Influencers $elling $upplements | Complete Guide to Saving your $$$

Every influencer has a pill to sell you. Which are legitimate and which are snake oil? Here's how to protect yourself and separate wheat from chaff.
Supplement sales online are a common monetization strategy. There are 2 types of supplements. Proprietary supplements and common supplements under an influencer´s brand.
Connect with me:
Facebook: / drgilcarvalho
Twitter: / nutritionmades3
Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia
References & Additional resources:
Side effects and risks of different supplements:
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.thieme-connect.com/produc...
academic.oup.com/ajcp/article...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/p...
Supplement industry regulation:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.fda.gov/food/information-...
VitD dose study:
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...
Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.
#NutritionMadeSimple #GilCarvalho
0:00 Supplement sales
0:50 2 types of supplements
1:20 The evidence
2:50 Distractions
6:49 Common branded supplements
7:35 Supplement (un)regulation
9:26 Pharma & Supplements
10:42 When to supplement
11:14 Fear

[@RogerHyam]

I've been taking Gil's all natural, organic snake oil for several years now. Just one video a week and I feel great. Definitely recommended ;)

[@geneharrogate6911]

I *only* buy supps from sites that have a person in a lab coat and stethoscope holding a clipboard on the home page. Its the gold standard.

[@CristinaAcosta]

😅😅

[@ThomasAT86]

haha nice

[@purpleblueunicorn]

Especially when that person is a Dr in something completely unrelated to health or nutrition.

[@HSLSFirst]

Gil is one of the very few reliable source of information on social media.

[@guntram5]

But Dr. Berg looks so handsom and speaks with such a calm, friendly voice. He must be right.

[@teddybearroosevelt1847]

Haha so true

[@purpleblueunicorn]

It's the board, he's a teacher of facts.

[@Psartz]

😂

[@choirgrrrl1257]

I'm a ridiculously healthy 64 yr old woman who has never taken a supplement, aside from prenatal vitamins. I cook my own meals and work out at least 6 days a week. Feel like a teenager!

[@bentnissen]

Is it different with medicine? Where they pay for a good result on a study of its product.

[@Amberlynn_Reid]

I'm a super ridiculously healthy 100 yr old woman who has never taken a supplement, aside from vitamin R. I cook 100 meals and a day and work out 7 days a week. Feel like an infant!

[@mithras666]

​@@Amberlynn_Reidlmao

[@mithras666]

"at least 6 days a week" do you sometimes work out 9 days a week?

[@alexm7310]

...not even VitD? 😎

[@2DocsandTheFox]

Doctors who sell supplements must be scrutinized by the buyer. It is understandable sellers want to earn some money but it can definitely be a conflict of interest. The best thing about this channel is the doctor is adamant about truth and evidence in medicine. Kudos!

[@kabwx1qq]

high-key agree!!

[@Starship_X]

Please keep pumping out these videos to help educate the public.

[@alexcpedals]

I'm waiting for Spike Lee's Mo' Better Spike.

[@viviandarkbloom8847]

More like Spike Lee's Bamboozled. Thankfully there are people like Dr Carvalho who lend us a hand.

[@Adam-md3kf]

„Boost your Mitochondria“ 😂😂😂 I Hope I will find a supplement to boost my ribosomes as well

[@cypriano8763]

taking the torch to the snake oil salesmen influencers that populate the web, a la Eric Berg and Gundry.

[@WK-ww4dz]

Two of the most loathsome grifters out there.

[@kenhaze5230]

It's true the FDA doesn't sample or check supplements for content of ingredients, but they don't do that for food, either. In both cases, it's not just carte blanche to lie-consumers would win a lawsuit if they proved mislabeling. But they'd have to test them, which is obviously uncommon.

[@esotericsolitaire]

Exactly.

[@metalWarriorCZ]

As far as I know here in the Czech Republic, the supplement has only one rule. It must do no harm. It doesn't have to do anything. You can sell crushed stalactite as a supplement if it is safe. Thank you for another great video.

[@mrleenudler]

Here in Norway, supplements mustn't have an actual effect(beyond addressing deficiencies), because if they do, they're drugs and fall in under much stricter regulations.

[@purpleblueunicorn]

Doing no harm can be very hard to prove. Vit E for instance have been shown to increase death, are they considered to do harm. In your country?

[@hey-its-me-bobby-D]

An example of a supplement that didn't contain what the lable claimed is Nature's Bounty and their o.ega 3 supplement. They claimed 1400 MG of omega 3's when, in fact, the supplement contained only about 3% of the claimed amount. There is a class action against them because of it.

