I don't take supplements because of all the reasons you state--it's snake oil and a bunch of hooey, and dangerous hooey at that. But what about when one is prescribed by one's MD/ARNP provider, such as folic acid or B12? How can I trust that what I am getting from my pharmacy (I'm in the US) is actually what it is supposed to be and is safe? Do pharmacies have a better, safer source for something that can also be OTC, like folic acid or B12 supplements?
Thank you for this. I am a former supplement junkie, I totally bought into them being safe and natural.
Now I do the bare minimum (b12, d3, dha and iodine), vetted by consumerlabs.com as you once recommended. As with claims from beauty products, it’s mind-boggling (and angering, for myself) that intelligent people like us can so easily get seduced.
Thanks for writing this. I have seen what some workout supplements have done to people, namely adding to jitteriness and anxiety. Not pretty.
In a future article I’d like to hear how we should reason about supplements that seem less predatory. It’s my understanding that B12 and folate can counteract high homocysteine levels from taking fibrates. Can we trust a manufacturer like Thorne to test as well as they say they do?
I'm so sick of the commercials about Balance of Nature Fruits and Vegetables. They are high quality commercials, so that makes it look like the product is really good. Also, I wonder how many older people are buying them based on those commercials and not eating real fruits and vegetables anymore.
I have adrenal cancer and it really bugs me when I am using google for some info and have to wade through so many websites about "adrenal fatigue". It does not exist and if you are paying someone to treat you for it ,you are getting scammed. Believe me, if your adrenal glands don't work you will land in a hospital, confused, uncoordinated, possibly vomiting. They will check your ACTH levels and if they are through the roof you KNOW that your body is screaming for cortisol!
Perfect. The exact kind of source I was looking for. Thank you! (And not being on insta, her webpage is great if others are interested: https://labmuffin.com/archives)
Thank you Dr. Gunter. This is a very important topic. Consumerlab.com is another resource for info on supplements. They provide independent scientific testing and reviews of supplements, herbs and nutrition products/claims. I often turn to them when researching supplements. You have to pay to become a subscriber, but the cost is nominal.
Could you address dermatology offices and where quality information can be found assessing best practices? I’d love fewer wrinkles and age spots, but for reasons you often cite, I don’t trust what the practices are hawking. But I also don’t know where to find evidence based info on skin care.
While I've known that supplements have been unregulated, I had no idea it was this bad!! What I am hoping to learn if Dr. Gunter chooses, is how efficacious Jamison vitamins are. I have been taking calcium and Vitamin D for decades. I now take Vitamin B12 and magnesium. The calcium was "prescribed" by my doc, the Vitamin D due to low levels from blood tests, the Vitamin B12 'cause I'm over 70 and the magnesium because I have had lifelong muscle cramps and spasms as long as I can remember and now I have none. I am hoping Jamison vitamins are good quality. They are my go-to brand.
Wow!! 😯 thank you for this!! Cant wait to read the follow up. Supplement questions i have: b12 (why are most 10,000% more than rda??), collogen, creatine, protein powders (naked whey). The usp labels. Examine.com site to track safety of supplements. Magnesium is also a “hot” supplement today. Thank you!!!
You had me at “death-strewn backstory,” but I salute these sentences:
“...I want to review the backstory about how supplements became such a shit show in the United States. (There is no other way to describe a capitalist venture with zero regulation that has killed people and ruined lives).”
One of the issues I have with B12 - due to several autoimmune and other gut issues - is poor uptake, even when taking a sub-lingual version. Injections/infusions of B12 are far more readily absorbed for me (per blood tests).
Do you have thoughts on this? Are there any others you’d recommend for delivery this way?
Holy Moly - this was a great post that I hope you expand on! Thank you. Even as a natural skeptic it is easy to get 'sold' on some of these things, especially, as you point out, by medical professionals. It is also hard to research supplements as a lay person because we can't really evaluate the 'studies' either. Please continue this thread if you are so inclined - what a racket!
This is fantastic, thank you. I’m curious about prenatals for pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s a time of life when supplementation is necessary, but is the multivitamin necessary? Or just individual folate? And are the brands regulated? In this case dose is hugely important. Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
What really fascinates me is the delivery systems for the supplements; whether gelatin or vegetarian capsules, there is just no way that having a big handful of those on a daily basis can be good for you. When I open my nightly Mg (2 capsules) and my melatonin (1 capsule) to pour into juice or my a.m. CoQ10 & multivitamin, the amount of leftover hard material is shocking. I think it is one of those things like all of the gums in food (gellum, agar agar, xantham, carrageenan, etc.) where the manufacturers get away with adding it to their individual product because the FDA considers them "generally safe in small quantities." The problem, of course, is when it is in everything, it is no longer being consumed in small quantities. Same thing with supplements: fine for one or two capsules a day, but when you get up to 10 supplements twice a day, that seems like a lot to ask of your gut. No surprise that colon cancers is on the rise and increasing in younger people.
