All pills are not snake oil
Jozzmenia
Posts: 252 Member
I'm sorry I just get annoyed that I've read so many questions about supplements, and people just cut and paste "only a calorie deficit works". Or instantly post the thing doesn't work and is snake oil and will only lean your pockets. People have posted about medical issues and that's the response without reading, i.e. "my doctor prescribed such and such for my bad liver. will it make me gain weight"? response: "there are no magic pills." smh.
I realize there are no pills that you eat whatever you want and live on the couch and lose 50 pounds a day. But some supplements might effectively curb your appetite, or give you the energy to work out, etc. and even if it is a placebo effect on some of them, so what? If you're eating better and working out more and blame the pill, what's the harm unless it's actually dangerous. I think posting that a supplement is snake oil without knowing anything about it is just as reckless as promoting something you know nothing about. Supplements obviously work for some people. I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
I realize there are no pills that you eat whatever you want and live on the couch and lose 50 pounds a day. But some supplements might effectively curb your appetite, or give you the energy to work out, etc. and even if it is a placebo effect on some of them, so what? If you're eating better and working out more and blame the pill, what's the harm unless it's actually dangerous. I think posting that a supplement is snake oil without knowing anything about it is just as reckless as promoting something you know nothing about. Supplements obviously work for some people. I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
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With the exception of prescribed medication, yes, a majority of "weight loss" pills are "snake oil".0
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Are you a snake-oil lobbyist?0
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Like I told my mom today - if her calcium is low, she should first eat a calcium rich diet. If it still doesn't work, take OTC calcium pills. If it's still a problem after enough time, it's time for a prescription.
We should try the basics first before jumping to medicating ourselves.0 -
Oh dear.
And it is dangerous to be taking random crap that you have no knowledge of just because some idiot on tv said it would help you lose an extra pound.0 -
I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
Then do that. Be the change you want to see on the boards. But scolding the boards for not doing what you want probably isn't going to get the effect you're looking for.0 -
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You know what they call alternative medicine that works?
Medicine.0 -
Technically, even if pills worked, it would still be a calorie deficit, you'd just be changing the calories out part of the equation.
I'm going to say 90% of supplements are placebo effect at best.
Here's a vague list of things the few things work:
Caffeine: increases NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogensis) might every so slightly increase BMR until you're used to it
Creatine: gives some increases in muscle endurance, increases lean body tissue a little via water retention in muscle
Actual prescription medications: can be effective, but obviously require a prescription if you're being on the up and up, and should be done under medical supervision
That's about it off the top of my head.0 -
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If I post telling someone a pill for weight loss/appetite suppressant is snake oil, it's because I've tried it and found out the hard way that it's snake oil. I want to save money and annoyance for that person, not shove my agenda down his/her throat.0
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Want to know specific research on a supplement?
Just go to http://examine.com/ . It tracks a lot of them and compiles the clinical research done on supplement effects.0 -
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Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents0 -
Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents
Except that OP is stating about weight loss supplements (or at least that's how I read it).
Taking things that you are deficient in is fine. There is a difference between taking a Vit D supplement because you have a medical need and taking lets say Hydroxycut to lose weight.0 -
Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents
We're not talking about vitamin supplements here, though. Of course you should take a vitamin D supplement if you're deficient and don't get enough through diet and sunlight. That's basic sense. We're not against vitamin/mineral supplements if you need them, or protein supplements if you don't get enough protein through diet. We're talking about 'weightloss' pills... which are snake oil.0 -
I have tried a LOT of supplements that were supposed to curb appetite. None of them worked for me personally. I did spend one month on a low dose of RX appetite suppressant at the outset of my weight loss effort. That did work. At the end of the month I tapered off because I had my habits established and had shrunk my stomach enough to cope with the smaller portions. Some people use other tactics like a bowl of low cal broth, a garden salad with low cal dressing, or an apple before the main meal. That is def cheaper than supplements and is something I would recommend.0
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Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents
Except that OP is stating about weight loss supplements (or at least that's how I read it).
Taking things that you are deficient in is fine. There is a difference between taking a Vit D supplement and taking lets say Hydroxycut to lose weight.
There's also a big difference between getting an injection prescribed by your doctor and taking whatever you read about on the Internet and bought over the counter.0 -
I'm sorry I just get annoyed that I've read so many questions about supplements, and people just cut and paste "only a calorie deficit works". Or instantly post the thing doesn't work and is snake oil and will only lean your pockets. People have posted about medical issues and that's the response without reading, i.e. "my doctor prescribed such and such for my bad liver. will it make me gain weight"? response: "there are no magic pills." smh.
I realize there are no pills that you eat whatever you want and live on the couch and lose 50 pounds a day. But some supplements might effectively curb your appetite, or give you the energy to work out, etc. and even if it is a placebo effect on some of them, so what? If you're eating better and working out more and blame the pill, what's the harm unless it's actually dangerous. I think posting that a supplement is snake oil without knowing anything about it is just as reckless as promoting something you know nothing about. Supplements obviously work for some people. I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
I'm interested, which supplements work and for which people?0 -
Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents
I don't think those are the supplements people are talking about. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this is a thread about diet pills.