[@mathieurenaud2254]

I love that both ads on this video are for supplement

[@joerenner8334]

0 ads on my end.

[@AlexandraNevermind]

KZbin actually pushes ads to channels that have a lot of subscribers or views. This is how it makes money. If the content providers don’t actively promote sponsors, the algorithm will determine what ads to include. Since this channel is about nutrition, the algorithm probably pushed those ads.

[@wdb7187]

There are no ads in this video

[@wanda12411]

I need a supplement to protect me from shuckster influencers.

[@charleskra]

Generally, if an internet influencer is selling their own product, I don't take their information seriously. Even if they start out with reasonably good information, the whole idea that they have "the cure" is kind of ridiculous. That's why I like this channel.

[@sammavitae114]

Believing an anecdote makes you an anecdope.

[@YuvrajSingh-xf5gw]

Awesome video

[@BartBVanBockstaele]

Great video! Ironically, it was immediately followed by a commercial (NOT YOU!) to sell supplements...

[@TSLApilot]

Not seeing ads makes KZbin premium so worth it.

[@Poepaap013]

Addblocker is free

[@runninblue9415]

Interesting thanks. Would you apply your concerns to Simon Hill's supplements?

[@robertrinehuls9099]

I take a lot of supplements so I subscribe to Consumer Lab because they test and report on potency, contaminants, efficacy, etc.

[@rthib1960]

Great Video! When are you coming out with your new suppliment line? You can call them "Gill's Eye-Opening Pills". Should be worth at least $100 per bottle 🙂

[@ahmadmulhim8872]

Great video. I’m trying to get rid of them because I’m hock to them and placebo effect certainly plays a big role.

[@Joy80JJ]

I am in my 60's on no prescription meds. Walk 40 mins daily or cycle indoors. Lift weights 3x wk. I do my own research. I do take supplements from reputable sources...not from utube drs or those who make money on their channels from promoting stuff.

[@Peter-Godman]

Gil, you bring clarity to what is otherwise confusion. Thank you. Being vegetarian I supplement iron and B12.

[@aRAsgym]

Great video. I have been working out and trying different supplements for about 15 years before realising the hard truth that almost all of them do not make any difference and were a waste of money😂 When it comes to exercise I found that diet and good rest make up for a vast majority of effects. I stick to protein and occasional creatine and caffeine pre-workout, they are cheap, safe and proven to make a difference.

[@brianlane9534]

Any time an 'influencer' is selling something, they immediately lose all credibility.

[@viveviveka2651]

Much needed. Thank you.

[@alexm7310]

'...the wild, wild west' sums it up well 😊

[@RenySouthCarolina]

I really needed this video…the amount of money I spend on supplements is appalling and mind blowing😭 Truthfully, Vitamin D(with K2) has been great for me and improved my levels a lot…this and magnesium are probably the only 2 I need. Not gonna lie, I ordered the anti spike a few months ago(still waiting for it to ship). I am very carb sensitive (I had a large salad for lunch yesterday that spiked my glucose from 110 to 182🤦🏻‍♀️). Fortunately, thanks to my CGM, I will easily be able to determine whether the product is helpful or not. ACV does not improve my spikes, so I am hoping this supplement actually works and isn’t just a money grab. I will report back my honest findings…product should ship this month.

[@jrennickemd]

Great video Gil! A nuanced take on how to think about supplements. Well done.

[@leeduli]

Great video, thanks!

[@manubhatt3]

I have mentioned this earlier also. The RDA for Vitamin B7 and Choline are all over the place on internet and it seems it is tough to get some RDA mentioned by vegetarian diet. You should do a video clearing the air on these two nutrients.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

coming up on choline

[@virginiemazy7054]

Interesting as always ! Thanks a lot 😊

[@wis9]

Loving the audio quality upgrade Gil 👍

[@sandriagutierrez2605]

Very informative video, thank you!

[@DericBaneto]

9:35 Snake oil supplement sales are sometimes literally toxic, man! Yes, thank you, Gil, for the very helpful info! :)

[@ergometrics1]

Great video, you are doing a great job , thank you!

[@kinpatu]

I used to take a lot of common supplements (not proprietary, just vitamins and minerals). I decided to titrate off all of them, one by one, changing my diet to add a food to replace the supplement. Been off all of them for years now and doing fine. Normal blood panel.

[@PistolPixel]

Valuable information, as always. Thanks for another great video!

