Supplement Safety for Aviation Professionals

Supplements are everywhere and everyone is taking them, or so it seems!  At Flight Crew Nutrition, we are frequently asked about what supplements to take, how much, and what brand. These are excellent questions and each one has important implications especially if you need FAA medical clearance and need to avoid any potential FAA “no-fly” products. In today’s Jump Seat Journal, we’ll look at broad recommendations to consider when taking any supplement. For personalized and targeted options, schedule a call with Flight Crew Nutrition.

What do you mean by supplement safety?

This is big and important. While supplements are monitored, they do not undergo the same rigorous testing that medications do before hitting the market. It's possible for supplements to contain ingredients not listed on the supplement facts or have inaccurate ingredient amounts, or can even be contaminated by untrustworthy vendors. We see these issues most often in weight loss and sports supplements. Here are two key ways to make sure you are getting what you ordered:

1. Look for products that have a third party verification seal (UPF, Consumer Labs, Informed Choice, National Safety Foundation (NSF, NSF Sport))
2. Buy from a reputable source and high quality brands. Flight Crew Nutrition offers a 10% discount on our Supplement Dispensary for you to access high quality supplements from a reputable source.

How much of a supplement do I need?

This is tough to determine because every person will have unique needs. Many multivitamins/multimineral supplements provide a standard amount of key nutrients to “supplement” the diet, yet every brand and version of supplement appears to have different ingredients and amounts. In general, a multivitamin that does not exceed the Daily Value (DV%) would be safe and if you want to take a specific single ingredient supplement, it’s best to work with a health care professional to examine potentially safety concerns. Working with Flight Crew Nutrition can help you pick the best supplement and amounts so that you get the best bang for your buck. This personalized approach will look at your health concerns, genetics (if applicable), labs (if available), and any current symptoms.

Which supplements should I take?

I wish there was an easy answer to this question; but alas, it's complicated! At Flight Crew Nutrition, we look at a variety of factors when recommending specific supplements including labs, physiological measurements (like blood pressure), genetics, individual responses to supplements, and dietary intake. What we recommend for one person is different from the next and we also encourage a high quality diet because there are so many extra benefits from food that we can’t replicate with supplements. High quality supplements are also pricey, so getting what you need and not overdoing it can save you time and money.

Looking for personalized guidance on supplements, nutrition, energy, and performance? Schedule a free discovery call with Flight Crew Nutrition to see what programs and services will best tailor to your health goals, labs, genetics, and aviation lifestyle.