Lacey Dumler is a businesswoman and the mother of a young blonde tornado. At 38, the Montrealer by adoption was looking for something to give herself a little “oumph” a little pick-me-up that could also help stabilize her blood sugar level.

During the winter, her chaga tea – a fungus that would stimulate the immune system – seems to have helped her repel virulent diseases and germs. Then, it added to its arsenal of cordyceps, alias the “caterpillar mushrooms”, known to give more energy, among other virtues.” It helps me a lot,” she says.

For the past several months, Lacey has been noting that her energy has increased during climbing training. She also able to do more and recovering faster. “I can run 17 kilometres, and the next day I can go on,” she says. Is there any correlation between cordyceps consumption and this physical state? She doesn’t know. “But since I’ve been taking them, I’ve been doing more running and training in general,” she says. Chinese athletes have been using them for a long time,” says the young woman. She does’nt hesitate to recommend these natural supplements even if they are very expensive. Strangely, for her husband the same “mushrooms” did absolutely nothing. Placebo, these natural supplements for health and all the others? Well, not quite.

Dr. Peter Jones’ director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba, his work includes studying the effect of natural supplements. According to him, these products are worth it, “but conditionally,” warns the researcher. Are there scientific studies that support all supplements?” My answer in this case is no,” he says.

Many of these herbal nutrition products come to market after essentially anecdotal evidence of effectiveness. For many supplements, research has demonstrated the existence of benefits, with studorganic health supplementsies published in recognized scientific journals. Even American agencies have collaborated in studies on natural products such as Rhodiole, for instance.

How To Find Out?

When you find yourself in a natural herbal health store, the choice of supplements, herbs and other capsules can make you dizzy. And it is not said that you will react in the same way as your friend who praised the merits of an Indian root.

“What works for Fred may not have the same effect on Frida,” says Jones. It would seem, according to the specialist, that individual physical and genetic components explain why not everyone reacts in the same way to each of these products.

“It is a bit like trying to understand what is wrong with a car, when a light comes on on your dashboard,” explains the researcher. In this regard, he recommends genetic tests for the most zealous to determine to which substance each person reacts. Dozens of companies are now doing so.

That’s not counting marketing. Mushrooms are the latest fashionable supplement including coffee with mushrooms of different virtues.” And they sell like hotcakes! “Peter Jones exclaims.

Research on many of these products has, ironically, been around for a long time. Dr. Jones credits the cyclical popularity of some of these organic health supplements to media interest a mention on a U.S. TV show, an endorsement by a guru – and, hop! a root, mushroom or other natural herbal health supplements becomes the “flavour of the month. When there is such a buzz, however, the virtues can sometimes be exaggerated.

What products does Dr. Jones recommend? Coffee with cordyceps, omega-3, swamp beans (fava bean, or gourgane) or coconut oil are examples of some best herbal remedies for health that can have interesting benefits for athletes; everything depends on what athletes are looking for. He adds that there is sometimes a blur between nutrition and supplements. Peter Jones has one last piece of advice: “Make sure that the effectiveness of what you take is based on scientific evidence that comes from serious research.

Buy Local, It’s more natural

Are you titillated by the promises of natural supplements for health? Perhaps it is better to buy them in person than to buy from online if they come from other countries. In order to sell their products here, companies must submit certain information such as the source and process for producing these health nutritional supplements which is not in the case of US. For instance, Products licensed in Canada are given a Natural Product Number (NPN) and are listed in Health Canada’s Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD). Health Canada conducted consultations with industry and consumers on potential changes to the regulation of self-care products, including natural herbal health products.