Hi guys, let’s clear some supplement confusions especially about protein, creatine, bcaas. Here’s why we shouldn’t take them and what supplements should you be taking. Stick around to find out!
Protein
Most of us know protein is a very overrated nutrient. But by how much?
On average, we get 70% more protein than we need everyday. Including those on a plant based diet. Only 3% of Americans are protein deficient but 97% of Americans are Fiber deficient. So we don’t have to worry about protein at all, we should instead be asking ourselves if we are getting enough fiber.
But if you still want to take protein supplements for whatever reason, do be aware that almost 50% of protein supplements have lead concentrations above the safe limit.
So we don’t need protein supplements at all, get your protein from whole plant sources which are risk free as well. To me, protein supplements are known as expensive pee.
Creatine
Creatine acts as a quick energy boost when your oxygen and blood sugars are running low. Creatine has been shown to improve memory in vegetarians but decrease memory in meat eaters. This maybe because meat eaters have down regulated creatine synthesis because they get it from eating animal muscles. But plant eaters are making supplements all the time so taking creatine supplement gives them an extra boost.
Also, half of the 33 brands of creatine supplements have been shown to contain contaminants and heavy metals. The link to the study will be in the description below. So I’d be on the safe side and stay away from creatine supplements as it’s something we don’t really need anyway.
BCAAs
It’s a very similar story for BCAAs, there are studies showing the effectiveness in improving muscle protein synthesis but there are also other studies showing a lowering of synthesis. So whether BCAAs actually help us is questionable. But here’s why we should not take BCAAs at all.
Our body can’t handle refined foods very well such as refined carbs raising your blood sugar, refined oils, thickening your blood, and also refined protein, raising IGF1 which fuels all stages of cancer.
Yup, so BCAAs might not actually be good for you after all.
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9
Iron
Too little iron causes anemia, but if we absorb too much, we maybe increasing our risk from colorectal cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders and inflammation.
Iron from plant sources can be regulated by the body if you take too much. But if you take too much iron from animals, heme iron, the body can’t regulate it and will pass through the intestinal walls. Why is that bad? Iron is a can induce oxidative stress, DNA damage and has cancer causing abilities.
A recent study found that a significant increase in oxidative stress in women taking iron supplements. So we should be getting our iron from plant sources together with vitamin C to help iron absorption.
Omega3s
Omega 3s have been shown to minimize brain shrinkage but helping heart health is questionable. However, we should not be taking omega 3s from fish and fish oil because the same fish has mercury and other toxic compounds that will impair your health instead.
So we should ideally be taking a contaminant free source of Omega 3s. Doctor Greger recommends 250mg a day either from a plant derived supplement or a tablespoon of flaxseeds everyday.
Multivitamins
In 2013, a meta analysis of 21 Randomized Controlled Trials covering 90000 people showed no significant association with heart attack, stroke or mortality.
Americans spend over $11 billion a year on supplements, that should have been spend on actual sources of vitamins which are fruits and vegetables. So multivitamins are just a waste of money.
Vitamin C
200mg of Vitamin C a day had the lowest stroke risk and it’s the optimal daily intake. Vitamin C supplements had no effect on lifespan, heart attack risk, stroke or cancer risk.
So, vitamin C supplements are just a waste of money as well. You can get up to 200mg of Vitamin C with just 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which isn’t that hard to do.
Vitamin B12
We need Vitamin B12 for optimal artery function and better brain health. And it’s recommended to take 250mg daily or 2500mg a week. Vitamin B12 isn’t produced by plants, it isn’t made by animals either. It’s produced by bacteria and micro-organisms like yeast and algae.
So if you want a pollutant free, fat and cholesterol free source of B12, you can get it from nutritional yeast, fortified cereals and the cheapest is taking a B12 supplement. And yes, eating B12 supplements actually has positive effects on arterial and brain health. It’s less than $10 a year so it’s one of the only few supplements worth taking.
Vitamin D
This is also another supplement worth considering. 9 out of 10 people fail to reach the optimal daily value of 2000IU a day. Vitamin D as we all know, is produced by our exposure to sunlight. We get enough Vitamin D by exposing ourselves to just 15 minutes of sunlight.
However, that may be true if you’re living in ancient times. Now, we have harmful UV rays which does more than damage our skin, there is also a cancer risk, causes cataracts and makes you look older.
Plants and animals don’t produce Vitamin D either. Only UV exposed mushrooms actually, but if you eat them everyday, it can get expensive. That’s why we are better off taking Vitamin D supplements at 2000IU a day, 3000 units if you are older or obese, and costs around $10 a year.
So Vitamin B12 and D are the only 2 nutrients that isn’t commonly found in our diet and taking supplements actually have a beneficial effect. And for around $10 a year, there are simply no reasons why we shouldn’t buy them until proven otherwise.
Aaroiseverything 