Suppliments

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Melatonin for sleep, collagen type II for arthritis (unsure if the latter does anything at all, but can't hurt to try).
 
BuckeyeLove said:
The magnesium deficiency thing for most is legit actually a real thing apparently.
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For most? I thought the number was in the singe digits for hypomagnesaemia? Are we talking about some subclinical manifestations? Also, be careful if you have renal dysfunction.
 
BuckeyeLove said:
The magnesium deficiency thing for most is legit actually a real thing apparently.
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I, too, would like clarification on what that means. Seems like the etiological data is very correlational and few well-controlled studies showing efficacy. For example, no effect on mood disorders:
 
DynamicDidactic said:
I, too, would like clarification on what that means. Seems like the etiological data is very correlational and few well-controlled studies showing efficacy. For example, no effect on mood disorders:
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I've only ever really seen it used to supplement deficiencies in my elderly patients, and even then many complain that the supplements give them diarrhea.
 
None here, unless you count coffee and the occasional cookie.

The various things taken by gym folks I've known over the years have scared me off most supplements. I know the pre-workout industry is its own extreme example and world, but still. Also, if I hear one more person randomly start talking about BCAAs...
 
AcronymAllergy said:
None here, unless you count coffee and the occasional cookie.

The various things taken by gym folks I've known over the years have scared me off most supplements. I know the pre-workout industry is its own extreme example and world, but still. Also, if I hear one more person randomly start talking about BCAAs...
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Coffee is not a supplement, it is a necessary component for cognitive function for neuropsychologists.
 
sleep, run, shower, mulrivitamaim, protein shake. banana, coffee.
Let's not complicate things here, please? It's not like I live in Cali-forn-I-a! Geez!
 
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erg923 said:
sleep, run, shower, mulrivitamaim, protein shake. banana, coffee.
Let's not complicate things here, please? It's not like I live in Cali-forn-I-a! Geez!
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no supplements here either, and actually my routine looks much like erg's, with a few west coast variations.
I'm not a big runner, however depending on the day of the week I'll skateboard, swim, or bike for exercise.
Similarly, don't eat a whole lot of bananas, but I do eat a kale salad for breakfast nearly every day and we almost always have ripe avocados on hand. My youngest eats them with a spoon.
And the only protein shake in our house is the occasional in-n-out chocostrawberry milkshake. 🙂
 
Daily a multivitamin/multimineral, omega 3, ashwaghanda, greens powder, protein powder, and collagen. Every now and then valerian for sleep.
 
Spydra said:
omega 3, ashwaghanda
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I added tongkat ali because I just don't seem to be recovering from long rides as well as a I used too, so maybe a little more test will help.

I've never found a form of omega 3 that I liked. Ashwaghanda is basically herbal xanax. It can be so helpful.
 
WisNeuro said:
We really need to do a large scale study to find the most cost effective placebos on the market that also have the added benefit of not causing liver or kidney failure.
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Almost all of the supplements mentioned here are evidence based.
 
borne_before said:
Almost all of the supplements mentioned here are evidence based.
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If by evidence based, we mean that a paper exists somewhere, of any quality, sure. But if we're talking larger scale, high quality studies, then not so much.
 
WisNeuro said:
If by evidence based, we mean that a paper exists somewhere, of any quality, sure. But if we're talking larger scale, high quality studies, then not so much.
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Also, love the skepticism.
 
borne_before said:
Also, love the skepticism.
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Always be skeptical, and also, I woudl caution against relying on some of these sites without pulling some of the data personally. For example, Cochrane says donepezil looks like it works. I pulled all of the studies they used, and I can show you pretty clearly how flawed that conclusion is using statistics and pointing out multiple areas where they violate statistical assumptions.
 
So, I looked up some of the "nootropic" pages on the examine website, and it claims strong evidence for many of these. And these are studies that I have personally reviewed as I have a long presentation on the subject. I really have no confidence in this site's ability to judge the research at this point.
 
To expand on my comment, in one of the "strong support" cases, it looked at 6 studies for a combined 73 subjects. In both groups, so like 30-something in the "treatment arms." Some of these studies didn't even measure cognition and just used subject self-report. This is just bad.
 
WisNeuro said:
So, I looked up some of the "nootropic" pages on the examine website, and it claims strong evidence for many of these. And these are studies that I have personally reviewed as I have a long presentation on the subject. I really have no confidence in this site's ability to judge the research at this point.
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I'd love to see the presentation - anything that cuts the mustard?
 
borne_before said:
I'd love to see the presentation - anything that cuts the mustard?
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Currently updating it as there is some new info coming out, and I need to add in a section about aducanumab. But, not really. Large scale studies don't really pan out well at all, and/or use inappropriate statistical methodology. Many of the nootropics that people are getting from shady sources online really don't have much research at all, and what does exist is of very poor quality.
 
borne_before said:
I added tongkat ali because I just don't seem to be recovering from long rides as well as a I used too, so maybe a little more test will help.

