Essentials of Nutrition for Sports

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Kava kava—becoming popular as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety agent. Concerns are about potential regulatory issues (no problems so far) and possible abuse.

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Kombucha “mushroom” products—evi

dence of benefits is weak.

Concerns have been raised about safety of growing your own. The “brew” produced by this complex of microorganisms contains mostly vinegar, sugar, a bit of alcohol and caffeine.

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Laxative diet teas—can be habit-forming and produce unhealthful side-effects. Weight

loss from such products may be

mostly by dehydration, hence not lasting.

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Melatonin—synthetic hormone to

induce sleep. Long term safety

is uncertain, but it is produced naturally in our bodies.

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Organic Sugar—is this just a way to “sugar-coat” something that really isn’t healthful? Is the “g

reen marketing” aspect exploitive?

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Selenium—same issue as germanium, complicated by the fact that areas with high selenium levels in the soil produce selenium-rich vegetables. In those areas supplementation is not necessary and could be hazardous.

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Single amino acids—including tryptophan, phenylalanine, aspartic acid and others, are controversial because they are isolated and taken in high doses. Safety may be a concern.

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Stevia—the embattled sweet herb, banned for 4 years based on a “trade complaint” (from a company, not a toxicologist), is now available as a dietary supplement. Looks safe.

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Stimulant diet teas—mostly ephedra, caffeine sources and sometimes willow or aspirin. They probably are appetite suppressants, and may stimulate fat burning. Some individuals should not touch them, for others there are questions about safety and healthfulness.

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Tryptophan—still off the market because of a quality problem with one manufacturer which led to illness and some reported fatalities. No one expects it to return to the market, but under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 it would apparently be considered a safe and legal supplement unless FDA could prove otherwise.

Bottom Line

If the industry itself admits to these concerns, shouldn’t we as

consumers be

at least

as concerned?

Nutrition for Sports, Essentials of 153