[@ThomasAT86]

Yeah great video, thanks! In terms of water soluble vitamins...even these can lead to problems, like B6 and neuropathy for example. I'm personally testing a ton of stuff right now due to severe ME/CFS and a bunch of other problems, and will likely reduce intake again thanks to this video. Definitely good to come here after having dug into some of these crazy longevity stacks.

[@donnam2012]

Making a donation to the influencer. So long as you know you're doing that, nothing wrong with it. I love your videos Dr Gil, thank you!

[@drott150]

I had my vitamin D level checked and it was low. I started taking 2000 IU of vitamin D3 - still too low. Upped it to 5000 IU and now just right. Added in K2 as well, so hopefully that might help, but not hanging my expectations on it. Just a hopeful benefit that I'm fairly confident won't do me any harm in the event its benefits prove illusory.

[@Jesse47249]

I've been taking an incredibly cheap vitamin D of 10,000 UI combined with 100 mg of vitamin K2 (in the same bottle), and my vitamin D went from 14,2 ng/ml to 51,0 ng/ml in 3 months. And my calcium dropped a bit, too, which I chalked up to the vitamin K2 mK7. My B12 and ferritin levels were also raised significantly by taking supplements. It's important to check if supplements are working or not, and that can be done with the blood test.

[@rustysmalls]

As always, another useful and informative video. However, the music at.the end was the real selling point for me 😋

[@jackschitt6235]

I wish our (USA) government regulated the supplement industry more aggressively. PREVAGEN is advertised during the news even though it's already made the news that they are being sued for false advertising and fraud. There ought to be a law (that has some "teeth").

[@dennisward43]

I wish governments would regulate breakfast cereals, especially those aimed at children, more aggressively. But they allow misleading health claims on their packets instead of much more appropriate health warnings.

[@esotericsolitaire]

Why would they when companies offer them money to sit on the decision-making boards? Companies are approved to submit their own research data for government review. Drug safety clearances most often go to the highest bidder.

[@rickjensen2717]

Excellent presentation 👏. Very similar situation here in the UK. Never mix science with emotion or belief.

[@earthmamma85]

Remember the days when we just ate food and were healthy?…. Me neither. I’m 39 and my entire life I’ve been told what to eat, how to eat, when to eat, what not to eat, things to take instead of eating… I’m pretty sure the stress from all this has been more detrimental to my wellbeing than anything I ate or didn’t eat.

[@TasteOfButterflies]

There were no days where people just ate food and were healthy. Nutrition-related diseases, whether from malnutrition, overeating, nutrient deficiencies, or poisoning from spoiled/contaminated food were always around. Let's be thankful we don't live in the good old days where people would use lead as a sweetener or arsenic as a food dye, or when millions of people were getting goiter/rickets/scurvy en masse, or catching ergotism.

[@EasyGameEh]

not only won't i buy influencers' supplements, i also stop listening to them if they are selling one, because the conflict of interest (i know it, they know it) compromises both what they do and what they say in general.

[@ParamitaDevi]

I know you'll mention anti-spike supplements. Good takes!

[@NuNugirl]

This reminds me…..time to take my calcium, fish oil,D3,Magnesium,B12,& Folate. I’ll take the vitamin C tomorrow because I’m eating peppers 🫑 later. My finger nails & hair haven’t looked this healthy in years, so it must be doing something good for me.

[@purpleblueunicorn]

The beet juice supplement have done just that. Small RTCs about endurance performance with and without beet juice and they showed statistical significance. Works because of the nitrates. But you can make your own easily or even take arugula.

[@albineg]

This is why I like the products of Researched Nutritionals. They do studies on their products and work with clinical practioners.

[@maria___laz4109]

Awesome video as always!!!! I'd love to see you do one on Bryan Johnson (that one billionaire who paid a bunch of scientists to make him age much slower) he seems lo be lacking in actual evidence and its come to the point that ive had several people in my life trying to get me on board with him :/

[@vegan-rising]

Agree with everything. Except I am not a fan of Canada's extreme regulations. We have limited choice available in terms of supplements here. A handful of companies here basically own the entire market. I've purchased supplements from the USA and they were much better overall in terms of quantity, quality and price point. Just do the research, be careful, check the reviews and if it's third party tested/certified. Beyond that I don't see a problem.

[@timothybilsky3023]

I love buying $10 vitamin d/k at Walmart. Seems like a decent investment since D is very hard to OD on but continued research shows its value.

[@DrTomBiernacki]

Dr. Carvalho! Love your videos! I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but overseas supplement companies , always message me covering supplement partnerships and crazy $; I'm sure you're also getting these as well!

