The TRUTH about Supplements! 

I really dislike the hot take of 'we don't need supplements because we're food secure and wasteful'. In the us a lot of households are both food secure and malnourished. Adequate/excessive calories don't equate with proper nutrition, some nutrients are difficult to get, especially if you have a poor diet

Supplements are overhyped, and many people take unnecessary supplements. HOWEVER, you’re right that some people can benefit from some supplements, but that’s even with a balanced diet. I’m a doctor and have to take 3x the recommended vitamin D daily allowance because I never see the light of day. Ashwagandha has helped my stress a lot, and there are tons of peer-reviewed and replicated studies that back that up.

I think a lot of people are missing the point of the video, there's instances where supplements are necessary like when you have a deficiency and it's completely fine to take them because that's their reason of existence, to supplement what you can't get during your meals. The problem comes when people take them as a way to cope with their bad alimentary habits or use them as basically meal replacements

Before retirement I worked for over twenty two years in the Natural Food Industry in the Supplement part of that Industry. I worked mainly in retail, six years as a team leader at Wholefoods Market in Northern California. I have read hundreds of books, attended dozens of trainings and Naturopathic Conferences and continue (at 71 years old) to continue to research and learn. I have probably tried over a thousand products including, herbs, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, powdered green drinks amino acids and food extracts. To find what really works and who are the really good companies takes a lot of work, unless you have someone really trustworthy to guide you. Truth is, the soil is depleted and so the food is depleted-especially in minerals-so some supplementation is going to be called for. There are also a number of bio-hacks that are useful for strengthening bones, preventing muscle loss, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation etc. So, all supplementation is not useless, yet a lot of it is. Why? Because of ignorance. Most are just rolling the dice and trying things.out hoping for a good result. I did the same thing, but because of how long I have been doing this I have been able to figure a few things out. Testing for nutrient deficiencies is the best way to see if you really need to supplement. A poor man's way would be to go to Cronometer and plug in your daily diet and see what Vitamin's and Mineral's you are deficient in. The diet is foundational, cooking your own fresh organic food is crucial.

Side note, vegans, please take B12. It's necessary if you're vegan

the reason why some vitamins are like 1100% of daily recommendation is its absorption rate. if the body is terrible at absorbing, then obviously they will need to pack more.

One nuance about advice to eat healthy nutrition rich food as the first step (which I completely agree with): there is very little measurement of actual nutrition from produce that we buy today. There is plenty of research about sharply declining values of nutrition in veggies and fruits over the last few decades, you can easily look it up. On top of that, there was an example study that measured nitrates from beets and they were all over the place (50x differences) depending on where you buy it from, non-organic vs organic and so on. I think this channel should cover this important topic to balance the discussion. Since studies cost money, there is not much money going on in studying these at produce level since there are no profits to be made from these studies. In summary, just eating a lot of nutrition rich food may not be so nutrition rich these days. Many folks take supplements to not replace nutrition but to hedge their bets by assuming that some of the reputed companies pay better attention to actual nutrient values in the food and perhaps that trust is misplaced. It's hard to know the truth since we are not very good at measuring actual nutrient values across a broad spectrum of nutrients that many of the green powders claim to have.

As someone who has given themselves scurvy TWICE, I'm going to keep taking my vitamin c tablet. Having your skin fall off SUCKS.

I take D vitamins because I am a shut in, and I take iron and vitamin c because of my poor diet. Not all supplements are bullshit if you actually need them for a medical condition. You should be aware that they are not required by law to put vitamin c in the pills they sell as vitamin c, though. We need supplements as regulated as all over the counter drugs.

Man, this video made me feel all the guilt. I’m currently spending almost $100/month (US) for AG1. I know I should eat healthy, but I just don’t take the time to do the meal prep. This 100% laziness. I already knew everything you said in this video, but it still felt like a slap in the face. You’ve inspired me to grow up and get my butt in the kitchen. ❤

A lot of people commenting have said to consult with your health care professional but I think that this is problematic, not only because it might be expensive in places like the USA but the majority of GPs are not highly trained in nutrition, even now. They’ll look at blood test results and say, you’re deficient, take a supplement, when it is much more nuanced than that.

