Supplements that work

[geraldc]

After a bit of binge in a healthfood store last night, I left with a big bag of wheatgrass powder. Tried it as a shot. Doesn't taste too bad, bit like a malty green tea, but don't feel the energy rush or instant health boost that I've read reports about.

[hellymedic]

Many food supplements give a sustained improvement to the bank balance of those who supply them.
Evidence for any real change in performance or well-being is scant.

You might find 25 grams of really good chocolate is cheaper, more pleasant and gives a more reliable boost.

You might not need the 135kcal the chocolate supplies. You may tire from one particular type of chocolate. I am not aware of any convincing evidence that any food supplement does anything useful for a well-nourished person.

[DrMekon]

Closetleftie will be better placed to give you the pros and con's, but fish oil appears to do some interesting things, such as reduce incidence of post operative atrial fibrillation.

[Dibdib]

I am not aware of any convincing evidence that any food supplement does anything useful for a well-nourished person.

Unless you want very expensive urine.

(fwiw, I do take a multivitamin - but that's because I accept that I'm a terrible cook and still eat like a student, and so it fills the gaps that my shocking diet leaves.)

[hellymedic]

I am not aware of any convincing evidence that any food supplement does anything useful for a well-nourished person.

Unless you want very expensive urine.

(fwiw, I do take a multivitamin - but that's because I accept that I'm a terrible cook and still eat like a student, and so it fills the gaps that my shocking diet leaves.)

Please explain what is useful about expesive urine! 

[Dibdib]

I am not aware of any convincing evidence that any food supplement does anything useful for a well-nourished person.

Unless you want very expensive urine.

(fwiw, I do take a multivitamin - but that's because I accept that I'm a terrible cook and still eat like a student, and so it fills the gaps that my shocking diet leaves.)

Please explain what is useful about expesive urine! 

You can sell it in a homeopathy store. ;-)

[Pickled Onion]

• Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll
  
• Chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis
  
• Photosynthesis produces oxygen
  
• Oxygen is good for the brain

All these are facts. Combining them to draw a conclusion is best left to the mad poo lady.

[hellymedic]

Just about every green plant contains chlorophyll: grass, lettuce, cabbage, spirogyra, dryopteris, pine trees.
Some of these may form part of your 'five a day'.

[Kim]

Still taste like Gardening, thobut.

[Palinurus]

Just about every green plant contains chlorophyll: grass, lettuce, cabbage, spirogyra, dryopteris, pine trees.
Some of these may form part of your 'five a day'.

Does absinthe count?

[hellymedic]

No, nor does jam. Apparently one in five Scots believe jam is one of the five a day, according to today's Sunday Times.

[Euan Uzami]

In my experience glucosamine does work. Whether it's the placebo effect or not I don't know , but I don't really care if it is.
Although one thing that suggests it isn't is that I find the glucosamine and chondroitin mixed in one capsule to be markedly better than taking separate tablets for each.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

No, nor does jam. Apparently one in five Scots believe jam is one of the five a day, according to today's Sunday Times.

I used to work with a JHO who had done some of his training in Dundee working with the failure to thrive kids. He and the dietician spent a long time working with the parents talking to them about the importance of five a day. After a couple of months of the programme the kids didn't seem to be improving, so they inquired a bit more closely as to their supposed new and improved diet including the five a day, and discovered the parents had all assumed that tinned spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce counted.

[Kim]

Are you suggesting that spaghetti isn't a fruit? 

[Gattopardo]

Well it does grow on trees.

[Gattopardo]

By the way some countries recommend 8 a day.

[hellymedic]

Reminds me of mental arithmetic in Junior School.

I probably eat eight portions of fruit and veg most days.

[Marmitegeoff]

In my experience glucosamine does work. Whether it's the placebo effect or not I don't know , but I don't really care if it is.
Although one thing that suggests it isn't is that I find the glucosamine and chondroitin mixed in one capsule to be markedly better than taking separate tablets for each.

I will go with that.  works for me.

