You don’t necessarily need to take a supplement if you’re perfectly healthy, just like you wouldn’t take a drug if you didn’t have any health issues. If you do have a health condition, though, or you’re at higher risk of a disease, such as heart disease or diabetes due to lifestyle or family history, you may want to consider taking a supplement just like you would consider taking a drug. What I’ve found over the last 30 years is that virtually all people have their own unique story that involves some health concern, large or small. In other words, almost everyone could potentially benefit from some type of supplement, even if it’s something as simple as a multivitamin to reduce cancer or cataract risk.
“How are supplements different from drugs?”
To me, there is no difference between an effective supplement and a drug for a specific medical condition. Some of the most interesting supplements mimic the actions of pharmaceuticals, or vice versa (for example, red yeast rice extract versus statins for lowering cholesterol or capsaicin in low concentration versus the higher concentration prescription-only form for neuropathic pain).
When a supplement works like an available drug, you should have more confidence in its ability to have a tangible effect (and, like drugs, not necessarily without side effects). In fact, many supplements sold in the United States are only available as drugs in other countries. (The over-the-counter supplement alpha-lipoic acid, to give you just one example, is sold as a prescription drug in parts of Europe and Asia.)
On the flip side, many drugs are derived from natural sources, including some of the biggest-selling drugs of all time: Cholesterol-lowering statins originally came from a fungus/yeast; metformin, used to treat diabetes, originates from the French lilac; and aspirin, a pain reliever and over-the-counter anti–heart attack pill, was created from willow bark.
Bottom line: The difference between a drug and an effective supplement is only perception, not reality. I’m hoping this book will spur a change. Throughout, for each ailment and condition, I will give you the full answer: If a drug is more effective than a supplement in a specific situation, I have no problem saying so.
Source: The Supplement Handbook - Mark Moyad