Edited because 6 people already beat me to it. Here is something about diet pills that has not been mentioned, though: It's one of L7's best songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuM0VcjEG8 0 -
Agree with Jozz. All things are not snakeoil. Everyones circumstances and life are different and require differing approaches. I am 48 and i work at night. 12-14 hours at night and a goodly portion of the next day is spent sleeping. Hey, guess what i am vit. D deficient what a surprise. Oh you say i should eat better, guess again i eat great. Oh get more sun. Guess again again, i have to sleep. Is that not important to my health? So sue me i take a vit. D supplement and has helped enormously. I also use protein as well as creatine and supplement my B12 via... Wait for it. INJECTIONS. Oh my heavens.
Heads out of the sand people and sometimes outside the box also.
My 2 cents
Except that OP is stating about weight loss supplements (or at least that's how I read it).
Taking things that you are deficient in is fine. There is a difference between taking a Vit D supplement and taking lets say Hydroxycut to lose weight.
There's also a big difference between getting an injection prescribed by your doctor and taking whatever you read about on the Internet and bought over the counter.
Agreed 100%0 -
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I'm sorry I just get annoyed that I've read so many questions about supplements, and people just cut and paste "only a calorie deficit works". Or instantly post the thing doesn't work and is snake oil and will only lean your pockets. People have posted about medical issues and that's the response without reading, i.e. "my doctor prescribed such and such for my bad liver. will it make me gain weight"? response: "there are no magic pills." smh.
I realize there are no pills that you eat whatever you want and live on the couch and lose 50 pounds a day. But some supplements might effectively curb your appetite, or give you the energy to work out, etc. and even if it is a placebo effect on some of them, so what? If you're eating better and working out more and blame the pill, what's the harm unless it's actually dangerous. I think posting that a supplement is snake oil without knowing anything about it is just as reckless as promoting something you know nothing about. Supplements obviously work for some people. I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
1. Only a calorie deficit will work because thats science, if you can link reasonable peer reviewed research to show otherwise then please do.
2. Most things are a waste of money again please post evidence of things that are not. Again please link this liver quite so we can see for ourselves what the responses were and whether theysaid what you say they did. Your comment on this makes little sense.
3.Again please post wher you claim people are saying theres no such thing as an appetitie suppressant or a supplement that will assist your workout. I often see in the exercise section many threads asking about pre workouts and other posters recommending them. I dont see the derision you say just some people saying they dont need them. As a supplement something like creatine is well researched and i dont see people dissing that in the way you claim.
4. Most pills are indeed a waste of money though and I think other posters are correct in pointing this out. If you hang around long enough then you will see the threads asking what supplements people are taking and you will see its the same ones that crop up all the time.
It would be nice if you could link where your claims are from or cut and paste so people can see where you are coming from.0 -
Lol...as a nurse and a science nerd...please please bring forth any studies (scientific, peer reviewed REAL studies) that show the efficacy of ANY "Diet Supplement", and I'll give you a hundred bucks. Seriously.
Even Dr.Oz had to recant all his "miracle-weight loss" pill statements recently, (like when he was pimping green coffee bean, raspberry ketones, etc.)and admittedly said 'no, there is no actual miracle pill' so he didn't lose his medical licence and probably go to jail.
Please please just read and think critically. These supplement companies have deceptive marketing for a reason...because it works to get people believing!
Hugs Rach
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I'm sorry I just get annoyed that I've read so many questions about supplements, and people just cut and paste "only a calorie deficit works". Or instantly post the thing doesn't work and is snake oil and will only lean your pockets. People have posted about medical issues and that's the response without reading, i.e. "my doctor prescribed such and such for my bad liver. will it make me gain weight"? response: "there are no magic pills." smh.
I realize there are no pills that you eat whatever you want and live on the couch and lose 50 pounds a day. But some supplements might effectively curb your appetite, or give you the energy to work out, etc. and even if it is a placebo effect on some of them, so what? If you're eating better and working out more and blame the pill, what's the harm unless it's actually dangerous. I think posting that a supplement is snake oil without knowing anything about it is just as reckless as promoting something you know nothing about. Supplements obviously work for some people. I think it makes more sense to talk about specific research and what the pros and cons and potential dangers are rather than just jumping on people whenever they mention any sort of pill. If you don't know, you don't have to answer.
OK. Talk about a supplement that will "effectively curb your appetite or give you the energy to work out" that we should be more open-minded about here.
It's called caffeine
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UltimateRBF wrote: »I have a background and education in pharmacy. I've seen some bad things happen from some supposedly harmless supplements. Also read some even scarier things about the shocking lack of real regulation in the supplement industry. I should try to dig up some stuff later when I'm not super busy and avoiding work
What about the bad things that happen from the regulated products like Phen/Fen? Please include a comparison!
See also http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/CL12.pdf0 -
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This discussion has been closed.
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