[Pedal Castro]

The five-a-day idea was a marketing programme, originally it should have been veg only but an american fruit growers association lobbied to get fruit added. As most professional nutritionists will tell you, if you choose to follow the 5 a day mantra, it needs to be veg only.

[Feanor]

That's OK, then.
I think spaghetti must technically be a vegetable, as it doesn't contain the seeds of the spaghetti plant.
Thankfully, modern variants are resistant to the weevil.

[Pickled Onion]

The five-a-day idea was a marketing programme, originally it should have been veg only but an american fruit growers association lobbied to get fruit added. As most professional nutritionists will tell you, if you choose to follow the 5 a day mantra, it needs to be veg only.

Does this mean proper vegetables or does it include "fruit that people call vegetables"?

If the former, I'm seriously struggling! This is what I'm eating today:
Breakfast: Flapjacks ()
Snacks: 2 apples (f) 3 satsumas (f)
Lunch: Salad - hummus (v?) feta () tomatoes (f) cucumber (f) watercress (v) bread ()
Supper: Pasta () with tomato (f) pepper (f) olives (f)

Which gives me 1 portion of veg, or 2 if the hummus counts. I had no idea I was so unhealthy.

[tiermat]

By the way some countries recommend 8 a day.

The original study, which, IIRC, was carried out by WHO, recommended 9 portions per day.

The gubbinment got this and realised there is no way on this earth they could go from no recommendation to 9 (especially when a large portion of the population struggle to get one).  A compromise was reached whereby they would recommend 5 for a set period, then up it gradually to 9.

We seem to have gotten stuck on the first part of that plan.

[vorsprung]

stupid pills and stuff I've tried and the results

L-Carnitine - reliable sources seem to say:This stuff  aids energy production in the body when converting fat to "get up and go".  Although I have been unable to find any information of the sort "if I exercise for 10 hours at 65% HRM I use x grams of l-carnitine"
what I think: it does have some kind of positive effect on energy levels on audax type rides

Vitamin E - I did take this but there have been studies linking high dosage Vitamin E to increased chances of bad stuff happening.  Reduces muscle soreness a bit

Alpha Lipoic Acid - reliable sources seem to say: This is a sort of anti oxidant.  It seems to counter act the bad effects of large doses of l carnitine. 
I think: It seems imho to help with calorie reduced diets, not sure why.

ZMA - reliable sources seem to say: it's magnesium and zinc in a bioavailable form.  If you take it last thing at night then your testosterone production will be increased, if your diet isn't that great in the first place. 
I think: Works for me

Fish Oil - reliable sources seem to say: gives you a sleek shiney coat and a loud purr.  Good for the heart too

BCAA+ - reliable sources seem to say:  this is the stuff that is in protein, in a more available form.  Like predigested protein.  Not sure what good it does
I think: the jury is still out

Tribulus Pro - reliable sources seem to say: a high dosage fenugreek extract.  Supposedly another testosterone booster.
I never managed to follow the irritating dietrary restrictions on taking it consistently for more than a few days.  It might work but it's not easy to take.

With L-Carnitine and BCAA+ it is clear that they exist in the body in various places in a good way but it isn't certain that putting this stuff in a tablet is a good delivery mechanism
Fish Oil and ZMA should be in a balanced diet anyway

medline is a good place to see what "research says".  Research invariably either says 1) we can state fairly certainly that this diet supplement does not work or 2) in a controlled study on rats taking  a massive dose we saw a tiny effect

[Jakob]

I use both BCAA and Omega3 supplements when I'm training hard.
BCAA certainly seems to help with recovery and reduce muscle soreness. I'll usually add it to the post-training protein shake.
Omega3? Well, everyone in my cult* swears by it...I only buy it when it's on sale and certainly wouldn't pay regular price for it.
When I'm on 'regular' training schedule, I don't bother with either, as I know I'll be eating too much anyway.

[simonp]

What is the evidence for 5, or 9?

I recall this BBC News report from 10 years ago:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3200545.stm