Episode 77. Vitamin Myths
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Show Notes
Coach Scott Abel discusses the myths surrounding vitamins and health.
The supplement industry is largely unregulated, and it is governed first and foremost by marketing rather than a real concern for your health.
Scott discusses some findings and research reported in the website Business Insider, and offers his own additional insights and experiences from his work in the supplement industry, and his work with clients who have had less than stellar experiences with supplements.
What’s real and what’s fake about vitamins
- Many new supplements specifically target affluent women. This is a growing trend.
- Back in the early 20th century, the first vitamins were isolated and synthesized as a response to combat malnutrition. Scott claims that nowadays we have “over-nutrition,” not malnutrition.
- Lies spread faster than truths, especially in the supplement industry.
- Scott likes Michael Pollan’s work. Of particular relevance, here is the fact that real foods may be what’s best, but no one advertises it. You don’t hear huge ad campaigns for apples. You do for supplements, pills, potions, and “snack foods” or other branded food items. But for the basics? No. Because people can’t make money off of those, even if they’re the best choice.

LINKS & RESOURCES
Brodwin, Erin. “The $37 billion supplement industry is barely regulated – and it’s allowing dangerous products to slip through the cracks”. Business Insider (2017).
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Man, great stuff, especially about Atkins drivel now re-branded as “keto diet” (listened to your YT vid on low carb). They must push such deficient diet in order to sell expensive supps. What a line-up – Asprey, Mercola, Berg, Sisson, Moore, etc. Con men incorporated. But most probably the biggest loon has to be Vinnie Tortorich – a lame celebrity trainer – who tells his clients to get rid of oats, quinoa, beans and fruits, which in his world is junk food making people fat and giving fatty liver, and drink olive oil from bottle (quote from one of his podcast). This is a new level of quackery.
Hi, Coach Abel. Have you ever seen this site? http://www.DoctorYourself.com This person has been suggesting megadosing vitamins (particularly Vitamin C) for a while. He’s a Linus Pauling devotee, of course. He also highlights the work of Abram Hoffer, MD, with regard to high doses of Niacin (Vitamin B3) for certain mental/mood disorders. He says his site is “Peer-Reviewed,” but I’m not sure about his peers.