Why most supplements are a SCAM !

So, have you ever questioned yourself, why every time you go to the supplement store, there's so many different types of supplements? And do you even need most of them? In today’s video, we're diving into the world of supplements. While some supplements can be beneficial, there are others that are simply not worth your time and money, in this video, well be diving into the history of supplements, why MOST supplements are a waste of money, and lastly, which ones are actually very effective thanks to human randomized control trials, so you can leave the supplement stores with some extra change!

PART I- The History of the supplement industry:

So as we embark on this journey through history, let's delve deep into the evolution of the supplement industry—a tale intertwining science, discovery, and the quest for optimal health. Understanding this journey is like putting together a complex puzzle, piece by piece, to get a complete picture of how humans have always strived to better their health, because we love convencience and the least work possible.

Thousands of years ago, before the term "supplement" even existed, our ancestors looked to nature to aid their well-being. Nature was their pharmacy. The vast, verdant jungles, deserts, and forests provided a treasure trove of plants, herbs, and roots. Civilizations like the ancient Egyptians, known for their detailed medical papyri, and the Chinese, with their extensive traditional medicine system, tapped into these resources. They crafted remedies that, while primitive by today's standards, laid the foundation for our current understanding of natural supplements.

The concept of concentrating these natural remedies' power can be likened to reading a long book and then condensing its essence into a few powerful pages. This idea of 'condensation' began taking a more recognizable form in the Renaissance. Alchemists, the early chemists of yore, started isolating compounds from plants, aiming not just for gold, but for better health too. Even though there was a huge blak plague like we all learned in our 7th grade world history, we didnt have an OTC farmacy back then… maybe, but with a guy with those crow masks…

But it was the late 19th and early 20th centuries that heralded the dawn of the modern supplement industry. The era was marked by significant advancements in science and technology. Thanks to the Dutch Spectacle maker, Zacharias Janssen, he invented the microscope, which has allowed us to see microbes and germs, leading to the identification of diseases. Similarly, advanced techniques began unveiling the hidden world of nutrients. A great example from this era is the story of sailors and scurvy. For a long time, no one knew why sailors, away at sea for months, would suddenly fall ill with this strange disease. The discovery? They lacked Vitamin C, found abundantly in citrus fruits. This marked one of the earliest understandings of the importance of specific vitamins in our diet. Yarrrr

By the mid-20th century, the supplement industry was no longer in its infancy—it was burgeoning. The challenges of two World Wars had propelled scientific research, and the post-war era saw a boom in consumer goods. Companies began harnessing this new knowledge. They realized they could package these essential vitamins, minerals, and other compounds into convenient forms: pills, capsules, and powders. No longer did one have to eat a bowl of oranges; a simple vitamin C pill would do, because again, we LOVE convenience!, and specially if you are in the trenches, you need the most durable foods and supplements.

The latter half of the 20th century was an era of innovation and expansion. Scientists started identifying not just essential vitamins and minerals, but a myriad of beneficial compounds. Antioxidants, substances that protect our cells from damage, were discovered and started making their way into supplements. Herbal extracts, harking back to the days of the ancients, found renewed interest. Plants like ginkgo biloba, known in traditional Chinese medicine, were now available worldwide in pill form. This time period is where also bug companies started to take the vitamins we know today into pill form, which where extracted from real foods, and also plant-based ingredients. The first ones that started to be isolates in pills, around 1940s and the 1950s, was Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, and even some minerals like calcium and iron. Then followed by Vitamins E, B6, B12 and also magnesium!

However, with rapid growth came challenges. Regulation and quality control became paramount. Unlike prescription drugs, supplements often didn't face rigorous testing before hitting the shelves. This led to concerns about their efficacy, purity, and safety. It was clear that while the industry had advanced leaps and bounds, it needed checks and balances. Like a good example of this, was fat burning supplements, like the unfamous ephedrine, which before FDA banned it back i 2004, was combined with aspirin and caffeine to pass those annoying weight loss plateaus!

Enter the 21st century, and the narrative began shifting towards personalization. With the sequencing of the human genome and the rise of biotechnologies, we started understanding that each individual's nutritional needs might be unique. The supplement industry responded. Now, you could take a DNA test, send it to a company, and receive personalized supplement recommendations tailored to your genetic makeup.

Today, as we stand amidst an era of technological marvels, the supplement industry is at a crossroads. On one hand, it promises optimal health, convenience, and personalization. On the other, it grapples with concerns about overconsumption, misrepresentation, and the allure of the "magic pill." This is where these weight loss drugs come into place, and why the market has been having a high demand and low offer for these drugs, third time, CONVENIENCE, instead of actually doing the work like eating fewer calories and doing that 60 minutes of daily exercise! Also, this tells why there so many useless supplements in most supplements stores!

In wrapping up our journey of history, remember this: supplements, while powerful, are just one piece of the health puzzle, like think of it as the “cherry on top’, but instead of your calorie wise ice cream, is your nutrition. So,throughout history, from the ancients to the modern day, the message has been consistent—balance is key. The most potent medicine often comes from the earth in its purest form: fresh foods, clean water, and natural remedies. The supplement industry has given us tools, but it's upon us to use them wisely.

PART II- Why we don't need most supplements:

Now, lets talk about something you should take out of this video, do you ACTUALLY NEED THEM?