[@josephtrovato3344]

Thank you putting into light these facts. How about pharmaceutical grade supplements, companies like Throne, Pure Encapsulation, etc? Are they also a gimmick? Are any independent international organization that test supplements? How about some sport supplements like Creatine? Is it true that Creatine has been tested more than any other supplement? I have taken Creatine, I’m not sure now, if the benefits I felt were real or the placebo effect.

[@aussie405]

As someone with haemochromatosis (iron overload disorder) I cringe when anyone promotes iron supplements. It can cause liver cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a form of arthritis to name just a few of the issues. Don't take iron supplements without having full iron studies done. One of my symptoms is fatigue... and so many people would assume anaemia, but it is literally the opposite.

[@tsamb3756]

Thanks for this! I’d love to see a breakdown of all the supplements you think may be worth an average person’s time to look into, that have decent data supporting them. Or would you only supplement for deficiencies? I hear wonderful things about fish oil, turmeric, magnesium, etc from science-based folks.

[@Broken4forever]

I saw a study on melatonin where sometimes it'll say the dose is 3 for example but it may contain higher. (Sometimes lower)

[@ludwigkhoury4040]

Another legit indication is Folic Acid in pregnancy. Excellent review, as usual!

[@htttppppp]

They sell books too 😃

[@franciscoperez430]

Dr Carvalho please🙏make a video on nattokinases supplements and their effect on human cardiovascular health... there are some videos on youtube, but none of them seems reliable to me

[@NaturopathBrad]

Unfortunately, the FDA does a lousy job as Gil mentioned. However, when you are educated and trained in Clinical Nutrition you understand the nuances of supplementation, the importance of getting practitioner-only supplements and if you can, you purchase quality supplements that are produced in a TGA (The Australian regulatory board that monitors pharma too) approved facility. Even some USA Pharma companies will get their products TGA approved because of the high standards the TGA demands. If you have the training and qualifications, getting your head around the quality and efficacy of supplements is not difficult. Unfortunately, if you don't see a qualified practitioner (4 years of Clinical Nutrition Training, and 4 years of herbal medicine training for herbal supplements) and try and self-prescribe off the internet, it can potentially be disastrous.

[@Maroxad]

I knew the supplement industry was bad. But I didnt know it was that bad in the US. I should check up how it is in Sweden. I am vegan so I supplement some D vitamins (I get plenty of B12 through Nooch), but I definately dont want to go over my daily dose.

[@hagbard72]

Lots of things we eat contain heavy metals (dark chocolate, dark leafy greens, yams, etc), not too surprising supplements do too.

[@dennisward43]

Lots of things we eat are sprayed with toxic pesticides like glyphosate as well. Even organic ones sometimes. I saw one for organic oats today that said it was not sprayed with glyphosate 'during its growing stage'. Hello! No mention of what they did after the crop was fully grown, pre-harvest.

[@VeganWellnessTribe]

We love your balanced approach. Great to know folks can get healthy without supplements. It’s nice they exist for those who want them or those who struggle to hit daily targets. Full disclosure, I’m one of them. However ours are different. Haha. Everyone says that. Anyway, ours are a low temp dehydrated blend of Whole Foods, a few isolates, the majority of the ingredients are dehydrated blended Whole Foods. We have a product that has been in the Physican’s Desk Reference 16 times. We have a pre clinical trail on another product showing 74% reduction in C-reactive protein after 6weeks. The full trial report is linked on the website directly under the product. I trust you to help lead and teach me and everything you have taught me tells me these are the real deal. I love them! I’ve wanted to ask you about them before, unfortunately you’re hard to access, so I’m using my best judgement that I cultived under the guidance of your important videos. As always, thank you Gil.

[@delwoodkelp8590]

The following quote brings to mind a question -- "Anyway, ours are a low temp dehydrated blend of Whole Foods, a few isolates, the majority of the ingredients are dehydrated blended Whole Foods" If you take fruits and vegetables and turn them into a dehydrated powder, you seldom find the end product having more than a miniscule amount of powder in the capsules or scoopers. Without mentioning the name of the product, how much does the suggested daily dose of powder weigh? 4 grams, 8 grams, 12 grams. Then do the math, essentially adding back in the water weight removed during dehydration. Meaning how much fresh ingredients were actually used to make the daily dose of powder? In terms of weight. Also, how many calories are in a daily dose of the powder?

