Mainstream society’s war on supplements in Germany

[sholomar]

Humans used to eat far more roughage than we do today, everything from exotic forms of plants and roots we don't even consider food today, to bones and organ meats for certain nutrients, along with insects such as grasshoppers (which is in fact why they try to escape from us), which is why we have supplements today. Heck even many supposedly healthy plant based foods are fortified with vitamins, and milk has been fortified forever as have cereals. Salt has been fortified with iodine forever also.

I would agree most supplements are not required, but some are, and if they aren't hurting anything I don't see the big deal. I think certain forms of medicine such as Chinese medicine are perhaps overlooked. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by sholomar

[Heinrich Faust]

On 10.10.2020 at 0:21 PM, Advocate said:

Honestly I’m baffled by such a perspective. Why would these institutions keep people from taking stuff that could potentially safe their lives? Is it just fear? Stage orange materialist medicine? Or even a naive green attitude towards “unnatural” supplements?

I think, they mostly review the average supplements which are not very bioactive and stuff.

Additional to the points already mentioned, you have to take into account the special situation in Germany. I don't know any other country where it is so cheap and easy to source supplements like in Germany/Austria. You have these huge chemist's chains (DM, Rossmann, Budni, Müller, BIPA) with literally hundreds of supplements at ridiculously low prices. That itself is a nice thing. E.g., in Sweden, you get such stuff only at the pharmacy and pay five times what you would at a German chemist's. The downside is, most of it is not of the best quality, and most people probably have no clue what they actually need and consume whatever sounds good to them. And, of course, nearly no-one takes into account various interactions of different supplements.

Btw, here's a German article on that:
https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/inhalt-03-2004/pharm1-03-2004/
It's rather old, but it explains some pitfalls, and why supplementation often fails for the average punter.

[Advocate]

@Heinrich Faust I agree, you made some good points. And thanks for the article. 

[SgtPepper]

Unless you're eating fish daily, Vitamin D packed mushrooms, and/or drinking raw milk, it's a good idea to supplement Vitamin D.

You can get daily natural occurring Vitamin D from Cod Liver Oil which is what I do along with a basic Vitamin D supplement.

Just to emphasize other's message. Vitamin D is super super important. I would always get low energy and depressed during the winter and it cleared 90% just by supplementing vitamin D daily. 

Edited March 26, 2021 by SgtPepper

[Danioover9000]

   This is just pure stupid and criminal for attempting to have tighter regulations on vitamin D when such a supplement could have a net positive on the immune system's ability to handle the virus. Vitamn D = healthier body. Why is this so hard to understand?

[Lyubov]

I'm going to state a somewhat dissenting opinion when it comes to this topic. I do support a societal reevaluation and some more regulation in this industry if it warrants it. There is a ton of devilry in the supplement industry. A lot of shit will make it to store shelves and you don't even know if what you are getting is actually it, purity, quality, etc. On top of that, we have talk of medicine men in here. The whole point of the medicine man is that he follows a tradition and training that has been passed down through tons of trial and error. Just cause someone read online some vitamin or alternative medicine will help them and goes out and buys it doesn't mean they have actually been trained to use it properly or if it conflicts with anything else they are taking. I support alternative medicine and realize mainstream medicine is more conservative but I don't think that is entirely a bad thing. There are tons crooks and wackos out there that have scammed a ton in the supplement industry. Mainstream medicine also will fall into this trap but there is at least more oversight and discourse when it comes to it. 

 

[Heinrich Faust]

 @SgtPepper I would stick with a fluid vitamin D supplement. Cod liver oil usually is contaminated by environmental toxins from the sea, like mercury. In addition, it's rancid. This is not just disgusting, the rancidness are actually free radicals. And if you take too much of it, you risk a grave vitamin A overdose. That's not a funny thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A

[diamondpenguin]

5 hours ago, Heinrich Faust said:

 @SgtPepper I would stick with a fluid vitamin D supplement. Cod liver oil usually is contaminated by environmental toxins from the sea, like mercury. In addition, it's rancid. This is not just disgusting, the rancidness are actually free radicals. And if you take too much of it, you risk a grave vitamin A overdose. That's not a funny thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A

@Heinrich Faust honestly brother, I dont understand what a free radical is. Can you explain to me?

[Heinrich Faust]

There are so many articles about free radicals on the web, e.g: https://www.livescience.com/54901-free-radicals.html