#677 Mahtab Jafari: The Truth About Dietary Supplements
Dr. Mahtab Jafari is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the School of Biological Sciences, and Director of the UCI Center for Healthspan Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Her research interests include Healthspan Pharmacology: the impact of botanical extracts and dietary supplements on longevity and health; Anti-Aging Pharmacology; and Preventive Medicine. She is the author of The Truth About Dietary Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide to a Safe Medicine Cabinet.
In this episode, we focus on The Truth About Dietary Supplements. We start by talking about Dr. Jafari’s academic background, and what led her to writing this book. We then get into dietary supplements: what they are; who makes and sells them; if they are regulated and tested; and the reporting of adverse side effects. We ask if people generally need supplements. We talk about botanicals used in traditional societies. We discuss issues with the ingredients of supplements, and potential interactions with medication. We talk about how we can know that a supplement is trustworthy. We go through several communication issues regarding social media, celebrity influencers, anecdotes, and the “wellness industry”. We touch on pet supplements. Finally, we talk about how to know if one has some deficiency, what to ask healthcare providers about supplements, and how to monitor the effects of dietary supplements.
Time Links:
Intro
Dr. Jafari’s background, and what motivated writing the book
What are dietary supplements?
Who makes and sells them?
Are they regulated?
Are they tested?
Reporting adverse side effects
Do people generally need supplements?
Botanicals used in traditional societies
Issues with the ingredients of supplements
Interactions with medication
How can we know that a supplement is trustworthy?
Are marketing claims usually backed by science?
Social media, celebrity influencers, anecdotes, and “wellness”
Feeling “better”, and using too many supplements
Pet supplements
How to know if one has some deficiency, and what to ask healthcare providers about supplements
How to monitor the effects of dietary supplements
Follow Dr. Jafari’s work!
Follow Dr. Jafari’s work:
University page: https://bit.ly/3xFctkk
Website: https://bit.ly/3JTbNKr
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3Qh5gNp
The Truth About Dietary Supplements: https://amzn.to/3QcS3VB