It seems there is no single, straightforward answer to this question. Some doctors consider these supplements to be unnecessary or ineffective, while others recommend or endorse them.

Even conventional fish-oil supplements, such as Seven Seas Pulse Trio Omega Fish Oil Capsules, are sometimes regarded as offering little benefit and, therefore, as being a waste of money.

This raises a broader question: what about other commonly used supplements, such as potassium, magnesium, and similar vitamins and minerals? Are these genuinely beneficial, or are they likewise unnecessary for most people?

All worthless for healthy well fed people IMHO.

Obviously faddy eaters (like vegetarians) may need additives.

Unless a specific problem is diagnosed or you have a peculiar diet (I don't eat oily fish) or never go out into sunlight, I would say a waste of money.

Any reasonable, balanced diet will deliver what you need.

NO!

They are cheap, at half the price, if only for the Placebo effect.

Also, it is better to take Vitamin-C, rather than to risk scurvy.

Just ask Vitamin-C Pauling.

Unfortunately, poor Pauling lost to Watson and Crick, in the race to solve the structure of DNA.

Probably, Linus had not taken his vitamins, that day.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by GammaGlobulin

Like Mike B Bad mentioned, most multivitamins are a waste of money unless you have a deficiency. Supplements can help as you age, especially those that are produced by the body. Collagen, Creatine, Melatonin, Glucosamine, and DHEA. Supplementing these can help, especially with joint and skin health.

Taking daily electrolytes may be helpful here, i have one a day, 3-4 when exercising alot

48 minutes ago, ravip said:

Are multivitamins and supplements a waste of money?

It all depends on your diet.

3 to 5 servings of vegetables per day, 3 servings of fruit, some nuts, meat and eggs (protein) your should be good.

I'd say most here should be taking them, eating only packaged, processed foods, no fruit or vegetables etc.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by SAFETY FIRST

Supplements can be useful if you need them because of a deficiency, or simply feel better when taking them. The placebo effect can also be an important part of that. In the end, you choose what you believe is good for you based on what you read, understand, and how you feel.

23 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Like Mike B Bad mentioned, most multivitamins are a waste of money unless you have a deficiency. Supplements can help as you age, especially those that are produced by the body. Collagen, Creatine, Melatonin, Glucosamine, and DHEA. Supplementing these can help, especially with joint and skin health.

Multivitamins is waste of money, unless they feel better on it, and if is not mega doses, it is in general harmless for most.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by Hummin

By their nature supplements, well, supplement your diet. Nothing beats a healthy diet.

Caffeine pills might be considered a supplement, they definitely work to reduce fatigue, provide energy.

I say your most powerful arsenal are early to bed/early to rise, healthy diet, drink mostly water, regular exercise(all five types).

Intermittent Fasting (16/8) can be a very powerful tool to reduce inflammation, fix lingering issues. I did it for 30 days and was amazed by the results.

I didn't receive any noticeable benefit when I tried many different supposedly quality vitamin supplements. Blood tests showed no changes

I would also point to some of the people who live to be 100 don't take vitamin supplements.

Yes and no. I've never taken a multivitamin and I don't consider them to be a an effective use of money. However I think specific vitamins, minerals and especially herbs can be quite effective. It requires a lot of research and you really have to know your own body and your own conditions.

In particular I take herbal supplements from my vision which are absolutely remarkable, I take a few supplements for joint health which make a big difference, and I take supplements for my prostate which are quite effective.

You know they're working when symptoms that you've had in the past resurface after not taking them for a few days. My vision gets blurry within 2 days without the vision herbs and my urine flow diminishes dramatically without the prostate herbs within just a couple of days. Milk thistle in particular can dramatically lower fatty levels and this can be established through blood test.

I also take a green drink which is readily available in Thailand. I'm able to source organic broccoli, spinach, beetroot, barley grass, spirulina, and kale online and they are incredibly dynamic forms of brain food which increase memory, energy, and can prevent Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by spidermike007

Per Sheldon Cooper, "Multivitamins only provide the ingredients for 'very expensive urine' because the human body can only absorb a limited amount."

I stopped taking my multi vitamin because I determined :

• most stuff I am getting enough from diet

• the multi vitamins are badly formulated -- some vitamins have 5% of RDA, and some are over 100% RDA. some vitamin percentages are too low and may be useless. some vitamins may be too high in RDA and cause problems.

• some stuff can be bad to supplement -- iron, calcium, ...

• best to determine what you need and what is a safe and effective dose and take it seperately. and if you diet is good, most stuff in there you won't need.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by save the frogs

This is an interesting article on multivitamins and IMO seems well balanced.......

