Your Supplements are a Lie

Are Vitamins and Supplements a Scam?
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The supplements industry - with all its vitamins, weight loss pills, workout powders, and hormones - has been growing exponentially over the last couple of decades despite there being no increased regulations for them. We wanted to know - are supplements dangerous to take, and are they even effective?
Thank you to the experts we spoke with that helped with our research in this story:
Dr. C. Michael White, Pharm.D., FCP, FCCP
Dr. F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE
Dr. Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, MAE, FMedSci, FRSB, FRCP
And thank you to Ryan Howkins, the founder of the Lion’s Mane Recovery subreddit, who brought the Lion’s Mane story to our team. You can find the subreddit here: / lionsmanerecovery
Resources to look up supplements and vitamins:
US Pharmacopeia: www.usp.org/
NSF: www.nsf.org/
My next video is live on Nebula NOW! It's about how the world economy is changing. Watch now: nebula.tv/videos/johnnyharris...
Check out all my sources for this video here: docs.google.com/document/d/1Q...
-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 Intro
3:57 How the Supplement Industry Works
12:25 What the Science Says
17:34 Supplements Gone Bad
25:19 What Can Be Done
28:28 Announcements & Outro
Check out my new channel with Sam Ellis - Search Party: / @search-party
Get access to behind-the-scenes vlogs, my scripts, and extended interviews over at / johnnyharris
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The music for this video, created by our in house composer Tom Fox, is available on our music channel, The Music Room! Follow the link to hear this soundtrack and many more: • Music From 'Do Health ...
About:
Johnny Harris is an Emmy-winning independent journalist and contributor to the New York Times. Based in Washington, DC, Harris reports on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe, publishing to his audience of over 3.5 million on KZbin. Harris produced and hosted the twice Emmy-nominated series Borders for Vox Media. His visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways.
- press -
NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/op...
NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/video/opinion...
Vox Borders: • Inside Hong Kong’s cag...
NPR Planet Money: www.npr.org/transcripts/10721...
- where to find me -
Instagram: / johnny.harris
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- how i make my videos -
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[@johnnyharris]

Click my CoPilot link go.mycopilot.com/johnny-harris to get a 14-day FREE trial AND 20% off your first month of personalized fitness if you sign up before February 1st!

[@beetlebg3759]

How about no lol?

[@plonkerdo0d117]

💀

[@Kevin.Costner.]

No thanks but get that bag Johnny 🤣

[@apoorvgupta9680]

its in usa, how worst it will be in other countires

[@donnamoss7480]

​@@apoorvgupta9680 Many things banned in other countries that are pawned off to many unsuspecting amricans I was shocked to find out products sold here have added ingrediences that are not added to whats shipped sold abroad i know one was mt dew things like dyes flavor enhancers preservatives deemed dangerous Many products Its really horrifying that we basically are expendable guinea pigs Fact

[@GarfieldZr]

In poor countries it's called corruption, in the USA it's called lobbying. I love the "developed" world.

[@SevenEllen]

The general public call it corruption, the rich call it lobbying. Our "developed" worlds aren't rich, they just have a few very rich families in them, and the majority aren't doing as great as they did.

[@grxy5924]

@@SevenEllen Especially now more than ever, the illusion of a “developed” and “wealthy” economy is ridiculous.

[@KageNoTenshi]

In other country starting a war is call an invasion, for USA is call liberation of that place

[@elyasturkman19]

@garfield after living in both type of these countries i learnt that in underdeveloped countries they do corruption and the end that 1% gets all the wealth In developed countries they have institutionalized the same corrupt deals and make money out of which again goes into the pockets of that 1%

[@nicholasdefilippo8951]

Dr. White was my cardiology and drug information professor in pharmacy school!!! He’s an expert on the (lack of) FDA regulation of dietary supplements in addition to health economics outcomes research and cardiology trials. And he’s hilarious. What a guy.

[@zephyrwinkle6552]

The fda is not there to keep the food and drugs safe but rather tells you how much poisons you can add

[@NEDMKitten]

I blame Clinton for signing this into law

[@ThePrinceofallsayain]

Yeah sure the FDA isn't god they've approved stuff that they shouldn't they don't have a magic wand that they approve only the cleanest stuff they approve trash as well

[@matthewbrach4922]

​@@NEDMKittenblame who you want that's not gonna help fix it

[@scottpilgrim2]

​@@matthewbrach4922Not necessarily true.

[@paularivadeneira8153]

As a South American who thought supplements and vitamins from the USA were much better than the ones we could obtain in my country, this is eye opening.

[@evanbell8012]

Ha I like south American supplements much better, i buy them in America all the time......./.......winkwink

[@andrewwastien]

there is a whole bunch of brands here and many of them are scammers i learn that you got to look for this certified NSF,USP,CL,UI to make sure that they have the amount of the ingredient they are claiming their product have.

[@tomasrazelo3271]

Please don’t believe this video completely. The food and drug administration doesn’t have people that are constantly monitoring the pharmaceutical companies. The FDA has a revolving door where people work for the FDA for a short time and then they start working for the pharmaceutical company. You have lots and lots of issues with medicine that isn’t really talked about as much. There are drug overdoses on properly prescribed medicine and let’s not forget what Miri did. Whole foods, supplements, and not synthetic. Supplements are actually really good for you. The part where he talks about cancer getting worse on supplements is not entirely truthful because he leaves out the fact that it was the synthetic supplement that did this and not the whole food ones.

[@windwalker000]

@@tomasrazelo3271 The whataboutism card. Weak

[@vladasilva]

​@@tomasrazelo3271 Looks like what someone that works in a supplement company would say...

[@vincecorbin379]

I appreciate this so much. You could even go deeper into this. Specifically pre workouts. There is a lawsuit for companies like C4 and Jack3d that were putting DMAA into pre workouts. A local news reported a US soldier died during PT due to these supplements. Germany and most of Europe bans these. Yet places we trust like GNC still sell them. One of my friends had a seizure and I myself developed 6 years of neurological heart issues. You could have a whole episode on pre-workouts alone….

[@optionmillionairebstudios]

Yes!!

[@Detroit6V92TA]

I've been in the gym for a long time, and just about everyone taking DMAA knew exactly what they were taking, as well as the associated risks. It didn't take a genius to know it was bad for people, considering how hyped up it got you. A lot of gym guys used it specifically because the effects were similar to cocaine or Adderall. In addition, only a small fraction of a percentage of people had negative side effects, like less than 0.1%. Statistically, it had fewer adverse effects and deaths than the vast majority of the prescription drugs we have. And there's still a thriving grey market for it. Many people still regularly seek out and consume DMAA, and you don't really hear about it on the news anymore. The big scare is gone. DMAA isn't off the market in any way. It just isn't sold as a "supplement" anymore. It's a grey market workout compound now. Some grey area pre workouts still have it, but they're rarely sold at retail stores. It's widely available on peptide websites and nootropic websites though. I'm not saying it's benign. What I'm saying is the people using these compounds are well aware of what they're putting in their bodies.

[@vincecorbin379]

@@Detroit6V92TA I’m not attacking DMAA. It’s used regularly as a nasal decongestant I get that. It’s just an example of the misinformation presented In The products. I knew the risks taking it for lifting. No issues. I Never over used it. The issue came with using it during high cardio activity. That’s where it’s higher risk and they didn’t disclose that or that DMAA was used early on. This was the lawsuit and the case was won. I used it for three years sparingly because it helped my sinuses with no issue until I started using it for cardio and began losing feeling in my legs. Many issues were never reported and you don’t what about it because they changed the formula after the lawsuit. I lived in the Gym for years. I get it. Even steroids are safer than vitamin C itself. The only risks known were testing positive for meth anphetamines when taking it.

[@MikeKayK]

Those supplements explicitly indicated that they contained DMAA and what the recommended dosage was. It's on the consumer to be responsible with it. People overdose on many things all the time, should everything be banned or should adults be responsible for their actions?

[@vincecorbin379]

Agree to disagree

[@cjwhite7801]

This is so fascinatingly insane. Anything healthcare related in the us is so convoluted

[@PotatMasterRace]

US? Supplements are a scam all around the world.

[@CraftAmundous]

Ho hey the american way!

[@marekpejas4974]

Next video: Smoking is bad! XD

[@roykuo4]

It isn't convoluted. The one side who believes everything done by government and regulation is conspiracy vs the ones who believe everyone should be regulated are always at war with each other lol.

[@utkua]

One thing strikingly different in the US is that when such things happen in other places. Europe Middle east, or Asia, people point fingers to the government, they blame the government, but in the US somehow people either blame themselves or the companies. But then again, what they call lobbying in the US is called bribery in the most other places. Why people pay taxes to a government that does not take responsibility for its people is beyond me, what are they getting in return?

