Hey guys, Paul from Ultimate fat Burner.com here.
Today I'm answering the question, "are supplements worth it?"
I'll be right back with the discussion in just a couple of seconds, so
stick around, please don't go anywhere.
Hey!
Welcome back, and thanks so much for sticking around.
So, let's get straight to the question, "are supplements worth it?"
Now if you are to research this question you will find a wide range of answers...
Anything from supplements suck and they don't work at all, to supplements are awesome and
natural and they're answer to everything.
To me, the most logical answer to this question is, "some nutritional supplements are supported
by enough clinical evidence to support an argument for their
use, and are priced reasonably in relation to the value they offer, and are therefore
"worth it".
Others are not supported by much clinical science, or are they super pricey for the
small benefit they offer, and are therefore "not worth it."
That seems pretty logical, right?
And That's what I thought until I got thinking about it a bit.
And then I realized what the problem was.
Whether a supplement is worth it or not doesn't come down to a truckload of supporting clinical
data or a recommendation from a respected guru or anything else.
It's entirely based on your experience with it.
In other words, it's entirely subjective.
And there are 3 things that can impact your perception of whether a supplement is worth
it or not and none of them have anything to do with how much clinical data supports it
use.
What are those three things...
#1 Expectations
What do I mean by this?
well, In many parts of the world, nutritional supplements are very loosely regulated, if
they're regulated at all.
What this means is that there can be a HUGE disconnect between what retailers say a supplement
can do for you, and what it will actually do for you.
In other words, the effects of the supplement are often grossly exaggerated in order to
tip the scales in favor of a purchase.
If a retailer hypes the hell out of a supplement and promises amazing benefits that don't materialize,
it's not unreasonable for you to conclude that the supplement sucks and is
not worth the money.
However, if you had purchased that same supplement from a retailer that provided more realistic
expectations, or who told you the truth about what to expect, you might feel
differently about it.
So your assessment is based on the fact the supplement in question did not meet your expectations.
#2 Potency
What do I mean by potency?
There's a huge quality control issue in the supplement industry, again because there is
almost no regulatory oversight.
A few years there was a huge outcry when it was discovered that GNC, Target, Walmart and
Walgreens were selling supplements that didn't actually contain any of the ingredients
listed on the bottle.
If you didn't hear about this, I'll include a link to the story in the description below.
Now obviously if you're taking a supplement that doesn't include any of the stuff that
its supposed to, your assessment of it not being worth it is going to be 100% accurate.
But it's not really accurate because you never actually any of the stuff.
#3 Contamination
If the first two problems weren't bad enough, this one really takes the cake.
An alarming number of supplements - especially those in the bodybuilding, weight loss, and
male enhancement categories are contaminated with illegal drugs.
Body building supplements have been found to contain anabolic steroids, male enhancement
products have been contaminated with sildenafil or viagara and weight loss supplements have
been contaminated with all sorts of things, including prescription
weight loss drugs.
All thesde things may color your perception of whether a supplement works or not, but
the truth is a lot of the time, it's difficult to know whether it's the supplement that's
working, or something else altogether.
So at the end of the day, where does that leave us on the question, "are supplements
worth it?"
Unfortunately there's no easy answer.
A supplement may be worth it, if...
1) It's supported by sound clinical science.
2) The benefits it offers are in line with its costs.
3) Your expectations of it are reasonable.
and The product you purchase actually contains what is on the label and is not contaminated
by illegal drugs or undeclared pharmaceuticals.
What a nightmare, right?
There are, fortunately, web sites that can help you sort through this stuff.
For example...
Examine.com is a great resource for science-based discussions on supplements of all kinds.
ConsumerLabs.com takes supplements to laboratory and reports on what the lab says is in a product
and compares it to what the supplement company says there is.
It's a great resource to ensure the supplements you buy actually contain what's on the label
and aren't contaminated.
ConsumerLabs.com is subscription based but affordable; last
time I checked a membership runs about $3/month.
If you purchase supplements regularly, you really can't go wrong with this.
Alright guys, I hope that helps answer the question, "are supplements worth it?", or
at the very least gives you something to think about.
If you have questions or comments, by all means leave them below, and if you have your
own perspective on this please do share it with me and our viewers.
Before you go don't forget to subscribe - it would be great to have you as part of our
growing community.
Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you really soon.