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/the-best-and-worst-supplements-for-your-brain/premium/DZBWR3ZIWBDSFNV2DV2L343Y7Q/

expensive urine they say

4 hours ago, ravip said:

It seems there is no single, straightforward answer to this question. Some doctors consider these supplements to be unnecessary or ineffective, while others recommend or endorse them.

Even conventional fish-oil supplements, such as Seven Seas Pulse Trio Omega Fish Oil Capsules, are sometimes regarded as offering little benefit and, therefore, as being a waste of money.

This raises a broader question: what about other commonly used supplements, such as potassium, magnesium, and similar vitamins and minerals? Are these genuinely beneficial, or are they likewise unnecessary for most people?

Advertisement

All supplements and Vitamins are a waste of money , You just read and listen to what is said and written. They all say & write that there stuff MAY help or do this and that But there's Not even One that can Prove that they actually do work.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by digger70

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

Multivitamins is waste of money, unless they feel better on it, and if is not mega doses, it is in general harmless for most.

Harmless except for the money extracted from your wallet which is billions upon billions every year...and now we have every tom dick harry and mary on you tube with cures for every ailment ever known....eat a spooful of peanut butter at night and magic health is yours....do a few exercises every day and never have an ache or pain again....eat oatmeal, don't eat oatmeal, eat meat, don't eat meat, eat bread don't eat bread....an avacado a day , a bowl of blueberries, some exotic tree bark you have never heard of....and on and on ad infinitum...go to you tube and find 100 videos on why this or that is great for you..then find another 100 that say it is horrible for you....and of course many of them try to sell you some plan or some supplement or whatever once their click bait has sucked you in and some "doctor" in his nice white coat (stethascope hanging around neck)practically guarantees whatever particular snake oil they are pushing...maybe soem of them actually are helpful, maybe lots of them are totally worthless, maybe some actually harm you

Once upon a time there was a thing called truth in advertising....that seems to have vanished now and the wild wild west has taken over on FB you tube etc where it appears you can pretty much claim anything you can dream up to get the clicks and the $$...

common disclaimer on many supplement bottles today: "this product is not inteneded to diagnose, treat, crure or prevent any disease"....now give me your credit card and buy a $50 bottle of it please....our pretend doctors need to buy a new bmw.

1 minute ago, pomchop said:

Harmless except for the money extracted from your wallet which is billions upon billions every year...and now we have every tom dick harry and mary on you tube with cures for every ailment ever known....eat a spooful of peanut butter at night and magic health is yours....do a few exercises every day and never have an ache or pain again....eat oatmeal, don't eat oatmeal, eat meat, don't eat meat, eat bread don't eat bread....an avacado a day , a bowl of blueberries, some exotic tree bark you have never heard of....and on and on ad infinitum...go to you tube and find 100 videos on why this or that is great for you..then find another 100 that say it is horrible for you....and of course many of them try to sell you some plan or some supplement or whatever once their click bait has sucked you in and some "doctor" in his nice white coat (stethascope hanging around neck)practically guarantees whatever particular snake oil they are pushing...maybe soem of them actually are helpful, maybe lots of them are totally worthless, maybe some actually harm you

Once upon a time there was a thing called truth in advertising....that seems to have vanished now and the wild wild west has taken over on FB you tube etc where it appears you can pretty much claim anything you can dream up to get the clicks and the $$...

common disclaimer on many supplement bottles today: "this product is not inteneded to diagnose, treat, crure or prevent any disease"....now give me your credit card and buy a $50 bottle of it please....our pretend doctors need to buy a new bmw.

Well said about social media experts. A worrying trend where you can find and confirm every information and misinformation. Just wear a white white coat and maybe a stethoscope and you are a respected medical expert.

For decades, the medical community is discussing this subject.

• My humble contribution: I rarely eat salads, veggies or fruits. Not for the last 30 years. I just don't like this stuff. Instead I have been taking a double dose of vitamin/mineral supplements in form of tablets also for the last 30 years. I made it to the age of 74. It must be working, otherwise I would not be able to write this comment today.

If you buy quality ones, and only take what you need, then fine. If watch every ding dong YT doc or infomercial, then a waste.

28 minutes ago, pomchop said:

Harmless except for the money extracted from your wallet which is billions upon billions every year...and now we have every tom dick harry and mary on you tube with cures for every ailment ever known....eat a spooful of peanut butter at night and magic health is yours....do a few exercises every day and never have an ache or pain again....eat oatmeal, don't eat oatmeal, eat meat, don't eat meat, eat bread don't eat bread....an avacado a day , a bowl of blueberries, some exotic tree bark you have never heard of....and on and on ad infinitum...go to you tube and find 100 videos on why this or that is great for you..then find another 100 that say it is horrible for you....and of course many of them try to sell you some plan or some supplement or whatever once their click bait has sucked you in and some "doctor" in his nice white coat (stethascope hanging around neck)practically guarantees whatever particular snake oil they are pushing...maybe soem of them actually are helpful, maybe lots of them are totally worthless, maybe some actually harm you

Once upon a time there was a thing called truth in advertising....that seems to have vanished now and the wild wild west has taken over on FB you tube etc where it appears you can pretty much claim anything you can dream up to get the clicks and the $$...

common disclaimer on many supplement bottles today: "this product is not inteneded to diagnose, treat, crure or prevent any disease"....now give me your credit card and buy a $50 bottle of it please....our pretend doctors need to buy a new bmw.

