The dietary supplement business is a multibillion dollar industry, estimated at $46 billion in 2020 in the United States alone.  According to the CDC, 57.6% of adults over the age of 20 report using dietary supplements, the most popular categories of which are vitamins, minerals, and botanicals. This usage has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, as many have been seeking ways to strengthen their immune system to ward off or combat viral infection.

The use of supplements has long been prevalent in yoga and wellness communities due to a preference for a more natural or earth-based approach to health and medicine. Additionally, some yoga practitioners choose to avoid conventional Western medicine due to a mistrust of the healthcare system. 

In this episode, Angela and Eleni are joined by Lindsey Tincher, a clinical pharmacist, to discuss many aspects of supplement usage including: regulation, risks, benefits, interactions, and how to approach the use of supplements safely.  As always, the goal of this episode is to provide accurate information to empower listeners to make informed choices about their health and the health of their loved ones.  We hope it inspires thoughtful inquiry and conversation in the yoga community and beyond.  Thank you for joining the conversation.

Resources:

Supplement fact sheet https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/