mate read the article. the lady megadosed vit D and some random things she did not even want to share. I know 8-yearolds who pissed out a kidney stone, this is 0 evidence of 0 issues.
I saw a headline recently that drew a connection between bacteria and kidney stones.
In summary, kidney stones that are passed and almost immediately placed under a microscope show bacteria. Kinda shouldn't be there, but it is. Doesn't show up later because it dies outside the body. The way that kidney stones have a tendency to be hereditary points to something like similar gut fauna. Families live together, eat mostly the same things.... It's a solid premise and as someone who had had stones since a teen, I think it rings true.
Also, wasn't there a famous supplement promoter from like the 70s that OD'd on vitamin c? I remember hearing about that years ago.
The supplement market in the us is messed up and it’s frustrating. There’s no requirement to prove efficacy.
I take two things: a multivitamin and at times a probiotic. I’m still not sure of the probiotic helps but it’s a well recognized brand (align) and I don’t take it all the time. I honestly wish I could know if it works.
You need a million different bacteria in your gut to have a good balance. A probiotic might add...five ? It's unlikely to do any harm. But it's far more effective to eat 30-40 different plants a week, so whatever bacteria you eat have something to eat and that'll work well as a probiotic.
this is a bit of a poor take bc probiotics and prebiotics are well studied and have shown good efficacy in improving health. people get crazy and thinks ots an all or nothing things. probiotics do nothing to treat antibiotic resistant c diff infections which need a fecal transplant to treat but that doesnt mean probiotics do nothing.
of all the supplements to be skeptical of its not probiotics. maybe some brands but not probiotics as a whole..but frankly you should just be eating more fermented foods and you get the same benefits.
man, where we're at on probiotics is really interesting.
we know our gut biome is REALLY important and may connect to a lot of ailments we experience. we know some strains that are good, some that are bad.
and we also have no standard idea for what a 'exemplary healthy gut biome' looks like. no idea. and finding that might be next to impossible given different physiologies, genetics, diets, environments.
not to say we can't find things that help through personal trial and error (which can't be expected to work the same way on the next person), or know more general things like 'fiber is good for that'.
it's also not to say we don't know just enough for a SLEW of grifters selling one-size-fits-all remedies to 'fix' or 'balance' our gut biomes, which is helped by along by customers' 'success stories' (which are self-reported and thus sus af, and again can't be expected to work the same way in all these different guts) and man if I'm not sick to death of how any foothold into actual science on potentially beneficial health products is immediately picked up and ruined by this loud influencer capitalist mess of bs
A doctor recommended align for me, and while it sort of helped my bowel movement game, it didn’t help the bloating. I was also warned that the bloating might get worse at first when the probiotic was building up, but it didn’t quite go away for me. What helped me was taking Culturelle brand probiotic, and they have one aimed at gas and bloating.
I took the align for about a year, and then switched to culturelle for just as long, and I’ve actually stopped taking it unless I have some stomach bug, or have too much alcohol that disturbs the biome.
I took tons of antibiotics when I was younger, I had terrible cellulitis and eventually Osteomyelitis and eventually ended up losing both legs from the knee down. I have experimented with probiotics for awhile and for the past few years have been drinking kefir and occasionally kombucha. Both are store bought though and among kefir enthusiasts it’s considered inferior to home kefir so I have no idea if it’s helping a lot. I have noticed that my digestive issues have improved and I am happier.
My ex took supplements and I never paid attention to it, like his special spice rack in the bathroom. Come to find out he’s actually actively taking them all every morning, like, a cup full of 40 of them. I’m an ICU nurse, and I’d never, ever given any of my patients that many pills at once. How could you ever look up all the possible interactions?
Your doctor can do a simple blood test to identify if you're deficient in any vitamins or minerals. If you are, you can supplement just that one. You should be getting this sort of test done once a year.
I wish we had really good science advisors on supplementation. There is tons of data on so many things now that can be helpful like having vitamin D in a certain range(the range being key which implies testing). Stop this stupid ass 50K of vitamin D2 nonsense that is in all the doctors reference manuals because we know D2 is not near as effective. I could go on and on.
