Not a magic potion

The desire to look like a wellbuilt cricketer or a movie star, has made several youngsters take to indiscriminate use of protein supplements. Doctors and experts have a word of caution for them - there are too many fakes among the real ones, and one might not know what is actually present in the supplements that youngsters take. 

When Henry David, a fitness enthusiast, ordered a bottle of whey protein from a licensed store, he had no idea he would receive a fake product. Having worked out for over a decade and being a regular customer of the product—Syntha 6— it took him very little time to sense something was amiss. “The manufacturer’s website had all the details about packaging and how to distinguish the original from fake products. The foil was not in place, unlike in the original and it smelt different. But when I asked the dealer, he insisted that it was genuine,” says David. 

Similarly, Hanif, a gym enthusiast, was aghast when he received fake protein supplements, when he placed an order online. “I contacted the online portal and they were adamant that it was genuine. They even asked me to prove it was fake, when I insisted on a refund,” he says. 

Priced anywhere between Rs 2,500 per kg for Indian brands and Rs 3,500 per kilo for the imported ones, protein supplements are the go-to product for gym enthusiasts and those aspiring for a macho physique. 

A plethora of options: A study by ASSOCHAM, which was released a year ago, has revealed that about 60-70 per cent of dietary supplements being sold across India are fake, counterfeit, unregistered and unapproved. 

Alkhas Joseph, a city-based gym instructor, points out that there is no way one can identify the fake products among the vast variety of supplements. “In fact, having been through the grind of being fit and looking muscular as a teenager and later, a young adult, I do not ask my clients to take protein supplements. However, when some of them insist on using these, I have a word of caution for them - look for the fake ones being passed as original. A friend of mine recently found betel nuts in one of the products,” he says. 

He adds that the craze for muscles and looking buff has hit Indian youngsters hard, and with so much exposure, everyone wants to give it a shot. “If there are cheaper options available, they seem to think—why not try it out?” 

Philip, a dealer at a supplement store called Bodymart, says that most of his clients are youngsters - teenagers and young adults. “We have several options for them - from supplements consisting of 20 per cent protein to those with more than 70-80 per cent protein. Some of them are not into fitness, but only want to gain some mass,” he says, adding that he has a turnover of close to Rs 5 lakh- Rs 6 lakh per month. 

Another gym enthusiast, Paul Prabhu, says that several local gyms sell these products at a throwaway price. “They will sell it at half the rate and one who believes it in its effects, readily agree to buy it. But I have heard these are being locally repackaged at Kolathur with a mix of creatinine and glutamine,” he says. An official with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India says that the problem of fake supplements is rampant among smaller shops that don’t have the license. “We haven’t received any complaints, but such supplements are available in the unlicenced stores that are located across the city,” he says. 

Kidneys take a hit: Dr R Vijayakumar, Chief Nephrologist, Billroth Hospital, RA Puram, says that he has seen a few patients ending up with renal problems, after going overboard with the protein supplements. “Topped with calcium and Vitamin D, excessive amounts of these supplements can cause renal failure. I had two young patients who were into fitness and workouts, suffer from the condition. Thankfully, they didn’t need a dialysis or a transplant. We were able to cure them, as it was diagnosed early,” he says, adding there are magic foods of all kinds making tall claims. “Since these manufacturers pay a higher tax at 12. 5 per cent, they market it under food products. I tell my patients not to consume anything without consulting me,” he says. 

Dr R Sundararaman, Internal Medicine Specialist, SIMS Hospital, says that ideally a human body needs one gram of protein per one kg of their weight. “If you consume higher amounts of protein, the body will not take it entirely, but reach the fat tissues or settle in the liver. A person who is working on muscle can go upto 1.5 gms per kilo,” he says. 

He adds that there have been cases of patients into workouts for a long time, losing protein through their urine or getting clogged in the kidney. “Nobody needs supplementation; rather eat good food with enough protein in it. The supplements will have to be administered only through a doctor, not by gym instructors,” he says.

A good dietary supplement is protein-rich, with substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals

Whey protein is one of the two proteins found in milk, the other being casein.

A person requires one gram of protein per kg of weight- If you are 50 kgs, you need 50 grams of protein.

About 60-70 per cent of dietary supplements being sold across India are fake and unapproved.

Duplicate supplements are extremely difficult to identify.

Dietary supplements market in India is likely to almost double to $4 billion by 2020.

Vitamins and minerals account for a lion’s share of about 40 per cent in Indian dietary supplements *Herbal supplements 30 per cent.

Probiotic 10 per cent.

Omega-3 fatty acids 5 per cent.

Proteins, amino acids and other essential elements together account for the remaining 15 per cent.

About 78 per cent adolescents in urban India daily consume dietary supplements in one form or the other.