Hello all,
It seems nowadays everyone is sharing threads on supplement stacks and how important they are great for preventing inflammation and the oxidative stress that occurs in our bodies. I know there are studies that show that a lot of these supplements have positive health effects, but are these supplements really that effective for long term health outcomes (specifically for inflammation and oxidative stress) if you already follow a healthy and well rounded diet? Are they any studies that control for diet with these supplements?
If you follow the perfect diet, you can still benefit from specific supplements that are impossible or impractical to get from nutrition alone. Creatine is one example, which may have benefits beyond muscle. Curcumin, a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, is also impossible to get from diet, regardless of how much turmeric you consume.
There are many RCTs for various supplements, some way more than others, with varying degrees of study quality. Usually sample sizes are small and sometimes under-powered for supplement studies though.
That said, most people can definitely live in great health without ever needing to supplement. Supplements just fill in a nutritional gap, provide a bit of a performance boost, or allow a cost-efficient alternative to obtain a nutrient.
Well I have chronic deficiencies so I take them more. This is a needs more information type question. What you need and what someone else needs can be completely different things and it’s a disservice to start the “supplements are a waste, nobody needs them, just eat healthy trope.” That was extremely deceiving to me when I actually need to supplement regularly.
Supplements are helpful when someone is deficient in a particular nutrient which is hard to replenish through diet alone, due to many circumstances. However, the supplement industry has become very good at selling supplements to the average, healthy consumer when most supplements on the shelves nowadays lack evidence of benefit for this group of people. Often, their claims are taken out of context (and they’re allowed to do this because of relaxed laws around marketing). For example, buying a multivitamin is great for someone who is deficient across a number of vitamins and is trying to get back to baseline levels (such as someone with absorption issues, e.g. someone with coeliac’s disease), though the majority of people who buy multivitamins don’t have issues getting these vitamins from their diet and aren’t deficient (most people aren’t), thus rendering it pointless. And for every supplement that actually has a purpose in some contexts (like multivitamins, iron, fish oils, vitamin D), there are many more that are either not proven to work and make vague claims (such as reducing inflammation, brain function etc etc), and in addition, or aren’t proven safe to consume - the latter being particularly a problem in the fitness industry such as fat burners, test/hormone-like derivatives, and stimulant-free pre-workout supplements.
Tldr, I would say most/all supplements are obsolete in the context of a well-balanced diet, hence the name ‘supplement’.
I actually transitioned off vitamins years ago because I had difficulty finding studies that showed they were effective. I drink a daily smoothie with greens, fruits, & veggies instead. I get B12 from eggs and chicken.
If it’s inflammation that’s your chief concern, supplements are the least powerful intervention.
Look into practices like Wim Hof breathing, sauna, cold exposure, fasting, and low carb / keto diets for protocols with anti-inflammatory effects that are far more potent than supplements.
Also, look for Dr Rhonda Patrick’s content about sulforaphane. The short story is that broccoli sprouts are a super potent source, which can further be magnified by freezing them before consumption. There is apparently a heat activation opportunity, but it’s possible to overcook and lose some.
This sub doesn’t love links, so if you’d like some, simply DM me and I’ll send over some stuff I keep handy.
Are those vitamin tablets dissolving in water any good? I’m using Iron (100%) + vit C (125%) tablets but my uncle who is a long time bodybuilder says that those tablets don’t work and it’s better to buy regular supplements in pills.