[@Avikus]

I remember going to the doctors a few years ago and told them I take Centrum and he said "stop taking those, they are snake oil cons with a lot of money. Eat healthy instead!" Amazing work JH! Keep going!

[@AngieW-ri6qx]

Doctor's healthy eating recommendations are usually quite different than actual healthy eating.

[@ChavezDIY]

You don't need them IF you are eating healthy. You certainly don't have to buy Centrum. I buy the cheapest ones, the Walmart brand Equate.

[@Randomdive]

I take One a Day by Bayer, simply because I trust a European pharma giant to have a cleaner manufacturing process than some fly by night brand

[@mindhunter8772]

I know someone who has been taking Centrum for years but has no issues

[@ti5826]

@@mindhunter8772they got busted not putting any vitamins in their multi vitamins, a lot of the companies are shady like that

[@jrodayeoh]

The 90s? I remember taking Flintstones vitamins when I was a kid in the 80s. It was hard candy back then and loved the taste. And during that time, bottles didn't have child proof caps so I was taking them more than I should've. My mom would get puzzled that the bottle's already empty. Those days 😂.

[@BoiseLou]

I remember how shocked we were seeing these in America in the 90s. But Australia has since had the same kind of thing marketed at kids too. We have way too many products marketed towards children and babies in supermarkets that are unhealthy foods using misleading claims to seem like healthy, everyday home cooking.

[@CrowGirl1990]

I did the same when I was a kid. My mom called poison control and scared the mess out of me. I’ve never forgotten that experience and have been very careful to make sure I don’t take more than the recommended dose of anything. 😅

[@DL-rl9bd]

I used to eat the orange flavored baby aspirin from the medicine cabinet. Again, not child proof. Ate them like candy, too. Can’t believe I didn’t get Reye’s syndrome or some other issue related to overdose!

[@yummy.crayon]

Same with my Hello Kitty cetrinets

[@harrietxo2310]

@@yummy.crayonwait I want those

[@spiritsandnature]

It has always been hard to articulate to others of why I do not take pills or supplements. This goes into such great detail on that. Thank you.

[@Ashmodai]

When I was on deployment (I'm german), we shared a camp with the US forces. For our deployment in-brief we were actively warned by our medical staff officer about the supplements from the American PX. We knew that they potentially contained very harmful substances that are simply illegal in Europe (for a reason!).

[@chewielewis4002]

We love our steroids in our pre-workout makes you think your gains are natural. But a lot of olympic athletes have been ineligible because of these supplements, gotta be really careful with them.

[@nico-nl6cz]

@@chewielewis4002 I gotta find these roid pre workouts everyone's raving about lmao

[@samthecar]

​@nico-nl6cz yeah where are these, I gotta avoid them 🫣

[@Ihvtengrssz]

@@chewielewis4002where can i find those? sounds awesome , prework with steroids 💀

[@32BitJunkie]

A whole bunch of commenters about to have shrivelled balls, baldness and high pitched voices lol

[@evanwinn1033]

Just stopping to thank you Johnny for interviewing a pharmacist about this topic, and recognizing their status as Doctors in their field. Often I am perceived by the public as more of a service industry worker and less of a healthcare team member. Thank you for showing that pharmacists are valuable knowledge sources about drugs and supplements!

[@gbp3616]

They are trained in pharmacology and profit off people being sick and relying on drugs. Supplements can prevent you from becoming dependant on pharmaceuticals. Wake up

[@padhatam]

As a physician I'm always communicating with our pharmacist and you guys are a essential members of our health care team!

[@gbp3616]

@padhatam of course, youre both educated drug dealers

[@jojodelacroix]

Sadly i think there are a lot of kind if crappy pharmacists. Anytime ive ever asked one for input, theyve kind of shrugged and offered little to no useful input. Of course, as with any profession, there are exemplars and bad apples.

[@evanwinn1033]

@@jojodelacroix Thanks for that comment, and I'm sorry that has been your experience. I wonder what the age demographic of the pharmacists you've had those interactions with was? In my experience, older pharmacists and those that have worked in big chain retail stores seem the most burnt out and most likely to blow off an opportunity to talk shop.

[@TitansRossi]

My grandfather had the first vitamin and health food store in Middle Tennessee. He was in business for 42 years. It was called Len Rossi Health Foods. He always did a lot of research on the vitamins he bought and sold and made sure they were top-notch quality. He had 4 stores at one point, but through the years, everyone started selling vitamins. Wal Mart, grocery stores, even gas stations, and it really hurt his business towards the end. He only had 1 store but worked until he was 90 and passed 2 years ago. He knew the vitamins the big box stores were selling then were all really crappy quality, and he preached quality in his store. He was also smart enough not to tell people that you can replace medicines with these supplements. He would say it's a compliment to whatever else you have to take medically.

[@MAJ786MJ]

you cannot replace med( i mean a med which is not meant for just symptom reduction) with a supppement if you have a disease. You can never replace a good diet for supplement. Go watch scientific base video on supplements on youtube based on 10 yr long meta analysis. As a pharmacist i value that more than any authorities or rationale of physicians.

[@user-yi5ie3qw3x]

What did he recommend

[@The_Cuber]

You helped me with this idea for my school research poster project and the sources are great!

[@HeisenbergFam]

Only Johnny casually goes from talking about Switzerland's obsession with guns to health supplements

[@rkan2]

Only on the December ad-grind

[@zephyrwinkle6552]

Obsession with security

[@jfisher164]

I’m here for it haha. So good!

[@boohoo5419]

badly researched and without any nuance.. its the lowest tier of pop science.. a johnny harris jump cut video that exploit your emotions! he shoudl talk about movies or travel.. not politics or health! swiss and nutrition is all the same.. just find the clickbaity thing about it!

[@SamuelNoaGreen]

It's his job, not something casual

[@nathannelson4662]

Pharmacist here, this was really well explained and highlighted many important facts that our patients are led to overlook regarding the use of vitamins and supplements. I must say that it was comforting to hear the PharmD and MD reinforce the things I tell to many patients everyday.

[@andrewdishman335]

Yet your industry will push big pharma products that make you and doctors very rich and have many side effects. Big pharma has been convicted of the biggest lawsuits in history for disregarding safety of products. The whole opioid epidemic was caused by big pharma and doctors pushing harmful addictive drugs on people and claiming they were safe and effective.

[@AfricanLionBat]

These bots are getting ridiculous

[@sageriley6775]

Pharmacy here ok idc

[@jaimedelgado7529]

Nicholas Burke changed my bum life

[@notmyself2533]

Yet we most overregulated country when it comes to drugs

[@sabrinakopekova507]

Love the effort that went into this video, particularly the visuals.

[@williamstewart7725]

I do take vitamin D in the winter. It's cheap. And not enough sunshine in the day. What can I say?

[@Krpasava]

You can say that you take vitamin D in the winter. That it's cheap and that there is not enough sunshine in the day

[@hdk173]

AG1 reached out to Johnny for sponsorship. Instead Johnny did a whole hit piece on them. Love it!

[@DavideTravelli]

I guess they dint offer enough money 🤷‍♂

[@jaredrodriguez5538]

It would be cool if you did a video on how toxic the food industry is too. I feel like the supplement industry and the food industry go hand in hand with profiting from consumers instead of actually caring about our health.

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

Yes! I agree. Would love to see a video on this.

[@MohitVellanki]

John Oliver's video on food safety is really good

[@brittnyhawk8633]

If people only see it first hand they probably never eat highly processed food again. I been in those factories. They scrap mold off the lines, they allow so many dead animals in the process like rats or birds, which by the way there alot of poop going around....

[@suebishop5427]

If the food container has more than 3-4 ingredients don't buy it.

[@cheezheadz3928]

Plenty out there already.

[@maytrestar]

I’m really curious to see if this also applies to countries with stronger health regulations (like any within the EU).

[@Wasabih26]

I'm European and I would be curious too. It could also be useful for US consumers. Like... only buy stuff from the EU?

[@turgs1]

I trust Australia - we're pretty fanatical...

[@K127able]

I think the study 19:00 was contucted in Europe. Authors are from Poland and they mention European regulations in the introduction

[@Lucasshane09]

@@Wasabih261Q

[@cementcitron9428]

@Wasabih26 Problems with buying from the eu is that the companies can just lie about the origin and quality, similiar to buying pure virgin olive Italian oil in the us sometimes has no olives in it

[@vejet]

Supplements are not a complete lie. I had a proven vitamin D deficiency (proven through multiple tests) and require vitamin D supplementation, subsequent test show my vitamins D levels have since improved. Aside from that I also take Omega's 3's(combined with vitamin D) and Zinc and I definitely feel better since I started.

[@Jeffs60]

Cholecalciferol - Vitamin D3 is the main ingredient in d-CON rat poison so don't take more than 400 IU per day.