Also, we need better standards for supplement testing here in the US. As a supplement nerd for over 25 years the shenanigans that go on in the supplement industry is insane. One example many here may not know is the term "dry lab". It's a lab that doesn't test anything but instead all they do is issue certificates of authority saying whatever the vendor wants it to say. The vendor then claims 3rd party testing was completed when it never was.
I wish we had really good science advisors on supplementation.
We do. People don't listen to them now, and they haven't listened to them for a long time (if ever). One of the scientists I follow (retired epidemiologist) was lamenting that a couple weeks ago, about misinformation from influencers and how science communicators can't compete with a message of "Take this one thing that will fix all your health problems."
And it's not like this is a new problem when it comes to health issues. Light up a cigarette and cough because that's your body's warning about inhaling smoke. Surgeon General said 60+ years ago it's dangerous. Tobacco companies said it's hogwash. Most people kept smoking because it's what they preferred to believe.
We listen to experts only when they tell us something we want to hear.
Fully agree. Alt med is all marketing, and science can't compete with that. There has been a fair amount of data collection compiled in Canada though. Highly recommend reading through any of the meta-analysis that has been done by the medical statisticians on peerevidence.ca. You can search for a topic on their tools for practice page.
The main thing is not being deficient in any vitamin. It’s much healthier to have all normal levels than all great levels and be missing some random vitamin. That’s my understanding at least
Depends on your diet and if you have any conditions or specific needs.
If you're young and eat a well balanced super healthy diet, you need nothing.
Most people could benifit from a multivitamin because its rare to have a modern diet that covers all the bases.
As you age, omega 3s are beneficial for heart health.
Women tend to run anemic due to their cycle, so a low dose iron supplement is beneficial during certain points in their cycle.
Women are also prone to osteoporosis after menopause so a calcium/magnesium/vitamin d/vitamin k mix is helpful after 50. Same goes for men after maybe 60.
Certain people with digestive disorders have difficulties digesting b-vitamins, so that can be very beneficial for them to take. Likewise anyone who's been on Metformin for multiple years may be deficient in B-6 and B-12 and a few other b-vitamins because it inhibits their ability for the liver to process it, especially B-12 which can lead to fatigue and numbness in extremities and even permanent peripheral neuropathy if left untreated long enough.
Most people would benifit from more protein in their diets high in l-leucine. That need increases significantly as they get older to prevent muscle wasting. Someone in their 60s would greatly benifit from drinking a small protein shake 2-3 times a day to prevent them from losing muscle mass.
Likewise being deficient in certain amino acids can negatively affect health and well being, since they're the building blocks of not only muscle, but also most tissues, neurochemicals, and hormones.
What you absolutely need to be careful with is random herbs, some of which are extremely dangerous in large amounts especially mixed with certain prescription drugs. Just because its available without a prescription doesn't mean its safe. Same goes for fat soluble vitamins, and minerals. Your body will not dispell excess amounts of these like it can water soluble vitamins and they can build up in your system and cause very very dangerous imbalances and side effects. Too much of any fat soluble vitamin or mineral over an extended period of time will cause very serious side effects! This includes things like Zinc. Too much Zinc for too long will lead to a copper deficiency, which can lead to chronic cases of fatigue, anemia, greying hair, brittle bones, neurological problems, and loss of libido. Minerals need to be consumed in a very specific balance and amounts, overdosing on any particular one, out of balance can lead to a deficiency in another. And fat soluble vitamins should never be taken in excess unless specifically indicated by a doctor with constant monitoring, because they build up and will cause serious health issues in a fairly short amount of time in high enough doses. So never take any of these past the recommended daily suggested amount! Which can easily happen if you're taking multiple supplements and dont read the labels carefully. Not hard to accidentally double or triple dose on certain fat soluble vitamins or minerals because you didn't read your labels thoroughly enough and just take whatever seems good or well rated.
Problem is, one study will come out saying a certain vitamin or supp show signs of helping with or strengthening x but then another study will say we don't really know what's even in these thing, don't take them. Maybe if we had one simple regulation, the substance has to be what it says it is in the quantity stated. That's all. Then we can determine on our on if we want to take it.
I personally had luck with pain by taking turmeric and I take a few vitamins just to ensure I get them if my diet lacks occasionally.