When i seriously started working out i used to take a multivitamin supplement. It was meant for bodybuilders, and they emphasized that it contains a lot more vitamins and minerals than what a regular, moderately physically active person needs. It contained six different pills that i needed to take every day (i think one or two of them was just a capsule of fish oil). It didn´t make me feel sick or anything, but it colored my pee neon green (apparently it´s the effect of surplus vitamins that my body could´t process so it just rejected them) and it made my breath stink like fish for the whole day. After two months i stopped taking it, and nothing really changed, didn´t feel any better or worse.

Interesting take. I think covering some of the third party verifications would have been a good add. If you need/want to take vitamins, it's important to make sure they have third party testing.

One thing you didn't touch on is that many fruits and vegetables today have less vitamins and minerals than they had 50 years ago. So you'd have to eat more of them to get the same nutrition.

Are we too lazy or are we overworked, underpaid, and over stressed to really take the time to take care of ourselves properly?

I really love this. As someone who takes a handful of very specific supplements for very specific reasons, I think I seem to my friends like someone who''d advocate wildly for them; but I take those supplements because they're beneficial and medically necessary, and I've actively discouraged my friends from getting into a slippery slope with just taking pills instead of taking care of oneself. That said, even I get tempted when some new delta-omega-trans-acid hits the market, and I find research often quickly curbs my enthusiasm appropriately. Thanks for giving me something to show people when I don't feel like explaining this

I might disagree with the statement that most people are "too lazy" to be healthy. Supplements are attractive because people are overworked and exhausted, I think. I'm a full-time college student with a part time job, and trying to get into medical school means I am doing research, volunteering, and constantly studying to keep straight As. Forget when I actually get to medical school or become a doctor! And the same is true of people in minimum wage jobs working 60 hours a week to support families on poverty pay. And people in "good-paying" jobs who are nevertheless overworked by a corporate machine. If you have a 45-minute commute because you can't live in affordable housing anywhere near where you work, you've lost 1.5 hours of your day right there. If you work 8 hours a day, make it 9 because you have to make up that lunch break. Forget eating a healthy lunch unless you have time to meal prep. Except you probably don't if you also have kids, or pets, and/or a home to keep clean, etc. Add in all the other chores of daily living, and it's truly very challenging

Taking supplements from verified companies that undergo rigorous quality testing from independent labs have helped me with my health. I simply can't get the complete nutrition I need with meals alone and it's a way for me to know I've covered the basics. Genetics play a role in my overall health but supplements have certainly helped and thankful that we now have these options.

I worked at a 3rd party testing lab that tested supplements. Although it’s not FDA regulated, FDA would actually randomly audit the manufacturers and testing labs. As for the actives they listed, they are actually being tested too before being released and packaged. Unfortunately, there are too many companies are selling supplements and some new companies doesn’t know shit about the product they are selling when they send it out for testing.

I think you’re forgetting that supplements are “supplemental.” its not supposed to be in place of healthy food or exercise but in addition to.

The most interesting thing for me, is that i was taught at university that the ratio of microbial: human cells was 10:1 (back in 2012-2015). but the updated model is that it is in fact, closer to 1:1 (1.3:1) as stated in this video. I had to google it and learned something new!

Always entertaining and informative - love your content !

I'm a 63 year old professional surfer. I haven't seen a doctor for 50 years for illness. It's really simple. 1. Most important of all. LOVE your body no matter what shape it is. 2. Eat living food. 3. Limit processed food. 4. Remove stress from your life by not buying into consumerism. 5. Exercise in nature as often as possible These are the bare minimum. Being healthy and happy is easy if you don't buy into the modern lifestyle sold by the corporations. They want you sick and unhappy because then they can make money from you by selling you stuff which will make you poorer and even more stressed and unhappy. It's easy to fix the world. Stop buying shit and live a simpler life.

I am eating fairly balanced diet, exercising 5 to 6 times a week. That being said I am also intermittent fasting, most days I have 2 meals a day with a snack in-between. With busy schedule its very difficult to make sure your diet includes absolutely everything it should. AG1 helps me tremendously and it provides tangible benefits, otherwise I wouldn’t take it. On any decent supplement its written that it doesn’t replace balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Most of health conscious people I know are aware of that fact.

The only supplement I've ever felt that I truly needed is Iron. I have had a history of anemia so it's vital that I have enough Iron and even though I eat rather healthy, I don't get enough in the food I eat every. So I agree that unless you are not getting enough vitamins in the food you eat supplements are a option but by no means should be your first option.

