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When I first stepped into the world of supplements, I thought I was entering a realm of clear science and straightforward benefits. What I found instead was a maze of contradicting claims, passionate disciples of particular products, and headlines that promised everything from eternal youth to superhuman strength.
Sound familiar?
I've spent years wading through this complexity, and I've come to a simple truth: the supplement industry thrives on confusion. The more complicated things seem, the easier it is to sell miracle solutions.
That's why I started this substack. I'm tired of watching people (myself included) waste money (and hope) on products that don't deliver what they promise. I'm exhausted by the tribal wars between supplement camps – the keto crowd versus the plant-based believers, the vitamin megadosers against the minimalists.
Here's what I've learned: when someone speaks with absolute certainty about supplements, be wary. The honest truth is that nutrition science is messy. Human bodies are complex systems with countless variables. What works wonderfully for one person might do nothing for another.
I recently watched two friends argue passionately about fish oil supplements. Both cited "studies" and "experts." Both spoke with complete conviction. Yet when I actually read the research, the results were much more nuanced than either would admit.
This happens constantly in the supplement world. A preliminary study shows a modest effect under specific conditions (often in animal models), and suddenly headlines proclaim a "breakthrough" or "miracle cure." The subtle qualifications in the actual research get stripped away in favor of clickbait.
I'm not here to tell you supplements are worthless. They're not. I take several myself. But I am here to help you understand what the science really says – not what someone trying to sell you something claims it says.
My approach is simple:
I read the actual studies, not just the headlines
I look for consistent patterns across multiple research papers
I pay attention to dosages, study populations, and methodologies
I acknowledge when the evidence is preliminary or contradictory
I share both successes and disappointments from my personal experiments
What you won't find here is blind devotion to any particular supplement philosophy. I don't belong to a tribe (is science a tribe?). I follow the evidence, even when it challenges my previous beliefs.
Some days, this means admitting that a supplement I believed in doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Other days, it means getting excited about promising research that might actually deliver meaningful benefits.
Through this, I hope to build a community of critical thinkers who can separate supplement fact from
fiction. People who understand that nutrition isn't religion, that questioning is healthy, and that science evolves.
Let's cut through the noise together. Let's talk about supplements as they really are – not miracle cures, not worthless scams, but tools that, when used wisely and with reasonable expectations, might help us live healthier lives.
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Welcome to Supplement Science, where we'll make the complex simple and replace hype with honesty. I'm glad you're here.