This is the UK. This is crappy journalism I have seen for over 30 years. But millions die from Big Pharma drugs each year, but put down that Vitmain C or you might get a kidney stone. And we have known vitamin A and D are not water soluble in some forms for a long time and not to take too much or you will get liver toxicity. Which isn’t fatal.
Scare tactics
Meanwhile, big Pharma is racing to use psychedelic mushrooms for anxiety, depression, and addiction. It’s all about money. Always. They just need to figure out how to patent a compound so they can make all the money. (You can’t patent a vitamin, mineral, herb, or mushroom that naturally occurs).
Izawwlgood | 3 hours ago
"As a brand influencer..."
Sigh.
neuralek | 3 hours ago
mate read the article. the lady megadosed vit D and some random things she did not even want to share. I know 8-yearolds who pissed out a kidney stone, this is 0 evidence of 0 issues.
MantusTMD | 3 hours ago
Science!! Riveting stuff
Steven_The_Sloth | 29 minutes ago
I saw a headline recently that drew a connection between bacteria and kidney stones.
In summary, kidney stones that are passed and almost immediately placed under a microscope show bacteria. Kinda shouldn't be there, but it is. Doesn't show up later because it dies outside the body. The way that kidney stones have a tendency to be hereditary points to something like similar gut fauna. Families live together, eat mostly the same things.... It's a solid premise and as someone who had had stones since a teen, I think it rings true.
Also, wasn't there a famous supplement promoter from like the 70s that OD'd on vitamin c? I remember hearing about that years ago.
Electronic_Wait_7249 | 3 hours ago
ctrl+f tumeric
🤦🏼‍♀️ Stop buying supplements from untrustworthy sources who don’t dose properly nor routinely test for contaminants.
Also, a failure to study before doing something to your body doesn’t invalidate entire fields. For crying out loud, imagine the ego.
puterTDI | 2 hours ago
The supplement market in the us is messed up and it’s frustrating. There’s no requirement to prove efficacy.
I take two things: a multivitamin and at times a probiotic. I’m still not sure of the probiotic helps but it’s a well recognized brand (align) and I don’t take it all the time. I honestly wish I could know if it works.
bigvalen | 2 hours ago
You need a million different bacteria in your gut to have a good balance. A probiotic might add...five ? It's unlikely to do any harm. But it's far more effective to eat 30-40 different plants a week, so whatever bacteria you eat have something to eat and that'll work well as a probiotic.
Ardent_Scholar | 2 hours ago
That works until several strains of bacteria simply go extinct in your gut. You have to reintroduce them.
bigvalen | 2 hours ago
Yeah. Stupid bacteriophage infestation, or ecoli overgrowth, or antibiotics :-)
YugeFrigginGoy | an hour ago
Yeah and now after 30 years suddenly I cant drink milk
Ardent_Scholar | an hour ago
Lactobacillus Reuterii was key for me. It’s present in breast milk, all babies used get it, but it has been depleted in modern populations.
02meepmeep | 29 minutes ago
I had a few months where I couldn’t eat eggs that I think may have been due to gut bacteria.
Orodia | 25 minutes ago
this is a bit of a poor take bc probiotics and prebiotics are well studied and have shown good efficacy in improving health. people get crazy and thinks ots an all or nothing things. probiotics do nothing to treat antibiotic resistant c diff infections which need a fecal transplant to treat but that doesnt mean probiotics do nothing.
of all the supplements to be skeptical of its not probiotics. maybe some brands but not probiotics as a whole..but frankly you should just be eating more fermented foods and you get the same benefits.
Adventurous-Brain-36 | 23 minutes ago
30-40 different plants? I am a massive veg fan, but I don’t think my grocery store even carries 40 different varieties.
puterTDI | 2 hours ago
I do both
coco_fr10 | an hour ago
man, where we're at on probiotics is really interesting.
we know our gut biome is REALLY important and may connect to a lot of ailments we experience. we know some strains that are good, some that are bad.
and we also have no standard idea for what a 'exemplary healthy gut biome' looks like. no idea. and finding that might be next to impossible given different physiologies, genetics, diets, environments.
not to say we can't find things that help through personal trial and error (which can't be expected to work the same way on the next person), or know more general things like 'fiber is good for that'.
