3 ms·

The title is misleading - the article covers the fact that some supplements are useful. Yes, there is a ton of crap, but that doesn't make the entire industry a

The title is misleading - the article covers the fact that some supplements are useful. Yes, there is a ton of crap, but that doesn't make the entire industry a racket, just as fast food doesn't make the food industry a racket.

empthought 9y ago
That's not a good analogy, though -- even if fast food is not healthy per se, it is provably food and suffices to supply people with calories in order to live. Most supplements don't pass muster with the basic premise that they do what people claim they do.
- ci5er 9y ago
  So you are saying that food has calories, and therefore, based on caloric content, keeps you energetic or fat (depending on) fulfulling it's "food function", and that supplements are not macro- devices, so not only do they lack caloric benefit, they may (or may not) lack the micro-nutrient content claimed? (In other words - a Vitamind D supplement may not contain Vitamin D?)
cornholio 9y ago
Fast food is still food, tasty, safe and nutritious - albeit with a macronutrient profile that is unsuitable for modern life styles when eaten in quantity. Fast food is not the problem, lack of awareness of how to use food is the problem. Unlike food (or fast food) most supplements are not fulfilling any biologically useful function when consumed by otherwise healthy people - unless we consider placebo effects as biologically useful. They are unnecessary for the functioning of the human body, unregulated, untested and driven by often unscientific claims that don't have to be proven clinically. When the majority or large portion of the sales are related to deceptive marketing of useless products, it's fair to say a market is a "racket" as a way to alarm the public, notwithstanding the many honest producers and effective products.
- ci5er 9y ago
  This sounds interesting. Can you break down your embedded assumptions, claims and conclusions in bullet-form? No matter how many times I re-read this, I am not able to follow it front-to-back. EDIT: I love this line -- "lack of awareness of how to use food is the problem."

empthought 9y ago

That's not a good analogy, though -- even if fast food is not healthy per se, it is provably food and suffices to supply people with calories in order to live. Most supplements don't pass muster with the basic premise that they do what people claim they do.

ci5er 9y ago
So you are saying that food has calories, and therefore, based on caloric content, keeps you energetic or fat (depending on) fulfulling it's "food function", and that supplements are not macro- devices, so not only do they lack caloric benefit, they may (or may not) lack the micro-nutrient content claimed? (In other words - a Vitamind D supplement may not contain Vitamin D?)

cornholio 9y ago

Fast food is still food, tasty, safe and nutritious - albeit with a macronutrient profile that is unsuitable for modern life styles when eaten in quantity. Fast food is not the problem, lack of awareness of how to use food is the problem. Unlike food (or fast food) most supplements are not fulfilling any biologically useful function when consumed by otherwise healthy people - unless we consider placebo effects as biologically useful. They are unnecessary for the functioning of the human body, unregulated, untested and driven by often unscientific claims that don't have to be proven clinically. When the majority or large portion of the sales are related to deceptive marketing of useless products, it's fair to say a market is a "racket" as a way to alarm the public, notwithstanding the many honest producers and effective products.

ci5er 9y ago
This sounds interesting. Can you break down your embedded assumptions, claims and conclusions in bullet-form? No matter how many times I re-read this, I am not able to follow it front-to-back. EDIT: I love this line -- "lack of awareness of how to use food is the problem."