Your Experience with Supplements

[AlexanderG]

Have you taken any supplements to help with medical issues such as fatigue, lack of concentration, etc.? And if yes, have you noticed any improvement due to the supplements?

I've just gone back to taking omega-3 and vitamin B12 supplements because my fatigue has lately increased noticeably. I've only been back on them for a few days, so it's too early to tell what effects they'll have.

I'm interested to read about others' experiences with supplements.

Do you know what the only difference is between supplements and medicine?

Medicine has been demonstrated to have any positive effect, and supplements have not. Not only that, but most supplements do not contain the active ingredient they claim. In one study, only about 20% of supplements actually contained the main listed active ingredient. They are unregulated, and so there is no requirement that they contain the listed ingredients.

As a registered nurse, I have seen patients need hospitalization, and even die, because they decided to go off their prescribed medications and replace them with natural supplements that claimed to be effective for their health problem.

Supplements are a scam, through and through. In some cases, you are actually endangering yourself by taking them. As a final note, I will point out that when there are websites and companies that make money from conspiracy theories, like Alex Jones' media empire, you will also see them selling supplements as a side business. This is because they know that the kind of poor critical thinking that attracts their audience makes them also more likely to buy overpriced, useless supplements.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Have you taken any supplements to help with medical issues such as fatigue, lack of concentration, etc.? And if yes, have you noticed any improvement due to the supplements?

I've just gone back to taking omega-3 and vitamin B12 supplements because my fatigue has lately increased noticeably. I've only been back on them for a few days, so it's too early to tell what effects they'll have.

I'm interested to read about others' experiences with supplements.

Those supplements are good ones, IMO. I am big advocate of supplements and also healthy eating. Have you had your vitamin levels tested?

 

[Sand Dancer]

Do you know what the only difference is between supplements and medicine?

Medicine has been demonstrated to have any positive effect, and supplements have not. Not only that, but most supplements do not contain the active ingredient they claim. In one study, only about 20% of supplements actually contained the main listed active ingredient. They are unregulated, and so there is no requirement that they contain the listed ingredients.

As I registered nurse, I have seen patients need hospitalization, and even die, because they decided to go off their prescribed medications and replace them with natural supplements that claimed to be effective for their health problem.

Supplements are a scam, through and through. In some cases, you are actually endangering yourself by taking them.

Supplements have helped many people. I take them and have improved issues and health problems without resorting to medication again. I think it just depends on the person. And you have to purchase good quality ones.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Omega 3, molecularly distilled. It changed my life. I was advised by a psychologist to start taking it. For a long time it was outside of my ability to purchase, but since I began taking it my life has improved. Your own results may vary, but you have to give it several weeks to begin taking effect. I'm not sure how it helps me, but it does.

I take it twice per day, although I sometimes forget the second dose.

I use it for dry eye and it is wonderful. My husband's primary care doc suggested them.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Used to take St. John's Wort for depression/anxiety, it worked ok. Just make sure a Dr knows your taking it.

Cinnamon is a good aid for digestion. And I never noticed much from Omega-3s.

My herbal practitioner suggested cinnamon for digestion. I have essential oils and sniff/diffuse it before I eat.

 

[AlexanderG]

Supplements have helped many people. I take them and have improved issues and health problems without resorting to medication again. I think it just depends on the person. And you have to purchase good quality ones.

"Sugar pills have helped many people. There are many anecdotes of people who take them and have improved issues and health problems without resorting to medication again. I think it just depends on the person."

Can you tell the difference between the truth value of your statement and the one above? Because there isn't any. There is no evidence that supplements work. You can find anecdotes for anything, but the plural of anecdote is not "data." I'm not trying to be mean here; I'm really trying to help people.

Vitamins can be good, but I don't really consider those supplements, and they of course can be effective in treating conditions that arise from a vitamin deficiency.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I take B complex and extra B12 when feeling run down. Stirring a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in a glass of water or juice seems to immediately give me energy. After having covid last year I had lots and lots of hair loss, which I heard was a common occurrence in women. Thankfully, I have very thick hair, but it was getting pretty thinned out. A friend told me to try Silica, which is derived from horsetail or bamboo. It worked great. Between 1-2 weeks the hair loss stopped and within two months my hair thickness was back to normal. I use different supplements often for a variety of reasons and have done so for years. I feel they have been very beneficial. I am a senior citizen in good health, I have no serious health problems, and am not on any prescription medication.

