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I know people are like parrots and like to repeat the same "multivitamins are useless", but after starting it, i noticed some improvements on my digestive syste

I know people are like parrots and like to repeat the same "multivitamins are useless", but after starting it, i noticed some improvements on my digestive system and fatigue after covid. Sometimes anecdotals are useful, whatever works for you.

raverbashing 4y ago
Whoever says that usually follow a tautological way of thinking, that is "people in perfect health don't need it" but of course having a vitamin deficiency is not having "perfect health"
- joshuajill 4y ago
  Exactly, and there is far too little vitamin deficiency testing.
swatcoder 4y ago
For most people, “X is useless” is a short way of saying: Based on the headlines and search results I’ve skimmed, X has not been proven useful in whatever handful of demographic and contextual cross-sections have been studied. In accordance with other intuitions of my own, I extrapolate this to mean that X is useless in all demographics and contexts, that the question of value is conclusively answered in the negative, and — for some reason — it’s now important to me that you draw the same conclusion, even if you have reason to keep an open mind or conclude otherwise. The shorthand phrasing omits all the pesky subjective, unscientific stuff as well as the weird emotional investment in other people’s thinking, so it might be helpful to just keep the long form version in mind when you hear the parrots.
- bicijay 4y ago
  Same thing happens with GABA, theoretically it should not work in a supplement form because it does not cross the BBB. And it always comes with the same "GABA is useless" advice. Except im literally dreaming again after starting taking it. Could it be a placebo? Sure. But if its working, why should i believe its useless? I know HN is probably not the right place to say it, but taking every decision in your life (even minimals one like starting take a vitamin) based on underfunded studies might lead you to miss some some improvements in your life.
  - switchbak 4y ago
    I'm the kind of personality that doesn't often take those statements as gospel anyway. I've found a lot of value in life by going against the (mainstream) grain and digging in on occasion, it's certainly happened enough times that I've become super skeptical of those that come off as reactionary skeptics. But that probably means I've wasted a lot of time proving things people just told me. It's a trade I'm happy with :)
radu_floricica 4y ago
This suggests you have a severe deficiency in something, so even the relatively small quantities in a multivitamin pill helps. Keep on taking them, of course, but maybe try to find what it is. > after covid There's also regression to the mean to consider here. You just naturally get better in time.

raverbashing 4y ago

Whoever says that usually follow a tautological way of thinking, that is "people in perfect health don't need it" but of course having a vitamin deficiency is not having "perfect health"

joshuajill 4y ago
Exactly, and there is far too little vitamin deficiency testing.

swatcoder 4y ago

For most people, “X is useless” is a short way of saying: Based on the headlines and search results I’ve skimmed, X has not been proven useful in whatever handful of demographic and contextual cross-sections have been studied. In accordance with other intuitions of my own, I extrapolate this to mean that X is useless in all demographics and contexts, that the question of value is conclusively answered in the negative, and — for some reason — it’s now important to me that you draw the same conclusion, even if you have reason to keep an open mind or conclude otherwise. The shorthand phrasing omits all the pesky subjective, unscientific stuff as well as the weird emotional investment in other people’s thinking, so it might be helpful to just keep the long form version in mind when you hear the parrots.

bicijay 4y ago
Same thing happens with GABA, theoretically it should not work in a supplement form because it does not cross the BBB. And it always comes with the same "GABA is useless" advice. Except im literally dreaming again after starting taking it. Could it be a placebo? Sure. But if its working, why should i believe its useless? I know HN is probably not the right place to say it, but taking every decision in your life (even minimals one like starting take a vitamin) based on underfunded studies might lead you to miss some some improvements in your life.
- switchbak 4y ago
  I'm the kind of personality that doesn't often take those statements as gospel anyway. I've found a lot of value in life by going against the (mainstream) grain and digging in on occasion, it's certainly happened enough times that I've become super skeptical of those that come off as reactionary skeptics. But that probably means I've wasted a lot of time proving things people just told me. It's a trade I'm happy with :)

radu_floricica 4y ago

This suggests you have a severe deficiency in something, so even the relatively small quantities in a multivitamin pill helps. Keep on taking them, of course, but maybe try to find what it is. > after covid There's also regression to the mean to consider here. You just naturally get better in time.