I love my AG1 lol. I have SIBO and am managing it by taking AG1 until it’s cleared up. I’ve made green drinks and the bloating is insane but the AG 1 doesn’t give me discomfort and I can feel the difference from when I take it and don’t. I was hesitant for months and finally tried it bc I can’t stand taking a bunch of pills and this fits the bill. Hopefully slowly I’ll be able to add back some cooked greens and see what happens. This was a great video. Thank you for being real!

Great video, truly, original format, and i really like those sorta cut away moments you got overall all good and informative, thank you good sir 👍

Thanks for so eloquently and articulately pointing out that there are no shortcuts to optimizing health and wellness. Have to do the work and not expect to "shake and chug" your way to better health.

Lack of vitamin D has been linked to lymphoma and it is not naturally available all year round to many people who live in more northern communities. This is just one example. While I understand what you are getting at, this conversation is more nuanced than you let on. Also, if you could clarify that you mean type two diabetes when you say diabetes that would be helpful. The type 1 diabetes community is constantly having to clarify the difference and face judgement from people who assume that the two are the same.

You cited Michael Pollan, who while popular, is fairly problematic for a lot of reasons. I'd encourage you read "Weighing In" by Julie Guthman. A really solid and honest critique of pollan's data and solution

I totally agree with you ! When I was on vegetables and fruits naturally and organic! My health was super now I am on the edge with many illnesses after my lifestyle changed

My body improved a crap ton once I started taking creatine, protein powder (fortified with nutrients/minerals), and vitamin D. Even the ashwagandha supplements have a noticeable effect on my mood in a positive way.

3:31 somehow it feels like you are talking about all humans on this planet when you're only describing one nation In fact, this entire video sounds like you're talking about a problem humanity as a whole is facing. As a solution to this I suggest next time you try to show how other countries are doing in comparison to the US so that it becomes clearer that you're focusing on a single portion of human population.

7:59 honestly I'm surprised you don't have a million subscribers, the quality of your guys' videos certainly seems like it. Keep up the good work 👍

Hey, another banger video! Haven't watched many videos since the channel name switch, but I'm trying to catch up a bit now. Really like the new style for this channel! Keep it up, and congrats to 100k!

Spot on! I do take a few supplements but only to correct deficiencies identified through blood tests in consultation with my PC doctor and nutritionist. While I understand many people can’t afford a nutritionist, all of us can and should be seeing a primary care doctor annually and and making sure our doctor is ordering comprehensive blood tests related to our age, gender, and family history of disease.

I take a B12 supplement because I will literally die without it.

As a university student from Austria and a dietician to be, I have to say that the subject is presented here in a very one-sided manner. You are right that many people take unnecessary supplements and potentially even harm themselves. Also there are a lot of misconceptions and misinformations out there. I totally agree with you in most of your information. BUT for example during pregnancy, when trying to convince or on a vegan diet supplements are extremely important. But supplementation should always be monitored by a health care professional and only be taken if needed (for example if there is a diagnosed nutrient deficiency, in different life situations, a specific sicknesses or when someones on a specific diet).

Love your videos, thank you !

I love it, God bless you for putting this out so well

I think of myself as the supplement queen, I sware I have tried every supplement made. For the most part you are correct but I think everyone is different. With eating poorly I think we do need some sort of supplements. For me personally I started taking vitamin D3 and it has helped me so much with my complete exhaustion. I do get outside alot but the sun does not seem to give me enough. Also you are correct about the green drink mix.

I work in wildland fire, I use athletic greens because our work is very taxing and being healthy is essential, in our work the food we are given is very sub par when it comes to hitting our micro nutrients. Supplements are just what their name says, they are supplemental but they are fantastic for filling those small gaps that need filled depending on your lifestyle

Sooo good!!!! 100% agree. Im an RD wellness coach for 30 years and YOU hit the nail on the head. BOOM

Grateful to this reminder! I am literally drained

Thank you for speaking about it. I bought AG1 and it's not that great... Your video made me smile and confirmed some thoughts for me about eating healthy, meal planning and what is more important for my nutrition. Big thumbs up to the video.

