More than 50% of people in the US take dietary supplements to enhance an aspect of their health. Maybe you take supplements on a regular basis…

After all, the American public spends billions and billions of dollars each year on a wide array of pills and powders.

The main issue here, however, is that lot of these supplements are sold with downright deceptive advertising, and in extreme cases, can cause serious health issues.

So here are common misconceptions you need to know about dietary supplements:

1. Dietary supplements are 100% safe: Absolutes don’t exist and supplements are no exception here. In fact, just because a supplement is natural is no guarantee that it’s completely safe. The reality is that many things exist in nature that are deadly.

2. Supplements are backed by scientific studies: Only prescription drugs need FDA approval. Dietary supplements, on the other hand, do NOT require rigorous FDA testing. Even worse, many of the bar charts and study references found on the packaging are simply ghost studies performed by the manufacturers themselves.

3. Supplement manufacturers are acting in our best interest: The bottom line is that millions and millions of dollars are spent on advertising to get you to buy. And the reality is that when so much money is involved, things can get a little out of control. Ephedra is a perfect example here. So please do not be swayed by the sexy advertising.

4. Word of mouth is reliable: Word of mouth is definitely convincing, but it should not be taken as the end all be all to a supplements efficacy. You see, the placebo effect is extremely strong. In fact, if you gave a sugar pill to 100 people, 40 would claim a noticeable difference!

I recommend staying on the safe side here. And the best way to do this is to only take supplements that have undergone peer reviewed research. You see, peer reviewed research is the closest we can get to the truth. And with the truth you will be better informed as to what decisions are right for your health.

Writer Katherine Crawford, a Harvard exercise physiologist and recent arm fat sufferer, teaches women how to tone arms with the best techniques. Unearth how to get sexy arms by exploring her blog about shrinking bingo wings right now!