[@andrewmartin1829]

Also, if you plan on taking a supplement, the best way to ensure it is safe is if it has USP or NSF labels. These are private testing labs that validate dosage, check for contaminants, etc.

[@kingace6186]

Thanks. I need to take supplements for a prior deficiency so this is very helpful.

[@askeladd60]

no need for government to get involved a screw up another industry

[@dustyoldhat]

I hate how the government passes things like the clean air and clean water act so i get you completely. I wish they'd just let companies pollute the air and water as much as possible so they can keep making more profits like they should. that's really all that matters. you and me, we think alike! @@askeladd60

[@tboneforreal]

Well, we have to be careful of saying the word "safe". Those certifications mean that the products have been tested to at least be what the label on the bottle says it is and are not contaminated with other potentially toxic substances or prescription meds. The certification does not mean a supplement either does what it says it does or that it won't cause harm itself. So a supplement with the certifications is safer than a supplement without the certification, but it doesn't mean it's completely safe.

[@cmo5807]

​@@tboneforrealtap water isn't necessarily safe either.... 😂 But it's deemed safe by the government/states.

[@ogKEGGY]

Good to see a big KZbin channel quietly dunk on AG-1. My favorite part about every single AG-1 ad is seeing just how clear it is that they 100% tell the KZbinr that they have to drink an entire serving in the ad. Pay attention next time you see one. It cracks me up every time.

[@evan]

Actually! To provide some insight, they do ask for it to be drunk yes, but in its entirety no. Similar to soft drink ads on tv and such.

[@zionne2716]

My mum works for a company with high quality eco products and she is guiding many people with serious illnesses. So i have seen first hand what high quality supplements can do. Literal miracle recovery stories, altho it may take time. My mum beat cancer btw like this as well. I would never buy cheap whatever brands and nothing thats owned by blackrock/vanguard or where i m not 100 % sure. The real issue is that this gov/regulatory agencies dont care is true for almost all aspects e.g. food, pharamceutical safety etc. Its just one big mafia after the other trying to get better regulations and more profit.

[@slhgrow7683]

This was a very insightful segment. Thank you for your help and exposure.

[@felip3442]

9:47 "supplements are not food the way a bag of Doritos is food" is the most US American thing a person can say

[@mrsean20]

It's an inside joke, based on one of previous videos and his love for doritos

[@WilliamCampbell9991]

Saying "US American" is one of the most non-American things to say

[@felip3442]

@@WilliamCampbell9991 thank you, that's the case because an US American Dorito brain does not grasp that América is a continent and that there are many other Americans rather than US ones

[@serge.telipko]

a bag of doritos is not food either

[@scouncil2028]

​@@felip3442 Exactly, I agree! Like there are Canadian Americans and Peruvian Americans and European Americans :)

[@ambition112]

0:19: ⚠ Many supplements are found to be contaminated with illegal substances and bacteria, posing a health risk to consumers. 4:26: ⚠ The dietary supplement industry operates with minimal regulation, allowing companies to market products without FDA approval or enforcement of ingredient rules. 8:15: 💰 The video reveals how lobbying influenced the passing of a law friendly to the supplements industry. 12:49: 🧪 A meta-analysis of 84 studies found that vitamins and supplements have little to no benefit in preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, and may even be harmful in some cases. 17:15: ⚠ The supplement industry is poorly regulated and can be harmful, leading to thousands of emergency room visits each year. 21:08: ⚖ The lack of FDA approval and oversight in the supplement industry is concerning. 25:24: ⚖ The video discusses the need for stricter regulations on supplement companies to ensure product safety and accuracy in labeling. Recapped using Tammy AI

[@deaguacate]

Thanks AI

[@danielbroomhall8882]

dude, you must have a lot of free time LOL go and get a job.

[@intheovaloffice]

Such an excellent investigative story. Kudos to Johnny. Have a merry Christmas all!

[@tomasrazelo3271]

It’s actually one-sided. Why doesn’t he mention that the supplement that was banned was an amino acid that was very similar to Prozac. The supplement was banned because it did kill people, but it was due to bad bacteria that was in those supplements and not the supplement itself. The bacteria was at fault, but it was still banned, and then lots of advertising came out for Prozac. Now we get more interesting is that it was banned for 16 years, which was the time of the patent for Prozac, and once the patent for Prozac was done this supplement was allowed to be sold again. Not to mention that the FDA has been known when you dig deeper to not fully and properly review medication, and the fact that food and drug administration people have a revolving door and work for the pharmaceutical companies as well which is a huge conflict of interest and we wouldn’t accept it in any other field. Also, the supplements that made cancer worse or synthetic and not whole foods supplements where Whole Foods supplements could have helped tremendously most likely. Obviously, cancer is a bit more complex, but we never cross check genetically modified foods, pesticides, processed foods, and all of that to see how it affects house. We investigate them individually , but we consume them together And what should be balanced reporting here would be to discuss how many overdoses occur with properly prescribed medicine, and how many people die from medication. Let’s look at how Merk had a medication where they allowed it to be sold to the public because of the amount of death, and harm it would caused would not affect their profit so this company decided that it was OK to solve it because they can pay off their deaths and still be very profitable. Until someone force the situation we would’ve been told that it has to do with something else and not the medication itself. I think we’ve been conditioned to believe that medicine is perfect and once you start researching the FDA and the amount of recalls and deaths and harm medicine causes, you’ll see that medicine might actually be worse

[@georgiahaas5223]

Yesssss Johnny!!! Thank you spreading the good word!!!! As a dietitian who has been saying these things for years, it's so encouraging to see this on a platform as popular as yours! 🙌 I think checking third party testing sites (i.e. USP, NSF, ConsumerLab) and/or speaking with a dietitian/pharmacist about supplements is the best course of action for individuals looking to learn more about what they're taking/should take!

[@tomasrazelo3271]

I agree, but his point is still one-sided. He mentions how the FDA checks everything out but he doesn’t say that the people in the FDA have short term and then go work for the pharmaceutical companies and helping them approve things. A huge conflict of interest. Especially since medicine, even one prescribed properly has lots and lots of negative like overdose and things of that nature. Look at the pharmaceutical reps who are pushing the doctors to sell more drugs, and the problem that caused us. The supplements that caused cancer to get worse by the way, or the sympathetic ones in that study and not the proper whole ones. If you’re going to discuss illnesses and deaths, you need to also talk about medicine which also causes illnesses - except with medication you have big companies with lots of money that silence us. Why not mention the study of a medicine where the pharmaceutical company hid information purposely knowing that this medication would cause death and worsen health, and they decided to move forward with it, because paying out for those that was still not high enough compared to the profits they would make. I think that we’ve been conditioned to think that there is absolutely no corruption and no issues in the medical field and we ignore things like how many medicines get pulled off of shelves, and how many medicines have been recalled for so many reasons. One last thing here is the fact that he talks about an amino acid that killed people which had nothing to do with the amino acid, but it actually had to do with a bad batch of bacteria that was in it. What should be included is that Prozac was then advertised like crazy Because it essentially did the same thing as the supplement. Prozac’s license and patent had about 16 years left on it, and they banned the supplement for that long. Once the patent was up, this supplement was allowed to be sold again. Does this sound like a health concern or does this sound like a business move?

[@oddviews]

I am a 78 year old male with absolutely perfect health and able to do anything I could do when I was 25, though not so fast!! I have been a regular exerciser for more than 40 years, 25 years as a runner and for the last 15 years as a walker and a cyclist. Never been in a hospital bed, no diseases and never any difficulties with my symptoms and vital signs; all testings and check ups in 2023 show a nil negative return! I have never taken any energy drinks, no electrolyte drinks and never any supplements of any kind! Regarding my diet, I am not called anything but probably close to vegetarian. 175cm tall and 60 kgs. My blood pressure is an average over the last year of 113/72 - I know, I take it every day! For those who take supplements, you would do well to question if they actually make a difference. If tests show some deficiencies, consider using them. Always consult your doctor first.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

Awesome! You are doing much better than most people your age (including my parents) and even many people much younger than you!

[@cyberfunk3793]

Your BMI and regular exercise explain the health, you are my height and I with what I consider close to optimal weight still weight about 10kg more than you. Depending on where they live, it's almost impossible to get enough d-vitamin from food and sun for many people. Also if one doesn't eat fish regularly, they might not get enough omega-3 which could show up as cognitive decline sooner, and no blood test will show those end results.

[@GameGamesGaming-tc8ur]

Eat more meat soy boy.

[@cyberfunk3793]

@@GameGamesGaming-tc8ur If his health is fine, why would he need to eat more meat?

[@michaelmallory5942]

Maybe give a little credit to your genes.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

I hope you make this a multi part series. There is so much that could be covered in and around this topic

[@Reutzel507]

Not really.

[@yesabhijith1]

True.

