Do You Know What Is In Your Supplements?

Breast cancer survivors are the highest users of supplements. When I work with patients in my practice or women in my survivorship course, this is a topic that generates a lot of questions. 

I want to start off by saying this, there is no supplement that has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence. However, that does not mean that I do not use them in my practice. I frequently find vitamin and mineral deficiencies after patients undergo cancer treatments. There are also studies of the use of supplements to help patients reduce the side effects of their cancer treatments and improve their quality of life. 

The use of supplements should be individualized and recommended by a trained health care provider. One of the biggest concerns with supplements is their potential for interaction with medications and treatments. 

I encourage people to read their supplement labels much like we should be reading our food labels. I find that patients may be purchasing products by looking more at the active ingredients, but then totally disregard the inactive ingredients. You will find the inactive ingredients hidden in the ingredient list. It is not uncommon to see "fillers", things like talc or gums that are used as binders. There may also be added sugars that I would especially want to avoid. It may be worth paying slightly more to get a "cleaner" product with fewer of these additives. 

There is no federal regulation of supplements in the United States. I like to recommend companies that pay to have their supplements voluntarily tested and obtain the seal of the USP or NSF which you will find on the label. For my patients with celiac or gluten sensitivity, I also recommend only buying products that are labeled "certified gluten-free", which also has a seal on the label. 

I recommend getting personalized recommendations if you decide to take supplements. A provider trained in integrative oncology will review your medical history, medications, and labs and give you an individualized treatment plan. There is no "one sized fits all".

If you want to read more about supplements and get brand recommendations for products, you may want to consider a subscription to consumerlabs.com. They do independent lab testing of supplements and can help you make better purchasing decisions.