[@VeganWellnessTribe]

@@delwoodkelp8590 our packaging uses tablespoons. They range from 3 tablespoons (it would be around 24 to 30 grams) up to 5.5 tablespoons (approximately 44 to 55 grams) it can change depending on how densely someone packs their scoops. Now the calories are low, ranging from around 140-70 depending again on which blend. My favorite one is full of dehydrated greens and green juices (the dehydrated juices I’d consider to be isolates, 140 calories, 5.5 tablespoons, but I’ll mix it with plant milks sometimes, sometimes banana, or other frozen fruit. The food chosen are nutrient dense and none are very high in calories. I’m not 100% sure of the pre-dehydration weight for each ingredient for each shake but you’ve helped me identify that question and I appreciate that. I can definitely ask and in the interest of transparency I will try to bring back an answer for that last question about the foods pre-dehydration.

[@bewilderedlearningevolving]

I feel like there is a market for a channel that buys up all these supplements and actually tests them, the quality and amount of each listed ingredient, it's efficacy. I know I'd like to submit a couple of bottles I have on top of my fridge. Thanks!

[@kevintse2870]

If quality control is poor, then the testing wouldn’t mean much.

[@baconinvader]

I keep getting ads from a company called "British Supplements". They talk about how less than 1% of most vitamin D supplements is actually vitamin D, and the rest is just "nasty" fillers and binders. But not theirs, of course. I would love to speak with them one day and ask if *their* vitamin D supplements really do contain several hundred thousand times the RDA, as advertised!

[@sf3413]

Are injections (like B12) at a Dr.'s office or prescription supplements (like iron) from a conventional pharmacy regulated more like a drug? Thank you!

[@FOTAP97]

Looking at you, Steven Gundry and Mike Mutzel.

[@FellowHuman18]

Would you be willing to do an in-depth review on the new book How not to age?

[@SiriusStarGazer]

Nice presentation. I do not use supplements. I cant use them, I get a prickly feeling in my skin and burning in my feet and hand since a long time ago, when I was younger. I rely on my diet.🤷‍♀

[@ACHarris10]

Is anyone aware of any proprietary blend supplements that have actually been put in a controlled trial?

[@The_Mariner]

Im getting tired of everyone promoting athletic greens.

[@ziggyai]

Could you make a video on "are all calories made the same?"

[@esotericsolitaire]

Please research the FDA, its employees, and its monetization and research data sources. Many supplement companies do their own "research" and sign the product off as safe, and then the FDA says "OK." Non-proprietary pills most often have ingredients sourced in China. I feel safer already.

[@TheXPlayer_TWC]

Ya from Malaysians I dose feel the pain beside singapore say us is a bit fire met with oil

[@alanadee2514]

The big question are chiropractors doctors? I'm hearing that chiropractic is something that was based in a religion in the 1800s and it's not based on medical science The reason this is important is a lot of people as you know think that the chiropractor is a doctor that knows what he's doing and they spend a lot of money on the myths and Magic that some of these chiropractors are like Palm readers

[@bobanefecco]

Hi Doc. A question not inherent this video content, but i don't know how to reach you otherwise. Have you any opinion on "The China Study" ? by dr. Colin Campbell ? Because I read it some years ago and at that time it pretty shocked me. Thanks in advance for the possible respobse. Bye from Italy.

[@NutritionMadeSimple]

hi. it's an interesting dataset but because there are many variables it should be viewed with caution. we have a video coming up on the Blue Zones which are a similar type of data. We may touch on the China study specifically in the future. thanks

[@burby_geek]

What’s your opinion on the RDA’s for the different nutrients? I’ve read an opinion that they are too high and you’d need to eat 27000 calories daily to get all you macros and micros. I think it’s possible with 10000 or a little less but no way it can be done with a normal diet This goes to stuff I’ve read the last 20 years that most vitamins as supplements aren’t in their natural form and absorption it very low compared to natural sources and this is the reason for the high RDA’s

[@lalablotz7348]

I used to take a bunch of supplements and then one day I just stopped. I felt absolutely no difference. I do eat a very healthy diet. The only thing I take is vitamin D because I run naturally low and my doctor told me to. I get it checked yearly.

[@mareezy]

Make a video on the dumb parasite cleanses. My hubby thinks it's a real thing

[@Mohamed-yp9fv]

Il like this pill " how to boost your quack detection" 🤣😂

[@armandomosquea]

How do you verify which B12 supplements contain the correct dosage? If most supplements have no controls. What about 3party verification? Any reputable company’s you recommend?

