SUPPLEMENTS: KYA ZAROORAT HAI?

What do you think about this?

One of my patients asked me whether supplements are over hyped to gain profits. Is this getting blown up like a bubble that will burst one day? The following article is written in a lighter vein but is no joke if you think for a while.

Interestingly, if you type ‘medicines’ in google search, you get 25,800,000 results and if you type ‘supplements’ you get 46,700,000 results (as on 24/11/2010). This is just for reference. You may draw your own inference from it. It might mean nothing.

People are frantically searching for alternatives or something to take along with the conventional medical line of treatment all over the globe. Most people take conventional medicine if there is no other way out or if they are impatient for a speedy symptomatic relief (or if they do not believe in alternative medicine and supplements). Any one form of treatment cannot be applied to all form of diseases or disorders. Emergency conditions definitely warrant conventional treatment protocols, there is no doubt regarding this. Conventional medicine has its own role to play but up to a certain extent only. Supplements nowadays play a major role in treating any disorder. Even drinking amala juice or dudhi juice or carrot everyday is supplementing. Even conventional medicine practitioners use supplements nowadays for many ailments or to maintain good health.

I just want you to go through some questions and think about the likely answers. You need not send me the answer if you do not wish to, just think about it.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

THESE QUESTIONS ARE IN NO WAY RELATED TO ANY PARTICULAR BRAND, COMPANY, OR MULTINATIONAL ORGANIZATION.

THERE IS NO INTENTION TO PROMOTE ANY BRAND.

I wanted an opinion regarding the use of food supplements for prevention and treatment of diseases (along with regular treatment).

• Is it possible to live a healthy, disease-free life without using over-the-counter or specific supplements? (Are three meals a day and a fruit enough?)


• Are natural organic supplements better than synthetic ones? (The price is better, is the effect better too?) J


• Can just our regular meals and a morning walk prevent lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, etc? (That is what most people do, but are they really healthy?)


• Do you believe in the free-radical theory of disease? (What’s that, don’t confuse me with that medical abracadabra.)


• Should people refrain from using supplements; should we ask them to discontinue if they are already taking them? (Some think that supplements are just a method of producing expensive urine, gosh….. what a thought. Uski urine meri urine se expensive kaise?? Please excuse the language, could not resist typing this.)


• Do you suggest taking them on a long-term basis or their use should be limited to some limit. (O.K., take a B-complex now and then, take calcium occasionally, what difference does it make anyway?)


• Do you check what supplements you take? Do you try to gather information on any ingredient that is in the supplement that you do not know about? (Who has the inclination or the time? I will show the doctor. But does your doctor know what effect it has on the body? Most of them don’t and they will agree with this. So they will refrain you from taking it to play safe. Can’t blame them. So you are back to square one, what to do ?????)


• Is it worth spending on them? (That is a billion dollar question about a billion dollar industry.)

Any other point that comes to your mind? (You have already chewed our brains enough, what more to ask?)

Regards and wishing all good health. (Yeah, first you create a storm and then wish us peace………you rotten scoundrel, get lost doc….)