I would like more information on biotin, B12/6 as well as collagen. Thanks
I don't take supplements because of all the reasons you state--it's snake oil and a bunch of hooey, and dangerous hooey at that. But what about when one is prescribed by one's MD/ARNP provider, such as folic acid or B12? How can I trust that what I am getting from my pharmacy (I'm in the US) is actually what it is supposed to be and is safe? Do pharmacies have a better, safer source for something that can also be OTC, like folic acid or B12 supplements?
Thank you for this. I am a former supplement junkie, I totally bought into them being safe and natural.
Now I do the bare minimum (b12, d3, dha and iodine), vetted by consumerlabs.com as you once recommended. As with claims from beauty products, it’s mind-boggling (and angering, for myself) that intelligent people like us can so easily get seduced.
Thanks for writing this. I have seen what some workout supplements have done to people, namely adding to jitteriness and anxiety. Not pretty.
In a future article I’d like to hear how we should reason about supplements that seem less predatory. It’s my understanding that B12 and folate can counteract high homocysteine levels from taking fibrates. Can we trust a manufacturer like Thorne to test as well as they say they do?
I'm so sick of the commercials about Balance of Nature Fruits and Vegetables. They are high quality commercials, so that makes it look like the product is really good. Also, I wonder how many older people are buying them based on those commercials and not eating real fruits and vegetables anymore.
I have adrenal cancer and it really bugs me when I am using google for some info and have to wade through so many websites about "adrenal fatigue". It does not exist and if you are paying someone to treat you for it ,you are getting scammed. Believe me, if your adrenal glands don't work you will land in a hospital, confused, uncoordinated, possibly vomiting. They will check your ACTH levels and if they are through the roof you KNOW that your body is screaming for cortisol!
Perfect. The exact kind of source I was looking for. Thank you! (And not being on insta, her webpage is great if others are interested: https://labmuffin.com/archives)
Thank you Dr. Gunter. This is a very important topic. Consumerlab.com is another resource for info on supplements. They provide independent scientific testing and reviews of supplements, herbs and nutrition products/claims. I often turn to them when researching supplements. You have to pay to become a subscriber, but the cost is nominal.
Could you address dermatology offices and where quality information can be found assessing best practices? I’d love fewer wrinkles and age spots, but for reasons you often cite, I don’t trust what the practices are hawking. But I also don’t know where to find evidence based info on skin care.
While I've known that supplements have been unregulated, I had no idea it was this bad!! What I am hoping to learn if Dr. Gunter chooses, is how efficacious Jamison vitamins are. I have been taking calcium and Vitamin D for decades. I now take Vitamin B12 and magnesium. The calcium was "prescribed" by my doc, the Vitamin D due to low levels from blood tests, the Vitamin B12 'cause I'm over 70 and the magnesium because I have had lifelong muscle cramps and spasms as long as I can remember and now I have none. I am hoping Jamison vitamins are good quality. They are my go-to brand.
Wow!! 😯 thank you for this!! Cant wait to read the follow up. Supplement questions i have: b12 (why are most 10,000% more than rda??), collogen, creatine, protein powders (naked whey). The usp labels. Examine.com site to track safety of supplements. Magnesium is also a “hot” supplement today. Thank you!!!
You had me at “death-strewn backstory,” but I salute these sentences:
“...I want to review the backstory about how supplements became such a shit show in the United States. (There is no other way to describe a capitalist venture with zero regulation that has killed people and ruined lives).”
One of the issues I have with B12 - due to several autoimmune and other gut issues - is poor uptake, even when taking a sub-lingual version. Injections/infusions of B12 are far more readily absorbed for me (per blood tests).
Do you have thoughts on this? Are there any others you’d recommend for delivery this way?
(This infusion happens in my MD doctor’s office.)
Holy Moly - this was a great post that I hope you expand on! Thank you. Even as a natural skeptic it is easy to get 'sold' on some of these things, especially, as you point out, by medical professionals. It is also hard to research supplements as a lay person because we can't really evaluate the 'studies' either. Please continue this thread if you are so inclined - what a racket!
This is fantastic, thank you. I’m curious about prenatals for pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s a time of life when supplementation is necessary, but is the multivitamin necessary? Or just individual folate? And are the brands regulated? In this case dose is hugely important. Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
What really fascinates me is the delivery systems for the supplements; whether gelatin or vegetarian capsules, there is just no way that having a big handful of those on a daily basis can be good for you. When I open my nightly Mg (2 capsules) and my melatonin (1 capsule) to pour into juice or my a.m. CoQ10 & multivitamin, the amount of leftover hard material is shocking. I think it is one of those things like all of the gums in food (gellum, agar agar, xantham, carrageenan, etc.) where the manufacturers get away with adding it to their individual product because the FDA considers them "generally safe in small quantities." The problem, of course, is when it is in everything, it is no longer being consumed in small quantities. Same thing with supplements: fine for one or two capsules a day, but when you get up to 10 supplements twice a day, that seems like a lot to ask of your gut. No surprise that colon cancers is on the rise and increasing in younger people.