[@MegaMazenko]

Yes, please make it a series!! So much about supplements, the FDA, the laws, and the lawsuits around supplements

[@Clarity_of_Light]

​@@MegaMazenkolol. Supplements? It's a joke a non-issue if you look at how corrupt pharmaceutical industry is and how toxic some of their products actually are. Regulation doesn't have to mean much today, sadly. It's all about money.

[@LabGecko]

Supplement companies are pharmacies WITHOUT regulation. No joke there except you dismissing it.

[@1HeatWalk]

I started showing signs of getting a cold (light headedness, the chills, and a light cough) a few days ago. I immediately started taking a daily vitamin after dinner and drank more water. The next day I began to immediately feel better and in 3 days the symptoms are all gone and avoided a sore throat.

[@cheezheadz3928]

You had a mild illness. Feeling better in a few days had nothing to do with taking vitamins.

[@JSilb]

Okay KZbin armchair scientist. There are actual studies showing improvement of colds with zinc supplementation. Meanwhile, some doctors are still inappropriately prescribing antibiotics (which target bacteria ) for patients coming in with cold viruses. And of the ‘safe and effective’ medicine you get at the pharmacy you have oral phenylephrine that was sold for years as a nasal decongestant but turned out to be completely ineffective.

[@hannahandwadeaaron]

I give vitamins to my kids and I can see the difference when I don’t. They overcome illness faster and have less fevers and ear infections.

[@user-ti2ep2tm7k]

Placebo

[@Enthusiastichris]

Thanks Johnny, I truly appreciate this video, and all the research that you and your team has done. Definitely deserve my Subscription. I hope to see more value in your other videos man!

[@jacobcristofori8097]

I take Vitamin D3 every year during the winter months, I live in Michigan and I'm a big advocate for getting all my friends on it during the winter

[@miguelscosta]

It's what's in the video, it's something that we can test it, and normally most of us (at least here where I live a place that have a lot of sunlight hours) have vitamin D deficit, so it's something that should be supplemented.

[@emptyhad2571]

I just eat oranges during that time

[@rlud304]

@@emptyhad2571Oranges? haha why? We’re discussing Vitamin D.

[@Bvggerffpls]

Out of the vitamin supplements I've taken, vitamin D is the only one that's had a noticeable effect on my health. I think I must have been vitamin d deficient for most of my life till I started taking them

[@thisistotallyfine]

@@emptyhad2571 Bro getting vitamin C instead of vitamin D🧐

[@angrypotatoyt5622]

If you guys take supplements for deficiencies, buy Australian brands like Swisse or Blackmore, since the regulations in Australia are a lot stricter. Further, they go through routine testing by the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) to ensure the upmost quality.

[@themysticalgg]

Thank you for this!!!!

[@davidbrown4271]

Can I buy these in the states ?

[@old_grey_cat]

27:57 he says he willl put in the description some links to 3rd party sites which rate products, and the vid shows an example of one. Might help US users.

[@newmexicoballer3867]

He's saying all supplements are fake no matter which country

[@newmexicoballer3867]

​@@old_grey_catbecause he's getting a cut of what you will purchase 😅

[@traianivanescu24]

Thank you for this video. Also, thank you for the for the links in the description where we can check all kinds of supplements.

[@Spiderhog6]

It always shocks me to hear how the US Healthcare system, prescriptions, and supplements work. I work in pharmacy in Canada and all supplements require regulation and receive a NPN (Natural product number) similar to the DIN (Drug information number) that prescriptions use. This way people can look up what really is in a supplements or herbal products.

[@offensivearch]

That sounds like it gives people a false sense of security. Identifiying a substance by id number does nothing to verify its purity.

[@i_love_rescue_animals]

@@offensivearch Well, I don't know what the supplement regulations are in Canada - but this person also said their supplements are regulated, and that people can look up what is in the product. So, hopefully, they go through actual testing protocols.

[@SohiHien]

@@offensivearch It doesn't though. The number is a regulatory thing, to get that ID number they need to pass testing, ensuring they actually contain what they say they do in the amounts they claim and not anything else. Supplements here are made by specific companies or big brands like walmart and such. You don't get random people's supplements here.

[@corey2232]

You're in the same boat with supplements. Sounds like you have a false sense of security regarding how safe & useful they are. Look up what supplements are on your store shelves, then see those same things are available in the US & vice versa. Your label is the equivalent of the US's disclaimer label, only your's makes you believe it's been properly regulated.

[@jamessullenriot]

Why are Canadians so naive ? Because it has a DIN number that makes it more trusted and reliable? 😂😂 There is literally no competition for anything in Canada. There are 3 telco companies, 3 grocery stores, a handful of big chain stores, and only a handful of supplement companies. The DIN number is more of a way to keep competition out rather than to help "customer safety and supplement purity"

[@jesusdamian1874]

After the pandemic, I stopped playing rugby and got into weight lifting. I remember feeling amazing and enjoyably sore. Eventually I started taking 5 different supplements suggested to me by a GNC employee. Not even a week into taking the supplements: my chest hurt, I constantly felt bloated, and my heart rate was going off. I stopped taking caffeine and even checked the bottles to make sure there wasn’t any in there. None of them had caffeine, my vision even started going blurry from time to time. Stopped taking them and I’ve felt so much better. Stick to the whey and coffee!

[@brandongordon2521]

Because GNC supplements are not reliable. Plus nutritional supplements are potent and shouldn’t be mega dosed like many suggest.

[@hollyhansen7898]

you can go to a naturopath and they prescribe over the counter supplements with the wisdom of a doctor for you specically. They also have access to cheap powders that can do amazing things for your health. I buy brands that they sell in their store. They are often over the counter products by other companies but a naturopath has reviewed the product before it goes on their shelf. An important level of vetting. You will not find these cleaner supplements in a grocery store. They are still very inexpensive.

[@aminelahlou1272]

@@hollyhansen7898naturopaths are scammers just homeopaths or chiropractors

[@ulosen]

@@hollyhansen7898 Thats quackery

[@r3drift]

All you need is vitamins caffeine and maybe b12. Trust me. Protein shakes too. Nothing else is necessary

[@SyncJr]

Oh my god! Which ones had THC in them? That’s disgusting! WHICH ONES?

[@jagpreetsandhu5898]

😂

[@april_]

We’d like to know, so we can avoid them of course…

[@annacurransmotherofmeghanc1841]

@@jagpreetsandhu5898The worst offenders were the THC supplements, almost every brand had a measurable amount in them!!!🤯

[@transerobotfrog66613]

we must take all these samples, for storage and safety of course, not to get high of course 🍃🌱

[@soheilsh552]

Johnny! You're realky making useful videos. Thank you

[@adamblackman6660]

The FDA’s stamp does little to make me feel safe either way. The amount of ex-drug company lobbyists that end up working for federal branches such as the FDA is terrifying. It would be great to see a deep dive into this, as it truly a huge part of the scam we all endure in our illusion of a free and democratic society.

[@CaptainDCap]

You should be more worried about people that used to work in federal branches going into corporate jobs after 'retirement'. That's the people that ruin civilizations.

[@TylerAnderson-xl6hb]

Exactly. The FDA is bought and paid for.

[@Clarity_of_Light]

Yeah but he most likely is sponsored by pharmaceutical industry which does exactly this so he most likely won't. If he will make a video about pharma, pharmaceuticals etc and their corruption, I would be all over the video and give it thumbs up! 😃🤭

[@john38825]

Yeah I remember cases with the opioid giants and they would get people in FDA while simultaneously working for the drug company. Obviously a big red flag in hindsight, I forgot if it was hidden or on paper it wasn't but I also remember they weren't really hiding it either.

[@navin750]

Yup, you need FDA run by someone with no history in Drug industry, like Trump appointing a real estate guy who hadnt taken biology since high school

[@lukassubstanzentanz3053]

Hey Johnny, i'm a fan from germany and i just wanted to say something about Kratom. Is agree that it's probably better for people who aren't addicted to opioids to not take it. But i see huge potential (at least in the US) for using it as a Substitute for Heroin or Fentanyl. I was addicted to heroin for two years and i got off it with the help of methadone and buprenorphine, which is made really easily available for addicts here in germany. But inf i were living in the US at that time, i coulda never afforded to get treated with substitutes and i'd be dead for SURE. It's really sad that the US government doesnt help it's addicts properly, i literally can't imagine how hard it must be to get clean in the US. My heart goes out to all of you ❤

[@PsychOsmosis]

Kratom got me addicted to opioids in the first place, then I switched to heroin. Now I'm on a substitution treatment with controlled-release morphine. So yeah, double-edged sword with Kratom, to say the least.

[@lukassubstanzentanz3053]

@@PsychOsmosis I know man, i'm just imagining living on the street and having no money for any substitutes or treatments then a first step could maybe just be to switch to kratom. I never tried it but i heard from some people that it's technically possible, but of course because of the short duration of the effect it's not the best substitute. I would really just see it as a first step to tapering off or smth like that.

