Many supplements do not work.
I should know. I review them extensively.
Moreover, I take them myself.
From experience, some supplements work, and some don’t.
Why is that?
How do you know which one works?
With so many doubts about their effectiveness, are supplements worth it?
Are supplements worth it, or it’s just a big waste of money?
Everyone I know takes some type of supplements.
My sister, brother, mom, cousins, uncles, aunties, and friends take supplements.
They take it in the hope of bolstering their health and prevent their risk of diseases.
I always advise them which supplements work and which ones are just a big waste of money.
Scientifically proven supplements
The supplements worth taking contain ingredients that are scientifically proven.
How do you know which supplements are scientifically proven?
You need to do tons of research on each ingredient.
That’s what I’ve been doing most of my time.
I’ve been reviewing many supplements and their ingredients.
Researching about ingredients and their effectiveness is my job.
That’s how I came to write the “Are supplements worth it?” article.
If you are thinking of buying supplements for yourself and your family.
You should do your due diligence.
There are much information and misinformation out on the internet.
That’s why it’s best to go to credible sources.
The best sources to find much research on dietary supplement ingredients are from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
NCBI has tons of research journals on many ingredients that are used by dietary supplements, among others.
However, I know you probably don’t have the time to do it all yourself. I know how time-consuming researching each ingredient.
Looking up clinical trials, toxicity reports, and journals can be tedious and boring if you are not into these kinds of stuff.
You don’t have to do that when you buy our supplements. We’ve gone through many research hours to find the best ingredients to lose weight, help with joint pains, aids insomnia, and improve skin health.
Supplements that are scientifically proven works.
But, I see so many supplement companies selling supplements containing ingredients that have not been tested on humans and lack scientific evidence.
The lack of evidence and companies selling them as magic pills has many people asking, are supplements worth it?
What I want most is for people to take supplements that change lives. That’s why we started Healthful Papa supplements.
We try to provide supplements that are backed by evidence and tested on humans. We’re not in it for the money.
Well, I’m not going to lie. We need money to keep providing supplements that work.
The following are some of our scientifically proven supplements:
- Green Coffee 50 GCA
- Turmeric with Bioperine
- Vitamin K2 + D3
- Ageless
Green Coffee 50 GCA
Green coffee is our potent weight loss supplement. What makes green coffee effective against fat is its chlorogenic acid.
Green coffee is the unroasted version of coffee beans. Coffee beans are generally green but turn dark when roasted.
When coffee beans are roasted, it loses most of its valuable chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is essentially an antioxidant.
As you know, antioxidants have been touted for their cancer-fighting properties. But, the chlorogenic acid may have the stuff to suppress appetite, according to the following study:
Now, I’m not the sort of person to rely on word of mouth. I would instead try it myself before giving a verdict and recommendation.
Green Coffee 50 GCA helped me suppress my appetite by managing my hunger hormone level.
We have two hunger hormones. One is leptin, and the other is ghrelin. Leptin tells our brain to stop eating because we are full. Ghrelin tells the brain to eat because we are hungry.
Obese people have high amounts of leptin. The problem is that they are leptin-resistant.
When you are leptin resistant, your brain thinks you need to eat because leptin is not reaching your brain.
Turmeric with Bioperine
I’m going to be honest. I haven’t put our Turmeric with Bioperine to the test. I will do so after a week to wash out any Green Coffee 50 GCA remaining in my system.
Turmeric is excellent for joint pains due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Also, it has helped me with my lower back and knee problems.
I broke my back a long time ago due to being a hero on the squat machine. And now, my back has never been the same.
Sitting down for too long, driving long distances can make my lower back sore. And I can’t bend down for too long.
And my meniscus has thinned due to, apparently, playing too much basketball. After a long bout of a hard workout, I get pains in my knee.
Taking Turmeric Bioperine helped reduce my sore back and knee pain significantly. Turmeric Bioperine is an excellent supplement for joint pain.
But what about weight loss?
Turmeric is already great for its anti-inflammatory properties. However, studies have shown that turmeric can also aid in weight loss.
It’s been suggested that turmeric can increase base metabolic rate, increasing energy burned and weight loss.
[source: The Effects of Curcumin on Weight Loss Among Patients With Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials]
As mentioned, I haven’t tested Turmeric Bioperine for myself. Stay tuned for the update. If you need help with joint pains, you can check out our Turmeric Bioperine. I’m sure it can work wonders for you as it did for me and many others.
Vitamin K2 + D3
Vitamin D is mostly made in the skin with exposure to the sun. Natural foods do not contain a lot of Vitamin D unless they are fortified.
If you’re low in vitamin D like I am, you might consider supplementing your diet with Vitamin K2 + D3.
Many people in the world are vitamin D deficient. And a little lack of vitamin D can lead to tiredness, aches, and pains.
Over time, severe lack of vitamin D decreases bone density and increases fracture risks.
Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and early death.
The treatment of vitamin D deficiency is through supplementation.
[source: VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND THE CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES]
So, what’s with vitamin K?
Vitamin K is vitamin D’s best friend. Vitamin K tells vitamin D where it supposes to be and does not end up in your blood vessels.
Without vitamin K, too much vitamin D may cause hypercalcemia. A condition with high amounts of vitamin D in the blood. It can weaken bones, create kidney stones, and interferes with how your brain and heart work.
Ageless
Would you like to have glowing skin? How about getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles?
