51–60 of 168 posts
I think people take omega-3s for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. That's the benefit. The "brain boosting" effects, if any, are just a possible bonus.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
No control. I don't believe I am affected by placebo.
Interesting - how does one determine if they are “affected by placebo” or not?
Or in other words: if you're affected, you don't mind.
(I'm not even joking. If you're researching a substance to use it for others, you definitely need it to control for placebo. But if you're doing it just for yourself, you only need it to work, no matter why. Another story is if it stops working)
So basically once your body has all the nutrients it needs to grow or make the things it needs to make, it makes them. Even more extra stuff it doesn’t need, it doesn’t use. Makes sense. This also appears to apply to the immune system. There’s zero evidence that supplements that are supposed to “boost your immune system” do any such thing. Yes your immune system functions best if you have good nutrition, but that’s i…
I guess the argument would be that you don't know for sure whether your diet does provide all the nutrients your body needs, so supplements could be used to fill in any gaps. The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely.
Certain vitamins your body will dispose of safely (like vitamin C), but there's others that just build up until they kill you; there's the case of Xavier Mertz [0] who was theorized to have died from an excess of vitamin A after eating his sled dogs' livers.
But the basic rule is: just eat normally / "a balanced diet"; you likely don't need supplements unless you have absorption issues or stick to a specific diet (e.g. vegetarianism / veganism, soylent / diet shakes, or the same thing every day, like the 14 year old who only ate chips and ended up (partially) blind due to a vitamin deficiency [1])
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Mertz
[1] https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/L19-0361, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/british-teenager-went-blind-fro...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely. Well worded. From my personal experience, this assumption is dangerous. About 20 years ago I was having elevated AST/ALT liver enzymes three tests in a row indicating liver damage. Doctor ordered every test to see what was going on but everything came up negative. She asked me if I took a multivitamin which I did. She told me to stop. Haven’t…
What was in that multivitamin you took? Interesting anecdote but I worry you are throwing the baby out.
You are in a boat with holes in it (holes in this metaphor are nutritional deficiencies).
To prevent the boat from sinking you patch the holes under waterline starting from the largest. The boat continues to sink until all holes under the waterline are patched. You don't stop sinking by patching one hole again and again. After you have patched all holes under the waterline you can prepare for storm (old age, sickness) and patch holes above the waterline. You should start from the lowest and go upward.
lessons:
1. Measure. Blood test can determine if you have deficiencies you need to fix.
2. Once you have fixed one deficiency, fixing it by taking more does not help.
3. Fancy nutrients (phytonutrients, Omega-3) have very tiny effect size if it exists at all. They would be at the bottom of any list (healthy diet, exercise, sleep, right weight). If you don't get enough sleep your immune system and cognition are compromised and supplements don't compensate.
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ps. Body can synthesize omega-3 if there is enough α-linolenic acid (ALA) available. Aging may impair body's ability to make omega−3 fatty acids from ALA. _IF_ this is the case, omega-3 supplements _may_ help.
I don’t understand the author’s reading of the literature they cite. They refer to “isolated studies” and then link to a systematic review of 25 studies. They also linked to the same review twice for both memory and attention, which I assume is a mistake, because the review only supports the claim about memory. But none of these studies are about “brain-boosting”. They’re about preventing or reversing cognitive decli…
why is it that no one wants to study the effects of nootropics?
1. It’s a hard problem to quantify effects on cognitive functioning provided by nootropic supplements. We still have so much to learn about brain function;
2. Nootropics offer patent holders opportunities to make obscene amounts of money. As long as those supplements are (generally) safe to consume. That level of review requires R&D spending, but too much investigation may inadvertently reveal that these money-making “miracle” products are far less effective than the manufacturers claim.
reminds me of lecithin which was marketed in the 80s as helpful for the aging brain, turns out, lecithin does not cross the Blood-Brain barrier
Using your example of lecithin, there are numerous studies that show it is effective in improving/reversing fatty liver disease.
https://www.bcm.edu/news/lecithin-component-may-reduce-fatty...
There have been other studies that establish a link between liver health and alzheimers, even that protein from the liver can cause Alzheimer's disease in the brain.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210914152531.h...
That study aims to prove that high fat content in the liver could cause Azlheimer's. So indirectly, taking lecithin may help the brain, even though it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier!
Too many variables.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess the argument would be that you don't know for sure whether your diet does provide all the nutrients your body needs, so supplements could be used to fill in any gaps. The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely.
> The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely. Not always. Fat-soluable vitamins (A, D, E, and K) will build up in fat tissue and can lead to toxicity.
reminds me of lecithin which was marketed in the 80s as helpful for the aging brain, turns out, lecithin does not cross the Blood-Brain barrier
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess the argument would be that you don't know for sure whether your diet does provide all the nutrients your body needs, so supplements could be used to fill in any gaps. The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely.
> The assumption being that your body will just dispose of any excess safely. Not always. Fat-soluable vitamins (A, D, E, and K) will build up in fat tissue and can lead to toxicity.