The business is full of contradictions, where small studies are taken out of context and single ingredients are mixed together to claim a hypothetical effect that is neither proven nor approved. Still, I would not throw everything under the bus and deny that some ingredients may have an effect on some people, even if sometimes it is only placebo. Denying everything usually has another effect too, where the Big Pharma conspiracies start to play out.

And that is the bigger question. One person believing something strange may be harmless. The problem starts when enough people act on it. Conspiracy thinking can make people avoid treatment, waste money, distrust everything, harass others, or make decisions based on false claims. Once enough people start messing around with it, it becomes a social problem, not just a personal belief.

1 hour ago, swissie said:

For decades, the medical community is discussing this subject.

• My humble contribution: I rarely eat salads, veggies or fruits. Not for the last 30 years. I just don't like this stuff. Instead I have been taking a double dose of vitamin/mineral supplements in form of tablets also for the last 30 years. I made it to the age of 74. It must be working, otherwise I would not be able to write this comment today.

Nobody reads my posts. Perfectly ok. After all, this is a "intellectual forum". The medics (and others) doing battle endlessly.

Remedy: Read my post, making further discussions concerning this matter an eternal medical "merry go round".

• The human organism does not care in what form essential vitamins/minerals are supplied. I am living proof of it.

2 hours ago, swissie said:

For decades, the medical community is discussing this subject.

• My humble contribution: I rarely eat salads, veggies or fruits. Not for the last 30 years. I just don't like this stuff. Instead I have been taking a double dose of vitamin/mineral supplements in form of tablets also for the last 30 years. I made it to the age of 74. It must be working, otherwise I would not be able to write this comment today.

74 years is not old. My mother is 94 years old.

31 minutes ago, msbkk said:

74 years is not old. My mother is 94 years old.

Glad to hear. With or without "veggies"? That's the subject here.

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

The business is full of contradictions, where small studies are taken out of context and single ingredients are mixed together to claim a hypothetical effect that is neither proven nor approved. Still, I would not throw everything under the bus and deny that some ingredients may have an effect on some people, even if sometimes it is only placebo. Denying everything usually has another effect too, where the Big Pharma conspiracies start to play out.

And that is the bigger question. One person believing something strange may be harmless. The problem starts when enough people act on it. Conspiracy thinking can make people avoid treatment, waste money, distrust everything, harass others, or make decisions based on false claims. Once enough people start messing around with it, it becomes a social problem, not just a personal belief.

Agree...especially how easily some people fall for all sorts of tin foil hat conspiracy theories when a simple check would show them they are total and complete BS/Lies.....Overall it is each persons decision where they spend their money, what online docs and studies have crediblie evidence that can be verified and of course which pills they take or advice they offer. I do wish there were once again more controls on out right provable false advertising and/or fraud. I have taken a vitamin for decades. I am still not sure if it helps me but far as i can tell it does not seem to hurt me though of course i am not 100% sure of that either. Nevertheless i have spent a lot of $$ over the decades buying them.

But as we are all aware a lot of the claims certainly seem to be too good to be true and we all know the old axiom re that saying....as much as i would like to believe a spoonful of peanut butter at bedtime would magically burn pounds of stomach fat while i sleep my mind tells me to dream on. Weight loss, supplements, etc are a multibillion $$ biz which seem to me to have very few controls over what can be advertised, claimed, sold. Maybe i can start my own product line and convice a few million people that eating 4 of my "specially sourced" raisins a day will make you look and feel like you're 25 y.o. again. Bitcoin payment only.

I work in the sun and go through a lot of water. I feel half a Centrum Silver with lunch every few days replaces a lot of the minerals I have been peeing out. But, I'm not a physician so who knows.......

Also suppose to have anti-ageing effects which is probably why I still feel 25yrs between my ears. 😉

8 hours ago, swissie said:

Glad to hear. With or without "veggies"? That's the subject here.

With natural food, no supplements.

It's a scam business. Lots of fake claims with cherry picked data from questionable studies support them. I only take ones with actual scientific studies showing a benefit. For example people have been taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements for joints forever to the cost of billions of dollars a year when there's no real tests showing any benefits. The opposite exactly as it's now shown to speed up the progression of dementia/Parkinson's once they start.

No.

Next! 👈