Choosing Supplements Wisely
Find vitamins, herbs and other supplements that help your arthritis symptoms, without causing unnecessary risks.
Vitamins, herbs and other supplements can be aneffectiveadd-on toyourarthritistreatment program, along withthedrugs your doctor prescribes.Yet with thousands of products available from hundreds ofdifferentmanufacturers, it’s hard to know which ones really work. Before you buyany supplement,make sureit’ssafe and worth the cost.
Do Supplements Work?
That dependsonwhich ones you buy.Research suggests thatcertainherbal and other supplements may helpreducearthritis painand improve function, especially whenyou use themalongwith traditionalarthritistreatments.
Fish oil, SAM-e and curcumin are among the supplements with the best evidence to support them. The research onglucosamine and chondroitin,some ofthe most popular supplements for osteoarthritis, is mixed, buttheymay help with OA pain and stiffness.For more comprehensive look at what the research says about popular supplements for arthritis,read this article or check out thesupplement guide.
Supplement Risks
Though supplements are considered“natural,” thatdoesn’t always meanthey’resafe.Unlike prescription and over-the-counter medications, thelaw doesn’t require theFood and Drug Administration (FDA)toapprove the safety and effectiveness ofdietary supplements.That means manufacturersmay list ingredients onthelabelthatmay notactuallybe in the bottle.Supplements can also contain contaminants,includingprescription drugs.
Some supplements can cause side effects like GI upset or excess bleeding.Others mightinteract with medicines you take.
One way to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the drugs you take is to look them up on theNatural Medicines Comprehensive Database. This website contains objective, evidence-based information on medications, including their effectiveness and potential interactions with other drugs. A one-year subscription can be pricey, but your doctor may be able to look up medications for you.
Talk to Your Doctor
Before you take any new supplement, do your homework. Askyourdoctorand pharmacistwhether it’ssafe andappropriate for your type of arthritis.Find out what dose to take, and what side effects to watch out for.
Just be prepared that your doctor might not have good advice on supplements, because many physicians haven’t been well trained in complementary and alternative medicine. “The oneswhohave the most training have completed an integrative medicine fellowship,” says FarshadFaniMarvasti, MD, MPH, director of Public Health, Prevention, and Health Promotion at The University of Arizona.
An herbalist will also have expertise in the use of supplements, but if you see one, make surehe or shediscussesyour medications with your doctor to prevent interactions.
How to Choose Quality Supplements
Here are a few tips to follow whenever you buy supplements.
Shop smartly.You can buy supplements without a prescription at drug stores, supermarkets, health food stores and specialty nutrition stores.They’realso available over the Internet, although buying online makes it harder to know what you’re getting.If you do buysupplements virtually, go to reputableand recognizable companieslikeThe Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreensor Amazon. “I wouldn’t go to some questionable looking website,” warns ChrisD’Adamo, PhD, director of Research & Education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine.
Be wary of false claims.Promisesthat sound too good to be true-- like “Rebuilds damaged joints” --usually are. Nodietarysupplement can lawfully claim todiagnose, cure, treator prevent disease.
Look for the seal.One way to ensure the quality of the supplements you buyisto purchase a brand that carries a seal of approval from the U.S.Pharmacopeia(USP), ConsumerLab.com or NSF International.Thesethird-party organizations perform quality tests to ensure thatthe ingredients listed on the labelare in the bottle,and that the productsdo not contain harmful levels of contaminants.An NSF seal indicates that the product meets Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), guidelines to ensure it has the strength, composition, quality and purity listed on the label.You might have to pay an annual fee for these services (ConsumerLab.comcharges $42 a year), but it could be worth the cost if you regularly use supplements.
Check for a lot and batch number.These numbers help the company trace the product and alert consumersif an issue arises. “It shows that the company is holding itself accountable if there’s a recall or a consumer has a problem,”D’Adamosays.
Consider the cost. Supplement costscanadd upquickly, particularly if you need to pop multiple pills to get the desired effects.A one-month supply of glucosamine and chondroitin or SAM-ecan run more than $30.Talk to an integrative medicine or rheumatologistbefore you buy any product to make surethatyou need it and it’s right for you.
When you do take supplements, be alert and aware. If you’ve used a product for a few months with no real improvement in your joints, it’s time to check back in with your doctor. You could be better offadjusting your arthritis medicationsor trying other approacheslikeexercise or physical therapy.