You can look ten years younger with our skincare product aptly called, Ageless.
With a proprietary formula, including Vitamin C, MSM, Vitamin E, and Hyaluronic acid.
Vitamin C – Proven effective in reducing skin-related disorders that come with aging.
[source: Vitamin C in dermatology]
MSM – Human combination studies with four peeling sessions using pyruvic acid and MSM once every two weeks improved the degree of pigmentation of melisma, skin elasticity, and the degree of wrinkling.
[source: Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement]
Vitamin E – Vitamin E has been in use for more than 50 years in dermatology. It is an important ingredient in many cosmetic products. It protects the skin from various harmful effects due to solar radiation.
[source: Vitamin E in dermatology]
Hyaluronic acid – HA has impressive hydrating and skin conditioning properties. Hyaluronic acid moisturizes and softens skin, providing long-lasting hydration. It also soothes skin by reducing inflammation and supports repair for healthy and supple skin.
[source: Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging]
Should you take supplements?
Should you take supplements? It depends on your current situation. If your aim is to lose weight, then you don’t need to take supplements. Supplements are there to help your efforts. You are making things a little easier and faster.
If you are low in vitamin D, you should consider taking supplements, especially if you are dark-skinned or don’t get enough sun.
Having dark skin can decrease your production of vitamin D in your skin due to your natural sun barrier.
When you live in places such as Antarctica, you may not be getting enough UV rays to produce vitamin D.
I take supplements because I am low in vitamin D, I don’t like to take drugs, and help speed things up.
I am losing weight much quicker with a supplement compared to not taking any. Without supplements, it took me four months to lose 3 kilograms. But, I was losing weight.
If you’re not patient enough like I am, you can take weight loss supplements to aid you in your effort.
Are supplements worth taking for bodybuilding?
When you are trying to build muscle, you need plenty of protein. It can be hard when you need about 1.6 grams to 2.2 grams per kg of your bodyweight to build muscle.
That’s 26.4 grams of protein per 4 meals if you are 66 kg or 105.6 grams of protein a day. This is a minimum when you want to build muscles.
You will need more if you weigh more than 66 kg. And much more if you want the optimal amount of 2.2 grams of protein per kg of your body weight.
Everyone is busy these days. Taking supplements is a convenient way of handling your daily protein needs for bodybuilding.
Is it good to take a multivitamin every day?
People that are eating healthy shouldn’t need to take multivitamins. However, there are exceptions. They are the following:
- Elderly
- Calorie deficit diet
- Pregnant
- Malabsorption conditions
- Some medications
Elderly
As you age, you may not be eating as well as you used to. It could be due to medical conditions such as difficulty chewing, difficulty swallowing, change in taste, lack of appetite.
The elderly are advised to take vitamin B12 because they have trouble absorbing it from food.
Calorie deficit diet
When you are eating less than your daily calorie intake, you may lack vitamins and minerals.
If you are on a diet to lose weight, eating less is often prescribed together with exercise.
Pregnant
Women are advised to take 600 micrograms of folate weeks after conception to prevent spina bifida or anencephaly.
Spina bifida is a congenital disability that causes a baby’s spinal cord not to develop.
Anencephaly is when a baby is born with an underdeveloped brain and an incomplete skull.
Malabsorption conditions
Some people can’t absorb vitamins and minerals correctly. Taking multivitamins can help with proper nutrition.
Some medications
Blood pressure-lowering medications can reduce your body of magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
Medicines for acid reflux and heartburn can prevent the absorption of B12 and possibly magnesium and calcium.
Multivitamins are beneficial, but if you can get all the nutrients you need from food, you don’t need to take supplements.
Are supplements safe
Supplements are safe when it’s from a GMP certified, and FDA registered. Being GMP certified means that the manufacturer must follow good manufacturing practices. Or there are enormous financial consequences.
It doesn’t hurt to make sure that an independent third party examined the final product to ensure safety and effectiveness.
You can ask the seller for GMP certifications and supplement analysis. And, if they can’t provide them for you, there are other sellers you can try.
Are supplements safe? Yes, with a big but.
Do supplements work
To be frank, yes.
Supplements work when backed by scientific data, human trials, and manufactured following good manufacturing practices.
Supplements do not work when there is no research behind the formulation.
When a supplement’s formula is backed by research but manufactured in a non-GMP compliant facility, it won’t work due to a lack of ingredients or doesn’t have the right amount.
Conclusion
Some people don’t have a choice but to take supplements to keep healthy. And others need to take supplements as a precautionary measure against defects, infections, or diseases.
Supplements can also help by making things easier or hastens the process.
Are supplements worth it?
It’s definitely worth your money when you buy supplements that are manufactured in a GMP-certified facility and tested by an independent third party.
There should also be the research behind a supplement’s formulation. Tests on humans are also a prerequisite and not on mice or other animals. We are a different species to animals, after all.
When you need a hand with losing weight, bone health, sleep, or general well-being, check out these weight loss product reviews.
Ladies and gents, gather round, I’ve got a tale to tell. Picture this: a body that refuses to bulk up, paired with a metabolism slower than a snail’s race to the finish line. It’s a curse, I tell ya! But fear not, my friends, for I took this challenge head-on and became a scholar in all things weight loss and nutrition. And now, I’m here to share my tales of triumph (and some struggles) with you all, so you too can finally achieve that bod of your dreams! flex (just kidding, still workin’ on it).
— Christian Tanobey
