Why do people have so much faith in vitamins and supplements?

[adamcdavis]

Vitamins have never been scientifically proven to do anything so why do people take them? Even better why do people take supplement stuff from like GNC when none of the products have even been tested at all by the FDA because they're herbal and don't have to pass standards. I feel like people have blind hope in this stuff and buy into what companies and the media says too much.

[MrOracle]

The simple answer is that most people are IDIOTS who are looking for an easy way out, instead of putting in the work they know they should.

And so they collectively spend billions of dollars a year on fake pills and powders instead of on things like fresh fruits and vegitables, which NATURALLY contain all of those things they need.

A large amount of the crap in those pills is completely worthless, and is just expensive fillers. Vitamins have there place, but again, the best way to get them is from eating healthy to begin with. And most vitamins just end up getting pissed away, literally, because your body won't store them, and releases any extra as waste.

if you're buying pills with 800% of the daily allowance of a vitamin, you are WASTING most of your money. The most you'll ever need is 100%, and really, you need less, because you're going to get some vitamins from the food you eat as well.

Again, so many are looking for the fast/easy way, and so they CHOOSE to "believe" in pills as the easy solution, but while they have some limited uses, they are mostly just a lie.

[adamcdavis]

nice you said exactly what I was trying to say about vitamins. Don't people ever realize though not everything the media, and companies tell you is true?

[MrOracle]

I learned very early to be skeptical of ALL media, and to ALWAYS ask what something will cost me, ESPECIALLY when the word "FREE" is used. Nothing is EVER free, so whenever you hear that word, you should always wonder "where is the hidden cost?" because if you look hard enough, you WILL find it!

[adamcdavis]

another big thing that annoys me is like herbal medicine and how it can make any claim it wants without going through the FDA as opposed to normal drugs but that's another discussion I guess.

[Anonymous]

If you suffer from malnutrition or deficiencies you'll see that vitamins are important.

[adamcdavis]

man I really should have put that in my question because I was aware about that but everyone seems to think I'm saying vitamins don't do anything. Really meant to say how they do nothing really if you don't have deficiencies in regards to the specific vitamins.

[madmisskelly]

Certain supplements are helpful if you eat below a certain caloric level, below 1600 I believe its recommended that you take a multivitamin.

However, I agree. Most weight loss supplements do not do anything. Its one thing to get a bit of an energy boost to add into your routine, but things like Slimquik and other weight loss supplements don't do a damn thing. Just another case of people wanting something for nothing.

[thisislifebaby]

I don't know about other people but I take vitamin D supplements because I have really low vitamin D levels and it helps because I get a blood test every 6 months and my levels improve.

[adamcdavis]

sry I worded question wrong meant like vitamin supplement type stuff or whatever that people hope just because claims to help or something. Yes vitamins do serve a purpose for people with low amounts or whatever and that's what they're designed for but even your case is good example. If you have low vitamin D then makes perfect sense but some people think like oversupplying yourself with vitamins improves you more and this is just not true but more so it's just only a problem if you have low vit

[thisislifebaby]

Oh I get what you mean, this friend I had used to be obsessed with all the vitamins and the ones that claimed to give you clear skin, shiny hair etc.. I think it is more wanting the things they claim so badly that they just use them like smoking to be popular.

[Uliya]

Not scientifically proven !?! You must be joking! There are one million very serious studies dedicated to vitamins. Just try to google for example Vitamin E and cancer prevention.

[adamcdavis]

oh yeah I did and I found study showing teh exact opposite and that selenium and/or vitamin e actually increased the rate of cancer. Don't have a lot of time right now to check facts but found it on a government website so it is probably fairly accurate. link

[Uliya]

They used too high dose of the vitamin. Its same if you eat one orange or ten ones.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Lol. Better yet, why does this guy talk about supplements in the GNC section when he is very clearly not an athlete?

Whey Protein, creatine, N.O., BCAAs, etc.. have time and time again out beat placebos in trial studies.

[Uliya]

More over vitamin deficiency leads to lots of diseases. Concerning vitamin E and cancer prevention: cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2012/04/14/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0045. It's the latest article. "On the basis of these results as well as information from the literature, we suggest that vitamin E, as ingested in the diet or in supplements that are rich in - and -tocopherols, is cancer preventive; whereas supplementation with high doses of -tocopherol is not".

[adamcdavis]

chill out guy I know protein supplement stuff does work to a certain degree you don't have to be a d*** about it and in response to girl your initial comment just said vitamin E and cancer prevention. Yes of course I know there are problems with vitamin deficiencies you don't have to ramble to me about that but I'm talking like people telling me to take vitamins when I clearly do not have a deficiency and see no point in getting into these fad vitamin crazes.

[calialltheway1993]

No, I think they're tested out.