Three Most Overhyped Nutritional Supplements
This week’s newsletter is a bit different. For the first time, I have a guest writer. His name is Sol Orwell, and why did I get Sol to write this week’s newsletter? There are a few reasons:
1. He’s not selling anything, and has no affiliation with any particular company. 2. He runs the largest science-based website on the internet about supplements. It’s examine.com. So if you’re wondering whether there’s any science backing up whatever supplement you’re thinking of taking, visiting examine.com will give you the truth (as we know it at the present time) about whether it’s truly effective or just hogwash.
3. 3. He has a clear and engaging writing style.
Without further ado, here’s Sol:
Testosterone Boosters
If we are going to talk about overhyped supplements, our first topic has to be “testosterone boosters.”
Usually a potpourri of herbs and amino acids (seriously – look at how many ingredients are packed into each product), testosterone boosters are the perfect example of marketing that preys on the misinformed.
First of all, there are a few supplements that have been shown to increase testosterone in humans. These include creatine, fenugreek, DHEA, and D-aspartic acid. There are also some compounds that help increase testosterone in infertile men, and other compounds that boost testosterone in rats (but without any evidence that they work in humans).
The problems are threefold.
Firstly – just because something is increased does not mean it the increase is notable. If I increased your car’s efficiency from 40mpg to 41mpg, I have indeed increased its efficiency, but is the effect actually notable? This same truth applies to most testosterone boosters; the actual increase in testosterone is not notable (for becoming stronger). Compared to prescription testosterone, testosterone boosters have a negligible effect.
Secondly, many people associate libido with testosterone. The truth is that while higher testosterone usually results in a higher libido, a higher libido does not mean that you have higher testosterone! A lot of these “testosterone boosters” will make you feel randy without actually increasing your testosterone.
Thirdly, you can say that everyone has a “baseline” testosterone – what your T levels would be if they had an adequate diet. The problem is most people have terrible diets. These testosterone boosters often include minerals and antioxidants that can help you get back to your baseline levels (but no higher), thus creating a false positive that the product “works.” These include vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and more. Just eating a bit healthier will likely yield the exact same results.
The most apt word for testosterone boosters is “overhyped.” People often confuse an increase in libido with an increase in testosterone, but that is not true.
Original Source: Here.
Glutamine
Glutamine is usually presented as a “muscle-building amino acid.” The dirty secret is that glutamine is a great muscle builder, if it could actually get to your muscles.
The studies that showed glutamine as a potent muscle builder were all done in vitro. That means human cells were isolated into a petri dish before being given glutamine. In our own bodies, our digestive system (more specifically, the intestinal tract) takes up all the glutamine you ingest for itself. So while you may be consuming glutamine, pretty much none of it gets to the muscles themselves.
So does glutamine work? In petri dishes; not in the real world. The one exception is that glutamine is very helpful when you have third degree burns covering your body (which creates a glutamine deficiency).
Glutamine would work as a muscle builder, if it could get to your muscles. Due to the way your body works, that doesn’t really happen.
Glucosamine
Glucosamine seems to be similar to testosterone boosters. It definitely “works,” but its efficacy is quite moderate. It should also be noted that only glucosamine sulfate works; glucosamine hydrochloride appeared to be ineffective. Some meta-studies do say that glucosamine is comparable in potency to the reference drug (acetaminophen) for treatment of osteoarthritis.
So with the above praise, why is glucosamine overhyped? Why is acetaminophen still recommended as first-line treatment?
It’s because glucosamine’s benefits seems very unreliable. The amount of variance seen in trials is huge – some people find a lot of benefit, some find a little, and some fine none. On the other hand, the results for acetaminophen are far more reliable. While some people may swear by glucosamine supplementation, many others will find it does nothing.
Beyond that, glucosamine might not actually be doing anything. There is no plausible mechanism for glucosamine at this point in time (all mechanisms attributed to it require much too high a concentration in the blood) and the difference between glucosamine sulfate (works) and glucosamine hydrochloride (does not work) cannot be explained by differences between the supplements since exposure to glucosamine is exactly the same.
Glucosamine can benefit joint health, but it is both unreliable and the glucosamine molecule itself might just be a red herring for the sulfur. Sulfur appears to help joints in people deficient in sulfur, and this can be mimicked by a variety of supplements.
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Seminar: How to Restore Your Damaged Metabolism: Break All the Rules for Effortless Weight Loss
On Sunday, July 21, I will be hosting a seminar about how to restore a damaged metabolism. After hearing this talk one-on-one, a marketing consultant told me to charge $199 for the seminar, because the information is that valuable. And in the future, I most certainly will charge that, but for now, it’s FREE J. The truth is that diets work… as long as you’re on them. But what happens when you’re off your diet? It comes back, and usually with “friends.” This seminar is for you if:
- You have a history of yo-yo dieting (going up and down in weight).
- You think you’re doing everything right, but you’re not losing weight.
- You’d like to change your relationship with food.
If you’d like to reserve your spot, email me. In this seminar, you will learn:
- Why you should eat more if you want to lose weight.
- How to measure the damage that your past diets have done.
- When you should avoid intense exercise for fat loss.
- A step-by-step plan to restore a damaged metabolism
Space is limited to only 15 people, and it’s first come first served. Details: Date and time: Sunday, July 21, 2013, 3-5PM Location: 500 Denison St., Markham (major intersection is Woodbine and Denison) Investment: FREE… for now 😉 Again, space is limited to only 15 people, so if you’d like to attend, email me.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions, leave your questions or comments below, and I’ll be sure to answer them.
Quick Summary
- The three most overhyped supplements are: testosterone boosters, glutamine and glucosamine.
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