supplements industry has been booming for quite some time now and has an estimated market value of around $46 billion in the United States. Moreover, experts expect it to continue to expand. Most of the supplement ads out there say that they can improve your sexual functions, heart health, memory, joint health and boost your body’s performance in many ways. However, to be clear, most dietary supplements are unproven and typically do little to fight disease and improve health. Some can even actually hurt you.
Why Are They So Popular?
There are many reasons why dietary supplements are so popular. For starters, they usually seem safe. Because you can get them without a prescription, many folks assume it’s just like taking aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen). However, unlike prescription drugs, most people that buy them don’t think they cause side effects. Furthermore, a lot of them are promoted as being “all-organic and all natural.”
Many of the products are also highly recommended and have many testimonials. Both “real people” and trusted celebrities alike endorse these supplements and provide testimonials about how they love using them. You’re also likely to get a few recommendations from family and friends as well. Some of them will even make you feel like you’re endangering your well-being if you don’t take supplements.
Why You Need To Be Careful
Anyone using dietary supplements could be taking a huge health risk without even knowing. There’s also a high chance that they’ll get you disqualified from competitive athletic and sporting events. Furthermore, the ingredients you’ll find in most of these products can sometimes interact with other medications you might be taking or even with each other. Finally, some of these products haven’t even been tested on human beings, and it’s still unknown whether they’re safe.
Sadly, this is something very common in dietary supplements. There are numerous supplements designed for weight loss or to help boost sexual performance recalled back due to harmful ingredients.