[@creepinasicrawl]

I was an alcoholic and kratom helped me kick the crutch but in turn I believe I'm addicted to kratom now. Traded one addiction for another but at least I don't have hang overs. Also I feel it helps me with work for I have a physical job, gives me energy, it's like my morning coffee.

[@Greyalien587]

I quit opiates with Kratom. Now I use krstom recreationally if I want a lil bit of that junkie feeling. I love it. Switched alcohol Xanax and oxys to marijuana and Kratom.

[@surfcat2051]

​@@Greyalien587that's progress, now replace kratom and weed with a good diet and exercise and you are good to go. Congrats on your move in a better direction.

[@austincromwell]

You omitted to mention that the tryptophan that caused a rare fatal disorder in 38 people was in fact contaminated. That's a key piece of relevant information.

[@WeighedWilson]

That would dilute his narrative.

[@Glamwraith66]

He talks about it at the 18 minute mark. It’s always good to finish a video before commenting :)

[@austincromwell]

​@@Glamwraith66yes but at 6.29 where it's first mentioned, the contamination of the supplement in question is not mentioned and if people like me who expect information to be presented in sequence, we don't expect a "oh and by the way, you know the association I've now formed in your mind between l-tryptophan and danger, well, turns out it wasn't because of the l-tryptophan", 10+ minutes later in the video. Strange format to use if your agenda is not to cast doubt on generally recognised as safe legislation that the FDA applies to supplements.

[@Glamwraith66]

I guess I saw it more as a cliffhanger, when he presented it like that I didn't automatically assume it was the substance itself that was the culprit, I thought maybe it had something to do with manufacturing process or the drug being marketed and misrepresented in a way so that a vulnerable portion of the population consumed it incorrectly. Everyone's minds jump to different conclusions I suppose...which is why its always good to finish the video or look things up yourself so you have a second source. @@austincromwell

[@user-bh8ug1vc3k]

Thank you for the video! It was seriously eye opening and scary 😅

[@Mancer666]

Also a good idea when buying supplements, always make sure it is USP or NSF certified to make sure these companies aren't just putting in less or more of what they say they are. USP and NSF are third parties that test and verify what is in each supplement.

[@enalo6261]

Thanks,didn't know that.Always wondered why it says USP certified on the bottle.

[@1Esteband]

USP and NSF are no better than those organic, fare trade, ethical treatment labels, it is a broken system with warped incentives where the revenue model is making money from selling the labels.

[@IDontFeelNun]

Everything is about profits.Trust no one. If you want to experiment on yourself, go ahead. It’s the only true way to know if something is bad for you. Everyone’s genetic disposition is different. Meaning not every substance affects every person the same. There are people that drink non decaf coffee before bed lmao. We are not all built the same.

[@brianlam9429]

Or get supplements made in Canada or EU that are regulated ?

[@DesertJoshB]

@@brianlam9429likely wouldn’t work. Companies will send vetted products to those territories but maintain loose standards in the U.S. to maintain their profit margin.

[@thechocablockman]

Definitely not getting THC in CBD in Ireland. Lord knows I would love it to be the case.

[@LannasMissingLink]

Tbh I dont think any of this video relates to us. The EU is super regulated and strict

[@ardianha5346]

​@@LannasMissingLink i just did 1min research and in fact they handle it the same as usa..

[@Clarity_of_Light]

The small amount of THC found in some legal hemp products is very small and it's psychoactive effects are counteracted by the cbd cause it has antagonist properties on cb1. This video has some misinformation. About cbd, tryptophan, kratom etc. As its very manipulative and says basically everything we can and should say about pharmaceutical industry which is a lot wider and a real issue in some countries, especially the US. But he most likely is sponsored by pharmaceutical industry and they would tell soo many lies about supplements just to win back more costumers. It's all about $$$.

[@Giatros89]

Doritos are not food. One easy trick that helped me with my health was to start calling ultra processed stuff "taste hacking chemicals" and not food. Now I only eat food and sometimes I might take some "taste hacking chemicals" but changing the label/category helped a lot for me.

[@bhold]

JH has a thing for Doritos, kind of a running joke (and I wonder if he has sponsorship from them, too). He did a video on MSG where he starts out talking about his love for Doritos.

[@harshitadhiman5647]

Hi johnny really liked video, thankyou so much. can you make similar video on protein shakes and powder industry as well

[@jhamby8773]

Do a part two highlighting companies that ARE doing it right so we can support them!

[@mycelia_ow]

Here's one: nootropicsdepot, they put a lot of resources into their own in-house lab testing and ensuring consumer safety and quality.

[@Chazzmatazz]

Don't expect them to do this. More clicks for outrage.

[@zaq_hack4987]

@@Chazzmatazz You don't watch this channel much, do you? lol ... there are a lot of non-outrage pieces, here.

[@Chazzmatazz]

@@zaq_hack4987 I'm very familiar with Johnny H. He mostly does good work, but this is kind of low hanging fruit and paints supplements with an overly broad brush, disregarding much of the exciting research being done in the health optimization and longevity spaces utilizing supplements. Drs Andrew Huberman and Peter Atilla could provide a useful counterpoint.

[@Jehty21]

I would much rather have the names of the companies that do put steroids in the supplements. And where I can buy them.

[@cjwhite7801]

Great video but the body doesn’t produce vitamin c at all

[@icedirt9658]

While we are talking about drug scheduling; weed is scheduled wrong. Factually. It’s in the same schedule that says “no medical use”. There’s plenty of evidence that it had medical use. Not allowing proper studies means something that would be child’s play to prove, cannot be proven. Drug scheduling is a topic that needs to be talked about more.

[@malissagottman3800]

Great video! That was seriously eye opening for me and made me realize how gullible I have been. I think the reason why supplements are so popular in the US, is because we want a quick fix or easier route. I was blown away when you started talking about Lions Mane because I had a bad reaction after I took some. I had no clue!

[@coviox]

I think it’s important to say that even of the 7 kratom deaths not including other drugs, none of them have occurred due to pure leaf kratom, it’s people taking massive doses of extracts, which can be 50x strength sometimes. Many people use kratom leaf every day for years to combat opiate addiction, anxiety, depression etc, without ever needing to increase their dose or suffer any non manageable side effects. You could do a whole video on it, it would probably do well even though there are a lot out there already.

[@flowercabinet]

WORD

[@ericwinterhalt8433]

I took it everyday. Saved my life. Don't like when people talk shit better than popping pills that could kill you.been kratom free and that for years now. It's a tool not something you should take forever

[@EviloveMetal]

more people die from H20 overdose each year

[@jhonka]

This may all be true, but as a drug, I would trust the FDA to regulate and approve of this. Not a youtube commenter, or blog post, or paid advertisement, or industry plant, or confused consumer.

[@UIG0KU]

Preach!

[@theunlicenseddoctor]

Vitamin C cannot be produced by our body, I vaguely remember reading that we still might have a gene for it but it is inactive. Also supplements are so different in both quality and combination. It is also important to note that modern food production might alter the amount of vitamins/nutrients we are getting due to the way it is farmed.

[@BeachWolf1979]

A big fan of the channel… you could tilt your main camera (head-on camera) ever so slightly, the vertical lines stay vertical… it is a bit distractive… thanks for the great content… 😉

[@donswank6920]

Glucosamine and niacinamide both give me relief from joint-discomfort symptoms.

[@ungerwhere.]

Whats that old saying, "Let you food be your medicine and your medicine be your food." I like that. Such a tough topic to dive into. Great job.

[@plonkerdo0d117]

The production value is higher than ever! Keep up the good work

[@Kikidoyouloveme-ki8ys]

I would love more of this! The Melatonin and CBD Hype and what it does to people cause it’s called harmless

[@MrPAULONEAL]

Taking melatonin is like taking testosterone.

[@Thebeastisabeauty]

CBD does nothing but help seizures

[@april_]

Giving melatonin to kids is crazy to me… I imagine so many parents can easily abuse this without much concern from others, kid won’t behave and go to bed on time? Just give ‘em this tasty gummy candy, maybe a few, and they’ll go right to sleep… this can’t be healthy

[@doublagoyyogalbuod1788]

Can’t believe lion’s mane can be so bad for you, I tried it out for a couple of weeks to see if it would help out with college & definitely experienced a decent level of an increased heart rate as well as frequent headaches & panic attacks (likely related to the increased heart rate & headaches). I did some research into it & found that some people may experience allergic reactions while on it so I chalked it up to that but I’m not so sure anymore.

[@niikurasu2855]

Took it for a week and it has turned my life upside down. I have been getting unbearable panic attacks and anxiety.

