We spend billions of dollars every year on dietary supplements. In a day and age when everybody seems to be gaining weight and nobody has time to do anything about it, the magic pill is more attractive than ever.

The bad news here is that a multitude of consumers are not savvy enough when it comes to choosing safe supplements.

Thus, here are some hidden dangers and misconceptions about supplements:

1. They are safe because they are natural: There are many things in nature that you will kill you instantly. Anything that goes down your mouth is going to cause a chemical reaction, whether it’s natural or not. So don’t assume that natural supplements are safe.

2. Testing is comprehensive: Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, supplement companies are under little, if any pressure from the government to test their products extensively. You see, current legislation places the burden of safety on the government.

3. Supplements are backed by all sorts of studies: Most of the charts and graphs you see on the bottles are manufactured. Even worse, they are performed by the same companies selling the products. And this is a perfect breeding ground for conflicts of interest.

4. Health comes before profit: If a company is not profitable, it dies. Thus, there is always a constant struggle between profit and health. So don’t assume that the nice packaging and seductive marketing means that your best interests are coming first.

5. Omega three fats are the end all be all: Too many people are over supplementing with omega three fats. The issue here is that they can increase bleeding and bruising because of blood thinning. Even worse, when taken in very high doses they can increase atherosclerosis.

6. The more percent daily value the better: Again, more is not better here because ultra high intakes of vitamins can lead to toxicity very quickly. So don’t take huge horse pills for your health. Instead, have very low dose vitamins.

There are good supplement companies out there, but they are few and far between. So educate yourself as much as possible before taking any supplements.

Author Katherine Crawford, a fitness physiologist and recent arm fat sufferer, teaches how to get rid of flabby arms. Figure out how to get sexy and toned arms by visiting her blog with upper arm exercises right now!