This has been super informative and made me appreciate the value of home-cooking I started doing two years ago even more than I already do - thank you, Levi for the well researched content!

My main dislike of AG1 is if you go by the ingredient list, soy lecithin is the 2nd most ingredient in the product. It's fatty acid composition is 70% or so Omega 6 a polyunsaturated fat that is known as inflammatory causing free radical damage. Many nutritionist's now agree to avoid seed oils/vegetable oils, bean oils in one's diet as these are of the highest of the processed foods.

Honestly, one of best and well made videos on the supplements subject that I’ve seen. The hard truth is hard, but still truth. Love that channel.

I’m curious about how meal replacements like Huel are. I would also encourage research into Bioavailability. Just because something has 2000% of the vitamin we need, doesn’t mean our bodies can use all of it. If we can only use 1%… that’s an important thing to know. And FDA doesn’t regulate/advertise that either.

You make some excellent points, thank you for sharing. As the name states, supplements should be supplemental to a clean whole food diet and not a replacement.

Great video. Could you do one on meal replacement powders?

Fabulous video as always!

I'm thinking about trying out green powder for like 3 months or so. I really love clean eating and am trying to get back into it after not being strict with it for a while. I think taking the green powder will be a helpful push for myself to help me on my health journey as I try to get back into habitual, long term , healthy eating.

I used to get sick super easily until I started taking daily multivitamins, and so I figure I must have some type of vitamin deficiency but I don't know which lol, so I'm aware that the vitamins seem to help *me* in a very tangible way, but I can't bring myself to recommend them to anyone who *already* seems to be in good shape to take vitamins, because I can't imagine they'd make as much of a difference. That said it's clear to me that vitamins have a very important place in the health discussion. I think a big issue with the video is how wide you cast your net referring to 'supplements,' it's clear your main point was about extraneous health shakes which are more often than not used when unnecessary, but saying all that stuff in the beginning about pills, gummies, etc. can be a little overboard. Calling people 'too lazy' was also kind of a low point that brought me out of a decent (if a little hyperbolic) video. Some people do not have the resources whether that be money or time, and it feels very dishonest to label them as 'lazy.' I think a lot of your videos are great, so i hope you'll take these points, and many others i see in this comment section into consideration to help keep a more balanced discussion going forward.

dam 40k subs in just 9 days, that's insane. congrats!

Love the show. Have you looked into products like Huel?

Watching this while eating a butter tart and received a sample supplement - love from Ontario!

Also Abbey's Kitchen covers a lot of the 3rd party certification part of the supplement industry... It's a wild world out there, folks... especially for kiddos, but really for all of us, it's important to know who's (if anyone!) is checking that the things you're supplementing with are actually what they say on the box/

I would say convenience can sometimes be a bad thing, I've known about this issue for quite some time, and to see this recurring problem through multiple videos you have pointed out, definitely is pointing to the convenience problem.

I really thought that this channel would have, at minimum, 1 million subscribers with this quality of editing and video. Fantastic work keep it up!!

i was diagnosed with anemia, vitamin D & protein deficiency. I dont eat meat for sustainabie reasons so changind my diet in that aspect was not an option. Even though i try to eat more tofu, spinach, and raisins it was impossible for me to feel better the "natural way", so i take supplements (vegan protein powder, iron & vitamin D). As people in the comments have said... some vitamins aren't BS if you actually need them.

I once tried to join a discussion about vitamin and mineral supplements by suggesting to put your money to a blood test at a doctor first, before buying expensive products and taking pills on a vaguely whim. Only to be screamed down that blood tests don't show everything, that doctors don't know everything, that you know your own needs best etc. It reminded me more of a cultish belief than an honest try to follow science to get better nutrition. Sure, your local GP is not necessarily a dietician and science is evolving and discussing (or else it would not be science) and some recommendations get totally thrown overboard through time. But I trust my doctor more than a company that wants to sell me things. Might be the beauty of living in a country with affordable healthcare, the hyper expensive US system makes medicine seem more like a consumers product that is in competition with the supplement companies, than.. well medicine.

I hope everyone else appreciates how hilarious you are! Informational, yet funny! Best of both worlds, and you can quote me on that 😉

I "liked" this video before I even watched it. I knew it was going to be good!! lol Levi you keep outdoing yourself!

