These days, supplements are being pushed now more than ever, with more companies and health influencers encouraging us to take extra doses of different vitamins and minerals.
Since there are so many so-called health experts telling us which supplements we should buy and start taking, it’s sometimes easier to have someone tell us which we should be avoiding. Luckily, a pharmacist and TikTok content creator, Phil Cowley, created a video after shopping around for supplements at Costco, and warned his followers against four products you should not be “wasting your money on.” Read more about them below.
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1. Red Yeast Rice
If you haven't heard of it, red yeast rice is a fermented rice product that has a fairly popular reputation as a natural supplement that can help lower cholesterol. It contains compounds similar to statins, which can improve high cholesterol levels, making it a common choice for some who look for alternative remedies. However, Phil says that the supplement is similar to the "worst of all the statins" and is essentially ineffective.
"It works like a statin drug," he says in his video. "It's lovastatin, which is the worst of all the statins. Hardly works at all, but it still messes up your liver and destroys your mitochondria."
Phill adds that if you're considering buying red yeast rice, you might as well go get a statin drug "for a quarter of the price."
2. One A Day Brain Support Adult Multivitamins
The super popular vitamin and supplement brand, One A Day, has come out with Brain Support Adult Multivitamins that are reportedly designed to support memory, focus, and cognitive health while providing daily essential nutrients. Many people take special multivitamins to help fill nutritional gaps in their diet or for what they think will be a brain-boosting addition to their daily routine, especially as they age. Phil believes you can do better, as the benefits promised by these supplements may be too subtle.
"It's got phosphatidyl serine in it, which does almost nothing," he explains.
"Instead, go find yourself CDP choline. It'll work a ton better, and you're not paying for all the extra [stuff]. Really not supporting the brain."
3. Airborne Immune Support Gummies
With seasonal colds and allergies around the corner, many of us like taking some 'immune support' gummies or powders to give us some extra vitamin C. Airborne Immune Support Gummies are marketed as being packed with high doses of vitamin C, plus added minerals and other ingredients like zinc and echinacea. Some people become incredibly reliant on these types of products during flu and cold season, but Phil notes that they don't solve everything, and that this particular brand is not all that.
"Everybody's got to get over this brand," he says. "Airborne does nothing for you."
"Sure, you get a lot of vitamin C, but you can get that from an orange," he continues. "Other than that, you get 7% of your vitamin A, you get a little teeny bit of magnesium, 2%, a little bit of vitamin E, and their proprietary herb blend isn't gonna be enough to cover up anything with your immune system."
Phil then suggests ditching immune gummies and getting a probiotic, which he says is "gonna work way better" for your immune system.
4. Miralax/Kirkland LaxaClear
In his video, Phil holds up a bottle of the Costco rendition of Miralax, which is Kirkland's LaxaClear product.
These products are powdered substances you mix into your beverage of choice to relieve occasional constipation. They're known as being quick and easy solutions to stomach issues, but as it turns out, they can do more harm than good. Many health experts have suggested that you take them very seldom and explore more natural solutions to relieving constipation first. Phil, on the other hand, does not suggest either of these products at all.
"Miralax is the worst thing in the world for your gut," he says. "First, it helps you poop, but then it kills all the bacteria that are really supposed to be there. This stuff is like toxic to your microbiome."
Instead, Phil recommends taking a chicory root supplement, which "works so much better" when taken alongside a good quality probiotic.
