A common question we get asked by everyone trying to improve themselves or their performance is “does brand x supplement really work”? To give you a little background knowledge, In 1994 , Congress enacted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or DSHEA, which set up a framework for FDA regulations of dietary supplements. This act, as well as the National Institute of Health, have tried to coordinate research to protect us the consumer. At this point I could bedazzle you with many other agency’s titles, acts, and or plans, but lets cut to the quick. As of the writing of this text it is still “buyer beware”. Under DSHEA, the FDA’s requirement for pre-market review of dietary supplements is less stringent than that of other products is regulates, such as drugs and numerous additives used in conventional foods. This means that the safety of dietary supplements and the truthfulness of label claims are left up to the manufacturer. Choosing the right supplement is a daunting task for the average person. You are being bombarded by companies making millions of dollars who hire advertising gurus to lead you to believe that the answers you are looking for comes in a box, bottle, or pill. Be aware of the “Testimonials” by famous people (not us), doctors, nutritionists, professors, etc…You will also see “the average Joe” gimmick, complete with before and after pictures. The old statement “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is” definitely holds true the majority of the time. According to the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, 56% of supplements are “worthless and possibly harmful”(Ayan,2001).
After all of that you will be surprised that there are many nutritional supplements that are safe and effective. And yes I do recommend some for the busy person who trains vigorously. The average joe who does not overly exert themselves or train regularly can probably get by on a well balanced diet. The problem lies in that many of us do not eat three regular meals a day, let alone a balanced diet. That is where supplements can be of great benefit. You must remember that for even a good supplement to work optimally, it is very important that proper nutrition is followed. Taking creatine, but not getting enough calories will not help you gain weight. Using fat burners while eating fast food will not help you lose weight.. If you take anything else away from this section, become a savvy and skeptical consumer. Do your research and talk to a registered dietition, Doctor, Pharmacist or other highly qualified individual with nothing to gain by selling you a product. Eating right, training, and proper rest are the core requirements of any individual trying to improve themselves.
The following are some common supplements without brand names (no one has offered me enough money to push their product;). We will give you a brief overview of each but we still strongly encourage you to do your own research.

Multi-vitamins

A High quality multi-vitamin is something I highly recommend to all people. Here in the United States we tend to sacrifice quality for convience and quantity in our diet. By taking a good multi-vitamin you are making the effort to make available to your body many of the things it may need but you did not make available through your food intake. This is the easiest, simplest, and smartest thing you can do for yourself. There are many quality one a day type vitamins and if I can remember to take a pill once a day I believe most people can. Find a good one that provides a small amount of vitamins and minerals and have a rich supply of various antioxidants and phytonutrients. I know that I said that I wasn’t going to use those big words but it was unavoidable here. Talk to a Nutritionist or Pharmacist were you purchase these for explanations on what you need and what they do. You can also go online or, heaven forbid, buy a book to better educate yourself on this area. Just be sure to remember that the best advice will probably come from someone who has nothing to gain ($) and is well educated in that area. Most Pharmacist are usually very obliging in helping you out and if they are not, go to the next store down the road. In larger cities there seems to be a pharmacy in every store on every other corner. As a final note on this subject, remember that more is not always better. If you take in an exorbitant amount of vitamins and minerals that your body cannot process, your liver, kidneys, etc. will have to work extra hard to get the excess out of your system. It is true that no one ever died from expensive urine (were the excess gets filtered out), but they have from kidney, liver, and other internal organ problems and you need to do your research and be safe and smart about what you are putting in your body.

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