Supplements: Flushing your money down the toilet in expensive urine

[BlueStreak]

87. The studies he cites are extraordinarily narrow

To categorically make the claims he made gives him no credibility at all, in my book. I have no doubt that there are some very zealous purveyors of supplements that have no basis for their claims. But to generalize to say (essentially) "It is foolish to take multi-vitamins" is preposterous.

I could say the same thing about statins. I am not aware of a single credible study that proves beyond a statistical doubt that statins actually prolong life. There are plenty of studies that show statins can lower the LDL levels. And there are some studies that show a coincidence of high LDLs and heart attacks. But I'm not aware of convincing studies that show lowering of the LDL numbers with statins actually makes a difference in mortality.

But we make risk-reward decisions and take statins on the basis that there probably is a connection.

Another issue is that studies are very expensive. Who would fund the studies that show the benefits of the various vitamins, considering that the benefits are thought to be very long-term things?

I'd like to know who is funding this schmuck. I bet there is a lot of Big Pharma money behind him.

Personally, I'm going to continue taking my multi-vitamins, fish oil, niacin, and baby aspirin. That all costs me about $1 per day. I can't prove that it keeps me healthy, but in fact, I haven't been in a hospital bed (other than routine screening tests for 55 years. I rarely get the flu and colds are rather mild. I'm sure there are Pharma companies out there that think I would be better off giving them $500 a month.