I was just talking about getting ag1 this morning 😂. Saves me a ton of money

Since I started AG1 and electrolytes I’ve never felt better, my cravings have reduced, I’ve lost 11lbs even tho I’m in peri menopause at 50yo. I have the energy to exercise now and I sleep better. I was lacking so many vitamins and minerals. I won’t stop. My gut health is fantastic now too. The downside is that it’s so expensive but I balance it by eating less food in general but more nutritious food.

Honestly I love the vibe of this channel.... No matter the topic....I know I'm going to have a good time watching the video

I’m so happy I found you right now. I do product research and when you said why don’t you vitamin the F off , I literally laughed so hard out loud and it made my day. Your awesome

My brother: has adult acne for the first time Me: what supplements are you taking? My brother: *insert 687% of daily requirements B12, with a balanced diet, not vegan* He stopped taking them and in 5 days no acne.

Taking vitamin D is essential for work from home at a computer

loved the video! and there is so much more to discuss on this topic. like the body itself is not a machine, it doesn't always process everything that goes in perfectly. but uh, what about creatine? are you going to do a similiar video on steroids or OTC medicines?

i love the straightforwardness of this guy. I love it! and I think he is right...there is always a catch.

I wonder how industrialized agricultural affects the nutrition value in our food. Matpat on food theory was talking about bio availability in our foods. I wonder how that affects how much vitamins we actually absorb from supplements.

There’s a balance between smug and entertaining. I’ve watched several of your episodes, and your content is informative. That said, the tone and approach of the videos veer heavily toward smug. I’m not sure of the academic credentials you and your team bring to the table. However, physicians and hardcore medical professionals with sterling reputations and academic training e.g. Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman, who have a demonstrated track record of helping their audience achieve wholistic wellness, endorse AG. Very few are immune from the need sustain their operations or to be compensated for their efforts, your channel included. I think AG is a legit operation. Humility and care is called for when living in a glass house. The broad strokes of this video is a stain and castes doubt on some of your other content. You have a knack for picking interesting topics, though the title pages smack of click bait. I’ll watch a few more topics before a final verdict on subscribing. I appreciate your efforts and you may succeed in boosting subscribers, but I challenge you to be circumspect on how to make your channel more “future proof.”

Watching this at 304k subs. I’m glad that this channel grew over 200k in just 8 months. Love watching your content!

This is some of your best work!

I have a history of breast cancer and since then have been low on calcium so I take calcium pills as just adding more dairy to my diet doesn’t help. I keep it in the low normal range as it is. I started taking a cod liver oil supplement to fight high cholesterol as I don’t want to take statin drugs. My blood glucose has been on the higher than normal level for more than 10 years and I take ashwagandha now trying to stabilize my glucose. My diet is healthy and my exercising is good. I feel fine. Next blood work I hope shows improvement. My nurse practitioner is fine with my supplements. I don’t think if your healthy you need supplements but for someone like me yes I am keeping my fingers crossed . I don’t want to take heavy prescription drugs.

I'm a fellow Canadian and an amateur nutritionist as I've read through a bunch of books. Except for B12... like you said, with planning we really don't need any supplement. Considering they may not give us what they 'offer' anyway, it's best to plan ahead. Good video dude. Keep up the good work.

Yay being part of the small group taking vitamins with a reason. I produce melanin and live in the North, so i take Vit D in the winter. I also donate blood and platelets regularly and need to keep my iron up, so i take small Iron supplements. Otherwise i do eat plenty of fruits... Need improvement with vegetables... But i cook my own food all but 2-3 meals a week which is impressive for a 20something!

Great content and vid. Subbed!

“Vitamin D?!? How about you vitamin f*** off!” I’m dying 🤣

Casual reminder that straws were originally invented for people with a disability, that was the use for a straw. People can talk about alternatives for a plastic one, but i know quite a few people that actually hurt themselves on other types of straws then plastic that resulted in bleeding etc. Ofcourse, using less straws is good, but i despise places that completely banish them. Some people just need them.

Thanks 🙏🏽 Great channel and content. Another reason supplement company’s claim that you should take supplements is because the soil is deficient in nutrients, do you have any information regarding this?

i laughed out loud early in the vid "my body is a temple lifestyle" loool, but yh i did quickly after roll my eyes into my skull.