it's also not to say we don't know just enough for a SLEW of grifters selling one-size-fits-all remedies to 'fix' or 'balance' our gut biomes, which is helped by along by customers' 'success stories' (which are self-reported and thus sus af, and again can't be expected to work the same way in all these different guts) and man if I'm not sick to death of how any foothold into actual science on potentially beneficial health products is immediately picked up and ruined by this loud influencer capitalist mess of bs
Visual_Jellyfish5591 | 2 hours ago
A doctor recommended align for me, and while it sort of helped my bowel movement game, it didn’t help the bloating. I was also warned that the bloating might get worse at first when the probiotic was building up, but it didn’t quite go away for me. What helped me was taking Culturelle brand probiotic, and they have one aimed at gas and bloating.
I took the align for about a year, and then switched to culturelle for just as long, and I’ve actually stopped taking it unless I have some stomach bug, or have too much alcohol that disturbs the biome.
hughperman | an hour ago
>I honestly wish I could know if it works.
You could stop and see if it makes any difference.
Intelligent-Band-852 | an hour ago
I took tons of antibiotics when I was younger, I had terrible cellulitis and eventually Osteomyelitis and eventually ended up losing both legs from the knee down. I have experimented with probiotics for awhile and for the past few years have been drinking kefir and occasionally kombucha. Both are store bought though and among kefir enthusiasts it’s considered inferior to home kefir so I have no idea if it’s helping a lot. I have noticed that my digestive issues have improved and I am happier.
taktaga7-0-0 | 2 hours ago
My ex took supplements and I never paid attention to it, like his special spice rack in the bathroom. Come to find out he’s actually actively taking them all every morning, like, a cup full of 40 of them. I’m an ICU nurse, and I’d never, ever given any of my patients that many pills at once. How could you ever look up all the possible interactions?
rooktakesqueen | 2 hours ago
Your doctor can do a simple blood test to identify if you're deficient in any vitamins or minerals. If you are, you can supplement just that one. You should be getting this sort of test done once a year.
Ashamed-Status-9668 | 3 hours ago
I wish we had really good science advisors on supplementation. There is tons of data on so many things now that can be helpful like having vitamin D in a certain range(the range being key which implies testing). Stop this stupid ass 50K of vitamin D2 nonsense that is in all the doctors reference manuals because we know D2 is not near as effective. I could go on and on.
Also, we need better standards for supplement testing here in the US. As a supplement nerd for over 25 years the shenanigans that go on in the supplement industry is insane. One example many here may not know is the term "dry lab". It's a lab that doesn't test anything but instead all they do is issue certificates of authority saying whatever the vendor wants it to say. The vendor then claims 3rd party testing was completed when it never was.
Wave_of_Anal_Fury | 2 hours ago
I wish we had really good science advisors on supplementation.
We do. People don't listen to them now, and they haven't listened to them for a long time (if ever). One of the scientists I follow (retired epidemiologist) was lamenting that a couple weeks ago, about misinformation from influencers and how science communicators can't compete with a message of "Take this one thing that will fix all your health problems."
And it's not like this is a new problem when it comes to health issues. Light up a cigarette and cough because that's your body's warning about inhaling smoke. Surgeon General said 60+ years ago it's dangerous. Tobacco companies said it's hogwash. Most people kept smoking because it's what they preferred to believe.
We listen to experts only when they tell us something we want to hear.
fmc55 | 2 hours ago
Fully agree. Alt med is all marketing, and science can't compete with that. There has been a fair amount of data collection compiled in Canada though. Highly recommend reading through any of the meta-analysis that has been done by the medical statisticians on peerevidence.ca. You can search for a topic on their tools for practice page.
https://peerevidence.ca/tools-for-practice/
calm-lab66 | 3 hours ago
I've read years ago that all you need is one multivitamin per day.
wthulhu | 3 hours ago
I read years ago that you just need a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
VagueSomething | 3 hours ago
A varied but balanced diet and time being active and time outdoors. Basically the opposite of modern life.
shantron5000 | 2 hours ago
Yep, and reducing stress has great overall effects for physical and mental health too! But don’t tell our corporate overlords that.
HeartyBeast | 2 hours ago
The only vitamin the NHS recommends for most folks is vitamin D in the winter.