[@padhatam]

As a physician I've been reading these meta analyses for several years and trying to inform patients about the lack of regulations on supplements but even my family members continue to buy buckets of random stuff on Amazon mostly made in china or Mexico. Regulation might be really positive for the industry actually because then I could actually recommend the supplements which work or are at least verified to have the ingredients listed on the bottle. I still recommend melatonin and vitamins for people who need them but it's really unsettling to know that some of what patients are purchasing don't even have what's listed on the label. As a side note I saw Johnny and his family going to the Natural History Museum few weeks ago in DC and it felt like a celebrity sighting to me but I don't think anyone else even noticed 😂

[@RaulEdu33]

I think amazon is making a decent job taking off supplements from their website and refunding people. However, nothing happens unless someone sends the supplement to a certified lab and files a claim regarding mislabeled ingredients. 😅

[@audreydoyle5268]

In Australia, we have pharmaceutical grade melatonin. So I get mine prescribed rather than OTC. I've tried melatonin OTC in drop form, in lavender peppermint tea, and it just doesn't work as well as a quarter of my 2mg melatonin tablets (noticed the full tablet was most likely too much, so I cut it with my embroidery scissors). I take that with Mirtazapine every other night (again quarter of the tab, this time 15mg) to ensure I don't build a tolerance so the sedative effect still works. Sucks though, can't get a good night's sleep without something to knock me out. I heard magnesium helps a little too, so I put on body lotion with aloe and Mg, and take a reputable brand of combined Mg, Vitamin D and Ca. Maybe if some of your patients can afford it, they could bulk buy from Aus. On that matter, also suggest they buy sunscreen from here too. Our sunscreen must hold up to highly scrutinising standards, due to over 60% of the population acquiring skin cancer at some point. Plus, the cost of shipping would be outweighed by the reliability of the products, as well as most likely totalling the same cost as buying from a dodgy chemist.

[@Dillbeet]

Recommending melatonin in the same sentence as vitamins should be a crime. 4 of my peers have severely fkd themselves up by using melatonin “as needed” and as recommended by their doctor. At the very least, state that melatonin is to be used for very few days with big time spans in between uses (which is less frequent than “as needed”) anything longer creates a severe dependency on melatonin and hinders all bodily function. I have experienced this myself. It is not fun. I can’t believe the title physician was even put in that comment 💀

[@padhatam]

@@Dillbeet I don't understand why people on the internet feel the need to be so aggressively combative but anyway I've used melatonin myself off and on for years since I work lots of nights and weekends and I have never found it to be addictive but as has been pointed out by myself and this video, it's a product in an industry which needs more regulation.

[@padhatam]

@@audreydoyle5268 really interesting to hear Australia has access to high quality melatonin. As someone who works lots of night shifts I just moved to taking Benadryl which has been far more reliable for me.

[@nathansharma87]

This explains why Joe Rogan is so passionate about vitamins

[@tedjones-ho2zk]

Would love to see Joe Rogan and Johnny Harris in a cage match, one that takes supplements and one who dosen't. I bet Joe Rogan would win.

[@miguelscosta]

@@tedjones-ho2zk, and that would answer nothing. :D

[@mrnotasobvious148]

Fantastic video, didn’t know about any of this. Thank you!

[@rickyfitness252]

You still don't? You probably know less now actually

[@Boostiverse]

I think the real issue is that they don’t disclose on the bottle enough that it can be dangerous and stuff, the FDA should just enforce better labeling

[@JamesGames-ck7yc]

Thank you Johnny and the team! Even though you do journalism and the purpose itself is informing people, for me it is also a calming week happening when you release a video, So thank you I really needed this today🙏

[@Clarity_of_Light]

But there is misinformation and fear mongering in this video. People dont die from only natural kratom(those who died all had other substances in their body, a lot of sedatives don't show up on screenings) or tryptophan. Nor are the pharmaceuticals that get regulated safe all the time, they actually cause a lot more harm and issues than supplements. Also the small amount of THC in cbd hemp doesn't get you high, it has more of medicinal effects as cbd is an cb1 antagonist and changes the effects of the small amount thc a lot.

[@Three_Random_Words]

He sure does get a lot of negative posts, maybe 70% from the Right. He's a Left leaning moderate. Some of the crap he receives is for being an ex-mormon - some of it from current mormons and more crap from Christians who are too paranoid to trust even an ex, grasping here. I can't stand the Far Left or F.Right, a bunch of chuckleheads. I'm a right leaning Radical Centrist, I recently discovered RC is a real thing on wikipedia, I was half joking before.

[@KingNekro]

The thing with Kratom is, yeah it can be addictive, and they should probably be required to put that on the label, but the fact is it is FAR less dangerous and addictive than real opioids. And the way it works in the brain is beneficial to help true opioid addicts break free. It has helped a ton of people get off of hardcore opioids like Heroin and Fentanyl, because it mostly cancels out the effects of Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. So it allows people to get off the hardcore stuff without going through hell to do it, and I guarantee it's saved WAY more lives than it's ended(especially when you consider that it's extremely hard to OD on by itself). It also can extremely effective for chronic pain relief, anxiety, ADD, and other ailments. And the drugs that Doctors prescribe for these conditions(opioid pills, benzo's, amphetamines) are significantly more addictive and harmful than the kratom itself. I don't think a real argument can be made against it. The FDA only wants it gone because it's cutting into big Pharma's wallets. It definitely does less harm than good and helps so many people live a more normal life without relying on hardcore opioids or their Dr pushing them pills.

[@jamesdeininger3759]

100% agree - I’ve basically given up alcohol and Adderall because of Kratom. It’s a wonderful supplement with basically zero downside.

[@CH-fp6gj]

Thank you. This is the comment I was looking for, said it better than I could have. It really is a life saver for many people and there is so much misinformation about it as it is a threat to big pharma as you said.

[@Blex_040]

Agree! Ironically while watching this video I was taking Kratom 😂 It helped me to quit cigarettes and alcohol completely and it also helps me to keep a healthy weight. Though where I have to agree with the video is that it's a prime candidate for companies to punch and contaminate it with other harmful stuff for more profit because it's hard to tell for consumers what effects pure Kratom has and most consumers are dependent on it for treating some other symptoms.

[@lunargorp]

@@Blex_040yes thank you - it’s the contamination potential that could/should have been the focus of any real mention of kratom

[@GwynneDear]

I took kratom for about 6 weeks, maybe once or twice a week. I had just stopped breastfeeding and I was a stay at home mom, so I wasn’t trying to party, I just wanted something to help me relax on occasion. A bunch of my family takes it and recommended it since it was natural. After 6 weeks of very light use, it gave me acute liver failure. One day I was fine, the next day I was itchy all over and my urine was the color of cola. I went to my doctor and suggested it was my liver since I hit the old webMD and looked up my symptoms. She said there was no way, she had just run labs on me three months earlier and I was perfectly healthy. She ran blood tests again just to be sure and told me to stay off webMD. That was on a Thursday, on Monday morning she called me at 6 am and told me to go to the emergency room immediately because my liver was shutting down. She had gotten the results on the Friday before and didn’t believe them because my liver enzymes were off the charts and she thought it had to be a mistake and had them run it again. In the ER they gave me fluids and asked about my Tylenol and ibuprofen use as those are the usual suspects, but I hardly ever take either. They gave me an ultrasound and my pancreas was fine. It was 6 hours before it dawned on me that the kratom was the only thing that I had been doing differently. I looked it up and acute liver failure is one of the side effects. From my experience, no kratom is not harmless. Yes it can have many benefits but as with any drug, it has side effects that are potentially fatal, and I just don’t think it should be sold at any gas station without some kind of regulation. Alcohol has to clearly state its potency and health risks on the label in most states. Kratom is a drug not a supplement and should be treated as such.

[@paularivadeneira8153]

This should be viral! Thank you for the information

[@hi.genevieve]

this is such a great video. i wish that there could have been some information put in about the companies who are going to rough rigorous third-party testing in order to build trust with consumers. if people are interested in supplements, there are many companies who provide transparency, collaborate with trust testing facilities and trustworthy scientists. it’s so hard to find the solid companies within such a dishonest industry, but they are there! there are also retailers that can be more trusted to vet and ensure that the products that go on their shelves are actually safe. it will cost more for people to choose quality brands from quality retailers due to the cost of third-party testing (and possible non-gmo and organic certifications too), but the quality assurance is worth it.

[@rhylynadams7842]

I LOVED THE VIDEO FIRST TIME VIEWER WHO'S NOW A FOREVER SUBSCRIBER thank you so much for exposing these issues and how they can be fixed so easily. I wish more people thought as clearly as you my friend, have a great day!

[@KyleHM09]

You and your team are the best. Thank you so much for covering the kinds of topics that really affect all of us.

[@phobowl]

Thank you for this video. As a physician is so difficult to explain to people how unregulated thjs industry is. It’s impossible for one pill to help with “mental clarity/ sleep/ immunity/ digestion” etc all at the same time.