I think you have surpassed yourself.Great video,must have taken a lot of research

I agree with a lot of what is said in this video. There is definitely a tendency for certain people to view these supplements as an easy alternative to things like eating healthy, exercising, sleep etc. But I think you will find that most of the people who are paying $80 for something like Athletic greens also eat very well, and exercise a bunch. You have to be a bit nuts about your health to pay the much for a drink powder. It is hard to get everything from food alone so this stuff is supposed to help with the things you might be low on. Of course a lot of it is complete overkill and I’m you are just peeing out most of it at the end of the day haha.

I take multivitamins, Vitamin C , Evening Primrose (for my monthly hormone breakdown), Iron and Fiber supplements. They are in small amounts but they help my body tick over. Some weeks I can't even afford to eat veges every night and I'm not big on fruit.

Levi was clearly having some fun while filming this one, and I'm here for it :)

Okay. So I’ve had gastric bypass surgery and I do take quite a few supplements. The only supplement that I take which wasn’t suggested to me by my PCP, Bariatric Surgeon, or nutritionist is chlorophyll. Which takes the form of powdered alfalfa extract. There is one reason I take it. Now, if you look up taking chlorophyll as a supplement, they list ALL KINDS of claims about health benefits, the one I take makes a lot of noise about “blood filtration”. And I’m like, I don’t know I believe it but “whatever”. I’m Gen X, I say “whatever” about as much as you (a Millennial) point out existential dread. :D So maybe it is helping my spleen out or something. But I’ll tell you what it does absolutely without question… It makes your poop not smell as bad. Or at least it makes my poop not smell as bad. Eating lots of veggies will also do this, but I can only eat so much volume because of my tiny baby stomach. I eat as much veggies as possible but I just can’t eat a lot of anything and I need a specific amount of protein per day to be healthy. So an alfalfa capsule in the morning and the evening improves my quality of life vastly.

I work out, I have to make it official with supplements

Problem is our soil is completely depleted of important micronutrients and the only thing we put back into it is nitrogen.

Love how I was watching this video and half way through youtube gave me an AD promoting AG1 supplements.

Athletic Greens definitly helped me with digestion health. I was messed up from antibiotics and tried different things. Got varied results. AG1 worked pretty good for me. I'm trying to just get what i need from food though. Always a work in progress.

I would say that if fruits and vegetables won't be placed on shelves because they don't look attractive then to reduce waste they should be turned into these powders and supplements to help divert waste. Just be realistic in what they are, just food, not magic potion.

Thank you for opening my eyes

8:07 I’m so proud of you on your way to 100,000 subscribers! Today you are at 377,000 because you are amazing!

The problem is vegetables taste nasty, fruit is inconsistent, and cooking real food is expensive, time consuming, and exhausting. I know what I'm getting with a protein bar and sugar free energy drink and it's moderately more healthy than a Coke and Snickers. I'm still waiting for the Jetson's style meal pill that expands in your stomach to make you full and is nutritionally balanced like a healthy diet in a perfect world.

I completely agree with you. Also plant base vitamins source are not always bio-available as much as meat base vitamins. One of the worse supplement is calcium. Many people think that taking calcium will keep your bones strong. The problem is that most calcium supplement are just grinded calcium rocks. The body does not absorb it and it causes calcification of the joints and the arteries, causing heath attack.

Great video. I take vitamins and an iron supplement every morning, but I don't do it as a healthy food replacement, it is to top me up, to make sure I'm at least taking some of the vitamins I need, but I still see it as absolutely necessary to eat enough fruit, very, carbs (yes carbs, you need that slow release energy), protein, and fibre (and probably many other things as well I've not listed here). Whenever I see overpriced, over promoted new green (or any other colour) supplements pushed down my throat it always makes me suspicious, as does the cost when I investigate a little further. I agree with what you said initially in that some supplements are better than others, some are necessary for certain types of people, but in the end they aren't a replacement for eating good, fresh, natural foods, and that should be the takeaway here (I didn't mean takeaway, darn it)!!! It would be useful to be able to see whether a certain supplement is better than another, why it is, and the science behind it from an independent source easily, but I don't see that, especially since I doubt very much that these are regulated that well anywhere. Good video, great points. I'll continue eating well and taking my supplements, but it would be a lot better with more regulation in this area and clearer facts.

Congrats on 100K subs!