Fear_ltself | 2 hours ago
The main thing is not being deficient in any vitamin. It’s much healthier to have all normal levels than all great levels and be missing some random vitamin. That’s my understanding at least
kalel3000 | 2 hours ago
Depends on your diet and if you have any conditions or specific needs.
If you're young and eat a well balanced super healthy diet, you need nothing.
Most people could benifit from a multivitamin because its rare to have a modern diet that covers all the bases.
As you age, omega 3s are beneficial for heart health.
Women tend to run anemic due to their cycle, so a low dose iron supplement is beneficial during certain points in their cycle.
Women are also prone to osteoporosis after menopause so a calcium/magnesium/vitamin d/vitamin k mix is helpful after 50. Same goes for men after maybe 60.
Certain people with digestive disorders have difficulties digesting b-vitamins, so that can be very beneficial for them to take. Likewise anyone who's been on Metformin for multiple years may be deficient in B-6 and B-12 and a few other b-vitamins because it inhibits their ability for the liver to process it, especially B-12 which can lead to fatigue and numbness in extremities and even permanent peripheral neuropathy if left untreated long enough.
Most people would benifit from more protein in their diets high in l-leucine. That need increases significantly as they get older to prevent muscle wasting. Someone in their 60s would greatly benifit from drinking a small protein shake 2-3 times a day to prevent them from losing muscle mass.
Likewise being deficient in certain amino acids can negatively affect health and well being, since they're the building blocks of not only muscle, but also most tissues, neurochemicals, and hormones.
What you absolutely need to be careful with is random herbs, some of which are extremely dangerous in large amounts especially mixed with certain prescription drugs. Just because its available without a prescription doesn't mean its safe. Same goes for fat soluble vitamins, and minerals. Your body will not dispell excess amounts of these like it can water soluble vitamins and they can build up in your system and cause very very dangerous imbalances and side effects. Too much of any fat soluble vitamin or mineral over an extended period of time will cause very serious side effects! This includes things like Zinc. Too much Zinc for too long will lead to a copper deficiency, which can lead to chronic cases of fatigue, anemia, greying hair, brittle bones, neurological problems, and loss of libido. Minerals need to be consumed in a very specific balance and amounts, overdosing on any particular one, out of balance can lead to a deficiency in another. And fat soluble vitamins should never be taken in excess unless specifically indicated by a doctor with constant monitoring, because they build up and will cause serious health issues in a fairly short amount of time in high enough doses. So never take any of these past the recommended daily suggested amount! Which can easily happen if you're taking multiple supplements and dont read the labels carefully. Not hard to accidentally double or triple dose on certain fat soluble vitamins or minerals because you didn't read your labels thoroughly enough and just take whatever seems good or well rated.
miklayn | 2 hours ago
Just eat some berries and nuts y'all. Snack on some spinach and kale once or twice a week. Eat a goddamn apple.
BlackRaspberryJammin | 35 minutes ago
Problem is, one study will come out saying a certain vitamin or supp show signs of helping with or strengthening x but then another study will say we don't really know what's even in these thing, don't take them. Maybe if we had one simple regulation, the substance has to be what it says it is in the quantity stated. That's all. Then we can determine on our on if we want to take it.
I personally had luck with pain by taking turmeric and I take a few vitamins just to ensure I get them if my diet lacks occasionally.
They aren't magic, no super powers.
ShaiHulud1111 | 34 minutes ago
This is the UK. This is crappy journalism I have seen for over 30 years. But millions die from Big Pharma drugs each year, but put down that Vitmain C or you might get a kidney stone. And we have known vitamin A and D are not water soluble in some forms for a long time and not to take too much or you will get liver toxicity. Which isn’t fatal.
Scare tactics
Meanwhile, big Pharma is racing to use psychedelic mushrooms for anxiety, depression, and addiction. It’s all about money. Always. They just need to figure out how to patent a compound so they can make all the money. (You can’t patent a vitamin, mineral, herb, or mushroom that naturally occurs).
02meepmeep | 31 minutes ago
Something I found out about supplements is that you probably should do a bit of research on what taking them with meds you are prescribed does.
I found out that taking calcium at the same time as one of my prescription meds was probably blocking my body’s ability to absorb the med.