[@yangtse55]

That's started worrying me so I take 2 different ones plus fortified soy

[@JasonRyerDenver]

Failed to mention: Many supplements add caffeine which certainly gives us a false sense that the other ingredients are giving us energy - and that it's "working".

[@someguy2135]

Are fortified foods more likely to have the vitamins and minerals that are claimed on the label? Are they more properly regulated than supplements here in the USA?

[@burby_geek]

30 years ago we did an experiment in high school and separated the iron flakes from cereal. Your body can’t absorb it but it was legal for the label. Probably the same for other nutrients food is fortified with.

[@LorcaLoca]

​​​@@burby_geekHow did you discover and conclude that your body can't absorb the iron in flakes?

[@Justinegallows]

only because they cant sell broccoli in a pill.

[@lxMaDnEsSxl]

Price for vitamins and minerals and supplements. can be 4x and higher than generic. save your money by looking at the ingredients list and amount .....

[@jellyfish828]

Is it just me or do others also find this guy really attractive?

[@pjaworek6793]

I'm going to try commenting one more time, then I'm going to be suspicious. Simland says we need 10-30g if glycine which would take about 2 chickens worth of skin or a teaspoon of sugar like power. I love chicken skin but not that much.

[@N0RD0ST]

Do modern foods contain enough vitamins, minerals and other nutrients so that we can go without supplements, given that we live in stressful times?

[@raissaferreira1101]

I get your point, but it's important to emphasise that humans have always lived stressful lives. In the video, he states that isolated vitamins tend to be better researched which may be safer. Anyway, nowadays we have the technology and resources to be healthier. If the person is not sick or has any medical condition it may get all the nutrients necessary on their diet, if not only visiting a good doctor they be able to find the best path to their health.

[@noggintube]

Yes, just buy as little heavily processed food as you can.

[@BobSmith-fx9sz]

Probably not Vitamin D during the winter of a cold country.

[@brucejensen3081]

Battle for survival is at its easiest level ever, the stress we face now is mostly self generated. Make great connections with food and ditch some of the bad connections

[@robertstambulovski]

Yeh agree with that ' the soil and pesticides in crops can't be doing us any good '

[@pantameowmeow.s.1149]

Sometimes I see supplements being sold from doctors I actually respect. Makes me wonder.

[@rodrigospagnol]

Gotta love American capitalism ❤

[@lorrainejambor3258]

What about green powders (AG1 for example) or prebiotics and probiotics - worth your money or not?

They can be good if you have a bad diet, however there are much cheaper options that are equally good!

[@Joseph1NJ]

Lol, I was waiting for a jab at that nearly ubiquitous magic green powder so hyped by influencers. As to probiotics they've lost some flavor as of late by experts in the field. If you want to try one you should check to see if the brand you're looking at has clinical data suggesting it addresses the symptom you're looking to treat. You can find that info for Canada and the US.

[@Tinky1rs]

Ask for the human studies they did with that product. Prebiotics tend to be food, and I think the only reasonable usage of probiotics is after extensive antibiotic therapy to prevent diarrhea, and those were not with proprietary probiotics. sources: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9408191/ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8183490/

[@spynman]

Nope

[@mithras666]

If you can't get probiotics elsewhere (kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi etc...), or you don't eat enough greens, then yes they're worth it. Prebiotics are just fiber, eat more fruits and vegetables.

[@someguy2135]

When you buy a supplement made in a country outside the USA, do the laws and regulations of that country apply to that product, or the laws of the USA? In other words, if country X has better regulations than the USA, should I buy products from those countries? Are there worse countries than the USA for regulations? China?

[@noggintube]

That's a tricky one - with pharmaceuticals for example, the product needs to meet the requirements for the market it is to be used in, regardless of the country of manufacture. For supplements though, since the supply is not heavily regulated, you could buy product intended for a different market than your own, and so meets that countries requirements. Some countries may restrict supply, but it depends on what it is. Personally I wouldn't buy any product for internal use from China. European countries are probably the safest as the EU requirements (especially markets like Germany) are quite stringent.

[@robertstambulovski]

Some supplements are ok which target a specific problem ' as long as not made in China '

[@ArredouaniA.-rr4oy]

I am surprised how easy people can fall into this scam.

[@georgehornsby2075]

I'm scared of Spike Milligan, is there a supplement for that?

[@oldroscoe2590]

I get 50 bucks every three months from my health insurance to spend on over the counter stuff. Use it or lose it, so........ how best to spend that 50 dollars? Vitamin D and fish oil but what else?

[@thetimewhack]

Fda rules are f****d up.