[@crowdsurf]

One pill yes but one plant no

[@SensiProductionzBlindDogVideos]

Kratom used to have a lot of issues until triple lab testing started. I can track my batches specific lab test. Back 10 years ago, it was coming directly from Indonesia, with no testing. If you ask for a test, they gave fake test paperwork written in a different language, from a fake college. It was crazy. Nowadays it's regulated and on a more grand level than even vitamins. (Depending on who you go to) Just gotta be careful is all. Fyi... The kratom helps with epilepsy and a broken back, and hypoglycemia, easy choice, instead of taking 3 different medications. 🎄Merry Christmas🎄

[@mk71618]

Regulated? What country are you in?

[@charlenewilliams8131]

It has helped me a lot with DDD and arthritis. Only problem is I'm wondering about my hair loss...not sure from that, eating carnivore, or menopause or all of the above. 😂

[@BillAnt]

I've been using pure kratom powder mixed in almond milk a couple of times a day since 2015, no issues, no seizures. It makes me feel normal, less pain from fibromyalgia, it lets me get out of bed and go to work every day. The great thing about kratom is that if anyone wants to abuse it by taking large doses, it just makes them feel nauseous, it's basically self regulating. A couple of grams a day of powder is all that's needed.

[@Thebeastisabeauty]

It's also as hard to quit as opiods/ good luck getting off it! Everything u said is also false about Kratom. They don't help Any of those conditions. Kratom causes liver and other organ damage. Do your research ❤i take it and im not even dumb enough to preach the so called positives. It's great for energy- bad for everything else in your body. Skin hair and especially liver

[@Thebeastisabeauty]

@@charlenewilliams8131ur hair loss is from Kratom. It's not good for you

[@SohiHien]

Supplements in Canada is so different! You typically can get multivitamins from a few specific brands or individual supplements (like D3, B 12 etc) by those same brands. There are very few one off supplement brands with weird mixes here. Things are more regulated, all medical and non-medical ingredients are listed on the bottles along with medical advice for their use and reasons you should not take them (if you are pregnant etc). They all have a NPN number which is issued by health canada, they assess the product before it can be sold.

[@fuffthebucks7266]

When are people gonna figure out that this dude actually has no clue what he is talking about but is just really good at editing videos

[@amermeleitor]

My girlfriend from years ago stop taking her fat burner supplement because it was "too strong" giving her problems like tachycardia and restlessness. I take the rest of pills, one at day in the mornings, before workout. Woooow... The amounts of energy were crazy and that thing affected me psychological too. I was on another level. Months after that the government of my country retired the product from the market and prohibited sales because it contained amphetamines like speed and others. 😮

[@leandros7662]

Sounds like the first gen. hydroxycut. I was 18 when I tried it. Didn’t really drink coffee back then. So imagine when I tried hydroxycut. I was literally awake for over 24hours!

[@eholm101]

Amphetamines, ya.. that’ll work for energy haha

[@waltch5711]

the ultimate Mike Mentzer pre workout

[@geraldfriend256]

@@waltch5711yep. Serge Nubret as well.

[@Clarity_of_Light]

Well amphetamines get thrown on the kids by pharmaceutical industry and governments today so... It's crappy I find it very bad with a lot of side effects, wouldn't even want it for free rx'd. For energy, natural things are a lot healthier. Ginseng, gynostemma etc.

[@emilyhennessey8294]

Meanwhile when I was pregnant my doctor insisted I had a prescription vitamin so I wasn’t buying one with unknown ingredients and I had no idea what she was talking about mind blown. I guess she was right.

[@MsMargottM]

14:58 correction: Vitamins - by definition - are things our bodies need but cannot produce or at least cannot synthesize in sufficient quantity and therefore MUST be consumed as/in foods. There are 13 vitamins for humans, 11 of which we cannot produce at all. We can produce Vitamin D and Vitamin B3 (Niacin) from certain building blocks that we must eat, but we still cannot produce enough to not need to also eat it. That’s literally the definition of a vitamin. So you shouldn’t say “some people can’t produce enough of certain vitamins” because none of us can. Deficiencies rather come from this: Some of us either don’t consume enough of certain vitamins, or we have some malabsorption issues or a higher need than normal (for example folic acid in pregnancy)

[@CosmoRyan]

I am admitedly a supplement addict. I like to browse the latest health studies, especially well-designed clinical trials. If they show generally good health results (creatine, appropriately-dosed-zinc, fish oil,), I generally find reputable supplement company that produces it, and then check for independent testing results by groups such as consumer lab that spot checks safety and accuracy of the contents such as heavy metals or mislabled doses. If all is good, I order it straight from the manufacter's website to my doorstep. I think it's a pretty straightforward process. As far as bacterial and fungal contamination, we take the same risk when we eat our food everday, which often shares the same lack of oversight. I take many supplements to provide myself with a large variety of minerals and nutrients (in safe dosages) that would be very difficult to provide myself with via diet alone. I've seen considerable improvement in some of my biomarkers from supplementation. Just like anything else, supplements are only as good as the ability of the person taking them to analyze the benefit of taking them.

[@Samanthax1221]

cosmo i may go through iherb or bigvits sometimes, is that a bad idea?, you smart you have a good process of getting good stuff, what particular supplements do you like most, i think some of the best are magnesium, vitamin c, b3, vitd3,k2, and others i could list, anyway you smart not buying off ebay amazon ect i as i think fake product on those outlets is rife, only go direct, then again i may go through iherb or bigvits sometimes, is that a bad idea? idk at the moment but life extension doesnt sell direct only via bigvits and iherb,

[@curmudgeon1933]

Wealthy CEO's and shareholders of supplement companies thank you for your gullibility.

[@offensivearch]

​@@curmudgeon1933 Most people that use supplements have plenty of disposable income. If your so smart (not "gullible"), why are you poor?

[@ItCantRainForever2]

I'm broke as hell but best believe I'll make a way to get mine cuz I do research and I don't buy just any supplements out there.

[@mith_ras8279]

​@curmudgeon1933 you keep on being a sheep to big pharma then :) I'll stick with my Lions mane, as it helps far more

[@Infoseek777]

When I was in basic training, we lost an 18 year old who died of a heart attack while on a run….he was taking fat burner pills sold at gnc:/

[@zephyrwinkle6552]

That can happen but there seems to be this experimental injection that a bunch of ppl went out and got that is causeing heart attacks in all age groups.

[@jamesslate6664]

Several years ago, I experienced an extended period of insomnia, and I made the mistake of self-medicating with valerian root capsules. I had done the research into this, and every article I read said that there were no side effects like sleeping pills, which made it very appealing. I purchased the valerian root through a large nationwide natural foods store chain. It was their house brand of supplements, which means it was manufactured by an unspecified third party company. As I learned after the fact, valerian root is only intended to be taken occasionally and not for chronic sleeplessness. Taken sporadically, there wouldn't be any side effects. However, when I was taking two capsules every night, it built up in my system which led to the loss of muscle control. It's a powerful muscle relaxant. It took more than a year to recover form my self-imposed illness. What I learned from that experience was that just because a product is sold as "all natural" doesn't mean that it's safe to use. I never did find any reports of similar problems with valerian root. My experience might be rare, but it should serve as a warning to anyone considering this supplement.

[@user-xx2qb4hw2z]

I took Genius Mushrooms during college and felt they worked, made a difference. That’s crazy you brought them up. The months I didn’t buy or take them, I could tell the difference and when I switched to a cheaper brand, they did nothing so I like the Genius Brand but their pricy. AFTER watching PBS documentary and your video…now I’m not so sure about taking vitamins anymore, I’ll definitely cut back and eliminate them.

[@OrigamiMarie]

I take individual vitamins to address specific issues. The most interesting one so far is vitamin B5 / pantothenic acid, which fixes the skin cracks at the corners of my fingernails, especially in the winter. I used to take multivitamins, but I don't anymore. The extra calcium and vitamin D were messing with my tinnitus.

[@relaxation-Corner]

Wow vitamen D causes tinnitus? Maybe that's why I got it while sick because I was taking supplements

[@nameismetatoo4591]

I've been addicted to kratom for 7 years. It is not something anyone should try recreationally, but it does have a place in helping opiate addicts quit the hard stuff. That said, the withdrawals are terrible. Physically they are like a mild opiate withdrawal, but the psychological symptoms last for months (sometimes years). I think it's so hard to quit because it doesn't destroy your life like heroin does. It has most definitely affected my motivation and happiness, and I hope I can finally quit the stuff by the end of the year. Despite this, I think it should be legal, but regulated just like tobacco or cannabis. People are going to abuse it anyway, might as well make sure it's not contaminated.

[@dpicks24]

Never had any problems with kratom, including wd's. It shocks me when people say they get wd's from it.