I've never found a form of omega 3 that I liked. Ashwaghanda is basically herbal xanax. It can be so helpful.
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I have never heard of it being compared to Xanax, but I could see the usefulness for anxiety.
 
This is not a thread I expected here.

Uh, melatonin every now and then when my sleep cycle shifts and I want a faster reset. Getting into weightlifting for the first time in my life during this pandemic and according to my gym I need to start using protein powder (makes sense as I have no earthly idea how anyone consumes as much protein as you supposedly need - I eat what is considered a pretty high-protein diet and would have to go wayyy over my calorie goals to hit enough protein). Even that I haven't done since lots of them seem sketchy. Recently flipped back to coffee after about a year of tea-only (because reflux). We'll see how long that lasts.
 
Ollie123 said:
This is not a thread I expected here.

Uh, melatonin every now and then when my sleep cycle shifts and I want a faster reset. Getting into weightlifting for the first time in my life during this pandemic and according to my gym I need to start using protein powder (makes sense as I have no earthly idea how anyone consumes as much protein as you supposedly need - I eat what is considered a pretty high-protein diet and would have to go wayyy over my calorie goals to hit enough protein). Even that I haven't done since lots of them seem sketchy. Recently flipped back to coffee after about a year of tea-only (because reflux). We'll see how long that lasts.
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Oh boy, this is something that has popped up for me in recent years. Getting older sucks.
 
Ollie123 said:
This is not a thread I expected here.

Uh, melatonin every now and then when my sleep cycle shifts and I want a faster reset. Getting into weightlifting for the first time in my life during this pandemic and according to my gym I need to start using protein powder (makes sense as I have no earthly idea how anyone consumes as much protein as you supposedly need - I eat what is considered a pretty high-protein diet and would have to go wayyy over my calorie goals to hit enough protein). Even that I haven't done since lots of them seem sketchy. Recently flipped back to coffee after about a year of tea-only (because reflux). We'll see how long that lasts.
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I've worked out for just over two decades and only ever used protein powder for about two months altogether. Mind you, that might not have been the most efficient way to go about it for "maximum gainzzzz," and I've never been involved in professional bodybuilding or anything close to it, but I've also never hit a wall in terms of progress. If you're already on a relatively high-protein diet, you may be fine, and your diet will likely start to naturally adjust (i.e., you'll eat more) as you keep working out. The only other workout-related supplement I've ever tried was creatine for a month.

And I of course recognize everything I just said is probably in direct conflict to every weightlifting article and forum in existence on the internet.
 
Supplements are controversial, but from articles I’ve seen on the topic from doctors themselves, the only supplements that are supposedly truly helpful are things you individually test low in, and usually just take them temporarily (magnesium being a common deficiency, also Vitamin D if you don't get sunlight, B12 if you are a vegetarian, Omega-3 if you're a vegetarian since non-meat forms don't convert efficiently in the body).

I took a multivitamin for over a year (noticing no effect on energy levels, etc.) and my iron level was barely low average after that when I got tested, which really made me question the absorption of the individual vitamins when combined in a 20+ pill (I was also low average in a few other things that I should've gotten from my multivitamin and diet, which was very surprising to me, but I had been a vegetarian for many years). So I do take some chelated iron along with the aforementioned vitamins/supplements above (I noticed a TINY increase in energy after taking all of these for 3 months), but have tapered down since too much really can be a problem just as much as a deficiency.

There is a ton of hype around some supplements--I feel like each year I see a new miracle supplement or superfood being touted for energy and health. Back in the day, Vitamin B12 was the miracle supplement; I remember the story about Madonna teaching Justin Timberlake how to directly inject B12 into his buttocks back in the 2000s.

I knew a psychiatrist who swore by omega-3s (particularly high EPA forms) and their support with mood stabilization for his clients with bipolar disorder (as an adjunct to medication, I think, or if they couldn't afford prescription meds) but research seems to be mixed on effects for depression and bipolar disorder. You’d have to take a high amount of EPA to see mood effects (anywhere from 1-6 grams per day, depending on the clinical trial), and high quality omega-3 brands with high EPA content are actually pretty expensive when you start having to take several of them per day.
 
Ollie123 said:
This is not a thread I expected here.

Uh, melatonin every now and then when my sleep cycle shifts and I want a faster reset. Getting into weightlifting for the first time in my life during this pandemic and according to my gym I need to start using protein powder (makes sense as I have no earthly idea how anyone consumes as much protein as you supposedly need - I eat what is considered a pretty high-protein diet and would have to go wayyy over my calorie goals to hit enough protein). Even that I haven't done since lots of them seem sketchy. Recently flipped back to coffee after about a year of tea-only (because reflux). We'll see how long that lasts.
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As a full on bodybuilder who has competed in 8 shows now and taken home more than a dozen trophies —unless you are doing competitions it’s not needed. Just have some egg whites or more meat. As a bodybuilder I have max 2 scoops a day when I’m trying to gain weight (and I mean gain to like 270 lbs), and 2 scoops a day when I’m in show prep and maintaining diet no human who doesn’t compete should ever maintain.
 
