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Diet Safety: Is it really smart to take One A Day?

By Megan Roth

The week before Christmas, I announced to family and friends­ that I was getting a dog. And in response, every single individual responded “You?” (or something along those lines). Now, most of you don’t know me, but those who do will understand that the skeptical response is completely legit.

I’m the least motherly individual in the world – I have no patience, operate on a whim and can be slightly forgetful. Like I said, their response may have been justified…

Regardless, I got the dog (like I said, I operate on a whim). Last weekend, I took the dog to get her final deworming shot – and the vet refused to give it to her! I showed the vet the records from both the breeder and the previous vet, which had her scheduled to receive her fifth vaccine.

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But the vet held steady and warned of the risks over-vaccination poses. She compared the puppy to a kid; “would you get your child vaccinated every two weeks? No – it’s not necessary.”

That got me thinking about over-vitaminizing…our bodies are only able to absorb so much of a vitamin/nutrient at a time, so taking 3000% of your daily vitamin C intake in one sitting really isn’t beneficial. In fact, it can be detrimental as your body can actually build up a tolerance.

So what about products such as one-a-day weight smart? Can a supplement such as this (which, by the way, is not a diet pill. Rather, it’s a standard multivitamin that contains added weight support supplements (sounds like a diet pill to me…)). Regardless, it’s marketed as a complete multivitamin and weight loss aid; I wonder, does the aid to damage in combination to the good?

Turns out, it can. Despite being ephedra-free, the advanced multivitamin promises to kick start metabolisms and promote weight loss efforts.

And consumers not only support this claim, but also praise the drug for its lack of negative side effects.

Problem here: the vitamin isn’t without side effects entirely. It may seem that way as the supplement doesn’t induce pain or visible side effects; however, it’s the unseen side effects that’ll get ya.

For starters, One a Day Weight Smart contains chromium, a mineral that alters sleep patterns and can cause nightmares amongst users.

So count on sleepless nights as your odds of developing uber-intense nightmares goes up whenever you begin consuming the pill. And if that doesn’t do you in, the fact that One a Day contains the caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee will.

Let me elaborate as this may not seem like a big deal (and it’s not for most) but for some it can cause rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure, especially when used on top of your normal caffeine consumption.

Oh, yes – caffeine is one of the main weight ‘support’ substances in the happy little pills. Thus, many users report a stimulant-type effect (jetty hands, sleep deprivation, etc) when they begin taking the pill.

But despite its stimulant-like results, One a Day also has negative aspects.

One – it produces yo-yo type weight loss for many of its users (it revs your metabolism when you begin taking it, but eventually your body will build up a tolerance (similar to the aforementioned vitamin tolerance).

Two – as soon as you stop taking the supplement, the weight (and then some) will come back. Think about it – if you stop working out, you’ll gain weight. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship: take the weight stabilizer, be stable. Stop taking it and that stability comes to a halt.

Three - the weight-loss aid may actually have reverse effects and may suppress your metabolism. In fact, weird as it may sound, the supplement can actually cause both constipation and/or diarrhea for users - two far extremes, I know. And that’s in addition to the potential to develop a rash, intch, dissiness and swelling that can occur.

As always, if you or anyone else you know has been affected by a weight loss supplement or aid, contact the Lombardi Law Firm.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on January 20, 2009 (boomark / email).