Using science to create healthy diet plans can help modern people develop eating habits that suit their lifestyles and create the type of bodies that they want. It is often difficult, however, to differentiate between science fiction and science fact, especially in the world of nutrition where vitamin and supplement fads can run their courses in a matter of months.
During the 1990s and 2000s, several vitamin and supplement fads grabbed the attention of those who wanted to lose weight, increase muscle mass, or simply lead healthier lives. As we enter the 2010s, some new fads are beginning to have an influence on the vitamin and supplement market.
Vitamin and Supplement Fads in the 1990s
In the 1990s, nutrition scientists found that consuming taurine, an organic acid, could help athletes boost energy. This substance, however, is not found in foods, so vitamin and supplement companies started adding taurine to their products. This was all the rage for years, and discussions about the negative and positive effects of taurine continued throughout the 2000s. Today you can still find it in most energy drinks, but few companies hype its benefits, probably because they are well known and few negative side effects have been found when the acid is consumed in moderate amounts.
Many athletes started using creatine in the 1990s as well. Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid found in the human body. Consuming large amounts of this substance could increase muscle mass. Some purport that it can even boost IQ. Researchers studying the IQ-enhancing abilities of creatine found that it did not do much more than a placebo, but there is evidence that it can increase muscle mass. Creatine is also safe when taken in moderate doses for short periods of time. There are, however, studies showing that long-term use can lead to health problems.
Vitamin and Supplement Fads in the 2000s
St. John’s wort has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years, but drug stores had to start placing more bottles of it on their shelves in the late 1990s and early 2000s as more and more people wanted to use supplements containing this herb to treat depression and anxiety. Some studies show that St. John’s wort is more effective than a placebo at treating depression, but people should consider the possible impact of choosing alternative medicines that don’t actually cure emotional and mental troubles. Even if St. John’s wort successfully treats some mild cases of depression, more severe cases can become worse when not treated effectively.
Emerging Vitamin and Supplement Fads in 2010
All three of these trends still exist in the vitamin and supplement industry, and chances are that consumers will continue to buy them. Given that there is some evidence that they produce the desired results, perhaps there isn’t any reason for them to disappear from drug store shelves.
Even after 2010 had barely gotten started, there were some emerging fads that could continue to grow throughout the decade. One of the ways to spot potential fads is that they claim to cure just about anything. One up-and-coming supplement to keep an eye on is CoQ10, which supposedly increases lifespan, lowers blood pressure, treats cancer, reduces migraine headaches, and benefits those with congestive heart failure.
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