I was taking Biotin to grow my hair out after a short cut. It didn't do much. There is something called "Hair, Skin and Nails" with horsetail in it. Perhaps I will try that.

 

[Sand Dancer]

"Sugar pills have helped many people. There are many anecdotes of people who take them and have improved issues and health problems without resorting to medication again. I think it just depends on the person."

Can you tell the difference between the truth value of your statement and the one above? Because there isn't any. There is no evidence that supplements work. You can find anecdotes for anything, but the plural of anecdote is not "data." I'm not trying to be mean here; I'm really trying to help people.

Vitamins can be good, but I don't really consider those supplements, and they of course can be effective in treating conditions that arise from a vitamin deficiency.

I figure if you try something and it doesn't work, at least you know, and can try something else. I would rather try something with ingredients that are not chemicals that cause other side effects, requiring other medication to treat those side effects, and on and on. The US uses way too many medications instead of exercise, vitamins and diet. Other countries are much more supportive of supplements than we are. They also ban things we allow because we like our profit, even if at the expensive of people's health.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I take Nature's Plus Source of Life, which is a food based multivitamin. I take it primarily because I don't always eat right, so it supplements the shortfalls in my diet.

It has historically helped with fatigue and lethargy. As far as concentration, I really haven't noticed a difference.

That said, if these symptoms are new, and you have not changed your diet, I doubt supplements are a long term answer. Speaking with a physician and/or dietician would be advisable in such a circumstance. If you are like me, and don't eat right, a dietician should be able to point you in the right direction with which supplements would be best in picking up the slack in your diet.

I'm following up with a doctor at the moment. If symptoms don't improve on the current treatment, I think I'll see a dietitian.

It's a bit tricky to nail down the exact cause of the problem because so many things could be causing the fatigue. My doctor was upfront and said an accurate diagnosis and treatment would require patience.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Do you know what the only difference is between supplements and medicine?

Medicine has been demonstrated to have any positive effect, and supplements have not. Not only that, but most supplements do not contain the active ingredient they claim. In one study, only about 20% of supplements actually contained the main listed active ingredient. They are unregulated, and so there is no requirement that they contain the listed ingredients.

As a registered nurse, I have seen patients need hospitalization, and even die, because they decided to go off their prescribed medications and replace them with natural supplements that claimed to be effective for their health problem.

Supplements are a scam, through and through. In some cases, you are actually endangering yourself by taking them. As a final note, I will point out that when there are websites and companies that make money from conspiracy theories, like Alex Jones' media empire, you will also see them selling supplements as a side business. This is because they know that the kind of poor critical thinking that attracts their audience makes them also more likely to buy overpriced, useless supplements.

Yes, I'm aware that a lot of supplements are unhelpful or even harmful. I only take ones prescribed or recommended by my doctors--and those are currently omega-3 and vitamins.

The ones I'm on right now are those I mentioned in the OP, and all of them were recommended by my doctors. I don't take any supplements or medications without professional recommendation because I'd rather not mess with the potential risks or waste time on pointless drugs.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Those supplements are good ones, IMO. I am big advocate of supplements and also healthy eating. Have you had your vitamin levels tested?

I haven't; that may be the next step. I'm waiting for more follow-up with the doctor to see what else he'll say about the anemia. We're taking things one step at a time so that we can pinpoint the issue and treat it properly.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I haven't; that may be the next step. I'm waiting for more follow-up with the doctor to see what else he'll say about the anemia. We're taking things one step at a time so that we can pinpoint the issue and treat it properly.

I hope you can get the answers you need in a timely fashion.

 

[InChrist]

I was taking Biotin to grow my hair out after a short cut. It didn't do much. There is something called "Hair, Skin and Nails" with horsetail in it. Perhaps I will try that.

I also used one called, “Hair, Skin and Nails” after I ran out of the plain silica supplements. I think it was pretty good, but by then my hair was already growing well and continuing to get thick. I still have silica supplements, but haven’t regularly used them for a few months now.
Hope it works for you.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I also used one called, “Hair, Skin and Nails” after I ran out of the plain silica supplements. I think it was pretty good, but by then my hair was already growing well and continuing to get thick. I still have silica supplements, but haven’t regularly used them for a few months now.
Hope it works for you.

Thank you!