[@adoferris4972]

Never had any problems with kratom myself and no withdraws. I guess it depends on the person but i took it for a while off and on to help with my opiate addiction and it not only saved my life but it saved many other lifes. it also got me off alcohol, cigs, and weed. The stuff was a life saver

[@Clarity_of_Light]

Never experienced this. You either abused it or got a bad product which was laced with real opioids or some adulterated extracts from it which are different compared to the regular leaf which contains opioid antagonists. Don't abuse kratom. Don't abuse anything actually. I find antidepressants a lot worse and more addictive than kratom, antidepressants are a lot worse for your libido aswell.

[@davidbrown4271]

Get off it

[@j0j0kay]

@@dpicks24 i've done 25 grams per dose, twice per day for 3 years. The wd is crazy.

[@samik83]

Vitamin D deficiency is actually pretty prevalent, specially if you live in a cold climate and don't get a lot of sun. Some stats below. Pretty much the only supplement I take since it really is essential for you and fight off infections. United States, 47% of African American infants and 56% of Caucasian infants have vitamin D deficiency, while over 90% of infants in Iran, Turkey, and India have vitamin D deficiency. In the adult population, 35% of adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient whereas over 80% of adults in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are Vitamin D deficient. In the United States, 61% of the elderly population is vitamin D deficient whereas 90% in Turkey, 96% in India, 72% in Pakistan, and 67% in Iran were vitamin D

[@itsmegolan]

Yes! Even in tropical climates like Indonesia, where the sun shines year-round, there is still a prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, as many people actively avoid sunlight and spend much of their time indoors.

[@richardramfire3971]

Your videos are next level. This one is especially important as well.

[@FirstLast-vr7es]

I use Kratom daily, and I believe that it should remain legal. It does in fact work, and quite well at that. That said, it can ABSOLUTELY be habit forming. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise. It needs to be purchased from a reputable vendor, and it needs to be treated as the medicine that it is. In order for any sort of "free-market" to work, the public MUST be informed. If things are done behind our backs, then that's not a free market at all.

[@jeffgo5742]

I agree with you 100%. If cigarettes and alcohol is legal there is no reason why Kratom shouldn’t be

[@jgp6574]

what does it do

[@mycelia_ow]

It's not medicine either, it's more akin to coffee it's even related to the coffee/chocolate trees. Kratom trees produce bean pods too but only the leaves have what you want. Its pain relief is hit or miss, it won't keep working forever in my testing. It has more recreational value, but forming a habit with it has the same downsides as cannabis overuse. Should tell you something when it's still legal despite the FDA trying to prohibit it for over ten years now.

[@TheKrilliys]

@@jgp6574depends on a dose. It can just wake you up a bit, or make you feel something between weed and mdma

[@edgzta]

Red strain Kratom helped me quit Oxycodone. I have always suffered from chronic back pain, but after my spinal-fusion surgery I did not need to take it anymore.

[@stefanmaciolek6540]

LOL I've been seeing tons of youtube ads for that green powder stuff, props to you for calling them out and not just shilling whatever sketchy company offers you money

[@zainy2325]

I'm a strong advocate for this one. My experience with vitamins have been so weird. I remember I would literally take Zinc and Magnesium to go to sleep and clear my acne. I took it long term and I noticed I started feeling dizzy a lot and nauseous. It was odd especially for someone like me for feeling that way for a long time. I went to doctors and they couldn't figure it out and found out how strange it was that I was having low bp than normal but my heart rate was normal. I asked God for a sign, and i ran out of zinc one day and never really bothered to go to the store to buy it. Next thing you know i felt bette that day and not dizzy and lightheaded.

[@blauilum]

I’ve been taking Omega 3 supplements for a year, and they have actually helped me get my cholesterol levels back to normal. It was not a dietary problem, it’s generic. My brother who is an athlete also has cholesterol problems even though he trains 5 times a week and eats very carefully😅.

[@Alovar13]

That is great, but I guess you'll agree, no one reading your comment should take it as factual and bring it to a personal situation that may require a completely different approach.

[@ArmandHofmeyr]

Tos is true.. if you take in to much omega-6 in food you wil have to take Omega-3

[@VVayVVard]

If it can be fixed with supplements then clearly the problem is dietary. I.e. you could equally fix it with dietary changes. Also you probably meant 'genetic'.

[@timzeiske7712]

Ok I really like your videos but I just really need to point out a very misleading part of the video: L Tryptophan is a natural amino acid (it's not a suppleent made of amino acids, it IS an amino acid) that is both essential for the human body and found in almost all natural foods (it's a natural component of proteins). Nothing is wrong with taking Tryptophan, the problem back in the day was that a company sold CONTAMINATED tryptophan supplements, which is a problem but the problem isn't tryptophan.

[@dropas10]

agree

[@jordanfarr3157]

Minute 1: "28% of supplements have anabolic steroids" Minute 2: "Unintentional Doping" Minute 3: "I'm working out now... I'm kinda buff." 😂😂😂

[@Valoric]

28% of all supplements? Wouldn’t that be all workout supplements? Like does my only Whey protein have juice?

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

@@Valoric I seriously doubt whey protein would have steroids in it, but who knows, lol.

[@MinusMOD98]

Thought he was about to plug AG1, but no. It was a personal trainer service, which is better.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

@@MinusMOD98 AG1 is what he was talking about at the beginning of the video which he used to be sponsored by occasionally (like many other KZbinrs). That crap sounds nasty and unnecessary to me, though.

[@senorpepper3405]

​@@MatthewTheWandererI'd take it if it wasn't 90 bucks a month😂

[@roshaw87]

I've never been convinced of the efficacy of supplements but I'm just over a minute in and your telling me I've been missing out on anabolic steroids and getting high on thc.

[@andrewglagau8685]

I have been in the Healthy Diet & Bodybuilding industry for well over 50 years and I agree there are scams out there but also believe there are some good people in the industry of supplements. It's those I trust and benefit from. With many supplements I do take I actually create my own. I purchase powders and make my own capsules but only for my own use. I also like to use some of my own supplements to make into liquid form to drink. With combining natural plant supplements together to make a good one shot per day mixture. My own liquid plant supplement does me well as a 65 year old bodybuilder who ( by using his supplements ) have been tested for testosterone levels and I'm much higher than normal. Having knowledge of what you're taking before consuming is better than finding out you didn't need it after all. Many times I grow, dehydrate, powder & capsulate my own supplements. I use strict measures to make sure there's no contamination of any kind. Not even touched by human hands.

[@gearedguardian]

I'd be interested in seeing how other countries approach this. Do they have regulatory bodies that do regulate supplements?

[@ashmouse]

In South Africa, our supplements are regulated under SAHPRA, as a supplementary medication

[@griffmonster9504]

in Australia they are regulatord by TGA for safety and quality

[@tony_5156]

@@griffmonster9504Aussie w

[@Greyalien587]

Idk but in Europe it’s not this big..we have it of course but I don’t know anybody my age who takes it ( 20-30)

[@ChristianYoga]

In Indonesia, every food, drugs, cosmetic, supplement are regulated by BPOM. They regularly checking anything on market (both online and offline), even doing secret checks on local phamacy or small shop together with police. So far, the most common dangerous stuff are either supplement for enchancing sexual drive or cosmetic illegally sold online via Instagram or TikTok Shop.

[@user-se4dz1hj5y]

I would love to see a video regarding gas station disposal vapes. I’ve head they have a similar lack of regulation. The market produces up to 2 billion in annual sales. Almost seems like a 90s supplement problem that won’t be realized before it’s too late… thanks for what you do Johnny❤

[@jungleno4151]

All vapes contain propylene glycol which is really not a chemical you want to inhale.

[@nitram3473]

Hey - Very informative Video! Do you also know about the regulations in Europe? Is it any different there?

[@chasehughesofficial]

How does a study actually show that something can't prevent something someone doesn't have yet?

[@spoonsandspades]

I would love to know if this is the case outside of the USA too. I live in the UK but I know standards of production regulation vary massively depending on which nation you live in.

[@MarcAngeloCoppola]

Amazing how much ground you cover with your channel and team Keep it up and thanks for continuing to make amazing content

[@claraeq]

Tiny correccion: you can't say a person doesn't produce enough of a certain vitamin, because none of us produce any vitamins at all. Vitamins are by definition "chemical substances that the body needs but can't produce on its own and must come from outside". Most of it through food, vitamin D through sunlight. That's why there are a variety of classes of chemical compounds that can be vitamins, some a proteins, some are acids, some are amines, etc.... Because the definition isn't chemical, it's simply "what we lack". That said, you're right, the vast majority of people can easily replenish their needed supply of vitamins by just eating food and getting some sun. If not for a specific health condition or a particularly bad diet, in most cases we just don't need anything extra at all. Anyway, very interesting video! 😊