Because, as you walk down the aisles of most supplement stores today, you're greeted by shelves upon shelves of colorful bottles, each promising better health, enhanced performance, or a myriad of other benefits. However, a crucial question arises: Do most people genuinely need all these supplements? The answer, which if you think of it, is no. Here's why:

For the average individual eating a balanced diet, many of the vitamins and minerals found in supplements are already adequately obtained from food. Our bodies have evolved over millennia to extract the nutrients we need from the foods we eat. Whole foods provide a complex nutritional matrix that supplements often can't mimic. They contain not only vitamins and minerals but also fibers, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds that work synergistically for our health. Like a good example of this is with the probiotics. Im not a fan of just taking probiotic pills because you can get way more and higher quality probiotics in fermented foods like kimchi, tempeh, and my favorate, sauerkraut!

Moreover, the allure of the "more is better" philosophy doesn't always hold true in nutrition. Excessive intake of certain vitamins and minerals, far beyond our daily requirements, can be harmful. For example, an overdose of Vitamin A can be toxic, leading to a host of health issues, so if you like meat, I do reccomend eating Beef Liver, but like mentioned earlier, try to limit your intake to a max of 1.5oz of raw measured beef liver, so take that in mind in your meal preps!

Another concern is the regulatory landscape of the supplement industry. Unlike prescription medications, many supplements don't undergo rigorous testing before they're available to consumers, thats why if you take the time to READ the label, youll see that below says “This supplement/food hasnt been evaluated by the FDA” (If you live in the US of course ) This means there's often limited evidence backing their claims. Moreover, because of this lack of stringent regulation, the purity and consistency of supplement products can vary widely from one brand to another, and personal biases can be born, so thats why you should not believe the results of someone who took a supplement, maybe is was placebo.

Now, this isn't to dismiss the entire supplement industry. There are specific situations where supplementation is beneficial, even crucial. For instance, individuals with certain dietary restrictions, medical conditions, or those living in areas with limited sun exposure might require vitamin supplements, a good example are vegans and vegetarians, which they lack Vitamin B12, or Carnivores, if thet dont include fruits in their diet, they would be good with a psyllium husk fiber supplement and the vitamin C pills mentioned for those poor guys with scurvy back then.

Now, lets go to the take away, the fun part of this video:

PART III- The ones who I recommend!:

So, now that we know in detail the history of the supplement history, and why most supplements are a waste of money, lets now dive in to the more fun part, which is the supplements I do highly recommend thanks to all the evidence that we already have, and also al the new evidence, like randomized controlled trials, which are more promising than in vitro or mice studies. Before going on, Im no nutritionist, so make sure to do your research, but lets get right into the supplements:

1. Creatine: One of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition, creatine has been consistently shown to increase muscle mass, strength, and exercise performance. In my experience, I started using creatine right after I started my bodybuilding career almost 3 years agp, and have helped me a ton, and some weeks like for example in holidays, I stopped taking this and I saw some difference in how I trained, not so much in my physique, due because im still quite a beginner, but I do tell a difference when I dont take creatine vs I do when I train and lift weights, and specially now that I take more seriously how hard I train. My recommendation is to take a daily, 3-5g itake !

2. Vitamin D: This is also a game changer, and Andrew Huberman is a huge fan of this supplement, because most of us dont get enough of it, even if we get direct sunlight, and this case is also relevant for individuals who live in northern latitudes or those who spend most of their time indoors, Vitamin D supplementation can be crucial as it's challenging to get enough from food alone. Try to take between 2000-4000IUs of Vitamin D as a minimum.

3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil): often deficient in Western diets,this supplement is beneficial for heart health, these fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, which most of us dont get enough of it. This supplement can also help with cognitive function and balance out the Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, which the average American greasy food diet tends towards the Omega 6 side, which is very unhealthy, and Omega 3s helps balance this out a lot, and having less excessive inflammation. For DHA, as well as EPA, try to take the same amount, so a minimum of 1g or 1000mg of both EPA and DHA daily to rip all the benefits !

4. Magnesium: This is a must have, because most of us are deficient in this key mineral, which is involved in numerous bodily processes, and can aid in better sleep, muscle contractions and relaxations, and many more like reduced overall stress levels! Now, theres mant forms of magnesium, like for example magnesium citrate can help with bowel movements, while magnesium threonate helps with sleep, which this one is recommended by PhD Andrew Huberman! [Show clip of JRE] So which ever you chose, try to get the recommended daily intake of 500mg of magnesium.

5. Zinc: This supplement , for us men is one of the best ones for increasing our test levels, especially in a caloric deficit, this supplement is often used to boost the immune system and for metabolic functions. Try to take at least 50mg daily.

6. Protein Powders: I usually have been intaking all of my protein from whole food sources like chicken, eggs, egg whites and beef, but depending in your goals and lifestyle, with your nutritio preferences, you can add to your diet a protein powder if you lack the time to cook, etc…

7. Vitamin K2: Even though I don't have too much experience with this one, this helps regulate bad cholesterol levels in your blood, leading to better cardiovascular health.

Always remember, before starting any supplementation, consulting with a healthcare professional is imperative to ensure it's suitable for one's individual needs and won't interfere with any existing medications or conditions, again, cause im no doctor or nutritionist , which hopefully I do in a near future, but yeah ! Just educational purposes, but, I hope this provides clarity on the world of supplements and their relevance to our health!

And there you have it , another history class of supplements, and some of the best takeaways from this video!

So if you found this video helpful, don't forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel for more fitness documentaries like this, last video performed way better than my long form content back then, and after some decisions I decided to make this type of content, so If you want more of this type of documentary type fitness content, make sure to comment your ideas below! Again, consistency is key, so make sure you work it, enjoy it, and master it!

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