MCParent said:
As a full on bodybuilder who has competed in 8 shows now and taken home more than a dozen trophies —unless you are doing competitions it’s not needed. Just have some egg whites or more meat. As a bodybuilder I have max 2 scoops a day when I’m trying to gain weight (and I mean gain to like 270 lbs), and 2 scoops a day when I’m in show prep and maintaining diet no human who doesn’t compete should ever maintain.
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As someone who lifts weights with no real plan, I've suspected this to be true for a while, but the verification is really nice to hear...read.
 
I'll throw a plug in for fiber supplements. Now that's something that most people are deficient in their diets. Also, not all fiber is equal. In terms of actual data on beneficial effects on things like cholesterol and insulin control, things like psyllium and beta glucan seem to do the job. So, maybe throw in some overnight oats for breakfast and some metamucil in the afternoon/early evening.
 
WisNeuro said:
I'll throw a plug in for fiber supplements. Now that's something that most people are deficient in their diets. Also, not all fiber is equal. In terms of actual data on beneficial effects on things like cholesterol and insulin control, things like psyllium and beta glucan seem to do the job. So, maybe throw in some overnight oats for breakfast and some metamucil in the afternoon/early evening.
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+1. People have seen my Metamucil on the counter and been like “isn’t that an old people thing??” I tell them to try a scoop and about 6 hours later they’re ordering some on Amazon. Life changing.
 
MCParent said:
+1. People have seen my Metamucil on the counter and been like “isn’t that an old people thing??” I tell them to try a scoop and about 6 hours later they’re ordering some on Amazon. Life changing.
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Yeah, few years back I added that to my daily regimen and there was a noticeable drop in my LDL without making any other big lifestyle changes. That and my GI tract works FAR better with it than without. TMI. Sorry, not sorry.
 
MCParent said:
Read the literature on the origin of vitamin sales. It’s insane.
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Yeah, people don't realize how Orrin Hatch pretty much single-handedly helped create the modern snakeoil market. Wonder how many people he is indirectly responsible for killing through lack of any oversight in the supplement market.
 
What’s everyone’s take on fish oil?
 
Dazen said:
What’s everyone’s take on fish oil?
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Evidence for fish oils in dietary intake looks decent. The supplement literature is all over the place. Even so, maybe some benefit for cardiovascular health, but needs better research. The claims about benefiting cognitive health really have no support.
 
R. Matey said:
This statement sums up all of the literature on supplements that I'm familiar with.
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Creatine has solid research support for strength gains.
The problem is that the number of purported supplements grows daily and it’s not like the manufacturers are going to fund efficacy studies on them.

how about actively bad supps? Kratom is marketed as a workout supplement and sold in workout supp stores, which is absolute insanity. That stuff needs to be banned.
 
MCParent said:
Creatine has solid research support for strength gains.
The problem is that the number of purported supplements grows daily and it’s not like the manufacturers are going to fund efficacy studies on them.

how about actively bad supps? Kratom is marketed as a workout supplement and sold in workout supp stores, which is absolute insanity. That stuff needs to be banned.
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Just...wow. That's bad.

May need to try the Metamucil, thanks for the tip.

Also, another point RE: protein powder, some of that stuff has ridiculous amounts of sugar. Same with the meal replacement bars.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Just...wow. That's bad.

May need to try the Metamucil, thanks for the tip.

Also, another point RE: protein powder, some of that stuff has ridiculous amounts of sugar. Same with the meal replacement bars.
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Yep, most protein powders are loaded with sugar. I used to do morning shakes with hemp protein powder (very cheap and no sugar), but my veggie/fruit blended smoothies were still too sugary even so (I had to make them edible with the grassy/grainy hemp!) and I’d be ravenously hungry 3 hours later after the sugar crash. For many, shakes like these will lead to weight gain for folks trying to lose weight because drinking fruit or sugary protein powders will flood the bloodstream with sugar. I guess if your goal is to gain weight, it’s not as much of an issue.
 
Remember when they tested all of the testosterone boosters on amazon, and many turned out to be anabolic steroids? PsyDr remembers....

www.forbes.com

Steroids For Sale Online at Amazon and Sears

Why are dietary supplements laced with steroids readily available on Amazon and Sears online marketplaces?
www.forbes.com www.forbes.com

@borne_before Maybe some vitamin "e"? I heard it's good for the "i"s... and spelling. 😉
 
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