By CHRISTIE ROBINS
christie@du2.byu.edu
Ben Malone is exhausted.
After enduring yet another long day of hitting the books and sitting through lectures, he drags his body to Zuka Juice in the Wilkinson Center, waits in line and places his order, a Bluesberry with a dash of Zuka Power Punch and a capsule of wheat germ.
Like many other BYU students, the 19-year-old from West Virginia is not certain how effective supplements are, but figures they must have some benefit, so why not throw them in? Besides, the first two are free.
'When we see power supplements, we think we're doing something good for ourselves, even if they don't actually do anything,' Malone said.
Bruce Woolley, a pharmacologist and BYU food science and nutrition professor, said every supplement has pharmacological activity.
'They may or may not be beneficial, but all of them do something,' Woolley said.
Steroids boost energy, and ginseng contains two types of steroids, so it will give people energy, but is not necessarily safe, Woolley said.
Marci Moorhead, 18, a freshman from Mission Viejo, Calif., majoring in mathematics, said she always orders double ginseng at Zuka Juice because she believes it gives her energy.
John Young, a local Zuka Juice manager, said he thinks the amount of supplements in Zuka's drinks is trivial.
'I don't think the concentration is enough to have a real positive or negative effect,' Young said.
Some students said the supplements Zuka Juice offers may be healthy, but that they believe their effects are more psychological than biological.
'I think they're just placebos, but people still order them because they think they're healthy,' said Haley Christensen, 18, a freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., with an open major.
Other students said supplements are probably healthy, but don't order them due to their 'funny' taste.
Woolley said dealing with supplements is a complex issue and that a lack of standardization in the herbal industry is a problem.
'The FDA has no control. There's no guarantee that the bottle contains what the label says it does, so neither the sellers nor the buyers know what's exactly in the capsules,' Woolley said.
Woolley used bee pollen as an example of a supplement with uncertain contents.
'Bees may have gathered the pollen from plants (the consumers) are allergic to; there's no way of knowing,' he said.
Melvin S. Drozen, a lawyer at Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C., said the FDA has proposed new regulations governing supplements. But until those regulations are passed, the FDA will continue interpreting and adhering to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.
According to the DSHEA, supplement manufacturers can make nutrient-content, nutrition support or structure-function claims, but are prohibited from making disease claims. Claiming a supplement reduces the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis is illegal; however, 'promotes relaxation' is legal.
Due to these regulations, many supplement labels contain 'pseudomedical' jargon such as 'detoxify,' 'purify' and 'energize.'
Dr. Paul G. Jensen, director of The Alternative Health Center in Pleasant Grove, said he is in favor of the FDA regulation of supplements, but that its restriction of people's freedom is a downside.
'If people could be better educated so supplements would not be abused and if companies would be more honest instead of promoting cure-alls ... regulation would not be necessary,' Jensen said.
Jensen said even though supplements are natural, in large dosages they can have the same effect as pharmaceuticals.
'Some of the sickest people I've met have overmedicated themselves with herbs,' he said.
Woolley said he's also concerned with the interactions of supplements in general, which can cause complications.
'The question is not if supplements are good (or bad) because it depends. Someone who happens to be sensitive can end up in trouble. Certain interactions can send people to the hospital,' he said.
Woolley said Vitamin E should not be mixed with ginseng and that taking ginkgo biloba with aspirin can cause bleeding.
'The problem in our society is people thinking that just because something is natural, it's safe, but that's not necessarily true,' he said.
Diane Humpherys, a registered dietitian and an assistant manager at a BYU cafeteria, said pregnant women are encouraged to take certain supplements, but most people do not need them if they're eating a variety of foods.
Woolley also said if students are eating a well-balanced diet, they don't need supplements, but said most students aren't eating what they should. He said many students do not prepare healthy meals because it takes too much time and effort.
'Sometimes it's more costly than buying something already prepared, but it's less costly to eat a well-balanced diet than to eat supplements,' Woolley said.
Humpherys advised students to follow the Food Guide Pyramid, eat a good breakfast and limit their intake of snacks and candy.