Dr. Peter Attia

And so we want to use the framework to cover a handful of studies for some popular supplements. We covered creatine, fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin B, or many of the vitamin Bs, and ashwagandha. We also talk about how to look at supplement quality, and we hope that this episode gives you an ability to take said framework and apply it to any supplement you encounter in the future.

And so we want to use the framework to cover a handful of studies for some popular supplements. We covered creatine, fish oil, vitamin D, vitamin B, or many of the vitamin Bs, and ashwagandha. We also talk about how to look at supplement quality, and we hope that this episode gives you an ability to take said framework and apply it to any supplement you encounter in the future.

If you're a subscriber and you want to watch the full video of this podcast, you can find it on the show notes page. If you're not a subscriber, you can watch the sneak peek on our YouTube page. So without further delay, I hope you'll enjoy AMA 69.

If you're a subscriber and you want to watch the full video of this podcast, you can find it on the show notes page. If you're not a subscriber, you can watch the sneak peek on our YouTube page. So without further delay, I hope you'll enjoy AMA 69.

Obviously, any patients coming into the practice, we're trying to gather as much information about them as we can through their medical history. And an important component of that is understanding all medications, supplements, hormones, anything they take. I call this the bucket of exogenous molecules. So generally, we know this on the way in, and there's a ton of variety.

Obviously, any patients coming into the practice, we're trying to gather as much information about them as we can through their medical history. And an important component of that is understanding all medications, supplements, hormones, anything they take. I call this the bucket of exogenous molecules. So generally, we know this on the way in, and there's a ton of variety.

There's people who come in who are taking nothing. They don't take any medicine by prescription. They don't take any supplements. Conversely, there are patients who come in on no medications, but a list of supplements that might be two pages long and everything in between.

There's people who come in who are taking nothing. They don't take any medicine by prescription. They don't take any supplements. Conversely, there are patients who come in on no medications, but a list of supplements that might be two pages long and everything in between.

Our view is generally to approach this the way the kidney approaches the filtration of glucose, sodium and potassium, which is you dump everything out and then ask the question, what should be added back in? And I don't mean we literally stop everything, but I'm saying that's kind of the mental model for how we go about thinking about it.

Our view is generally to approach this the way the kidney approaches the filtration of glucose, sodium and potassium, which is you dump everything out and then ask the question, what should be added back in? And I don't mean we literally stop everything, but I'm saying that's kind of the mental model for how we go about thinking about it.

Because a lot of times when we ask patients, why are you taking this or why are you taking that? They don't know. They just say, oh, you know, I started this a couple of years ago because I saw somebody on Instagram talking about it. Or, you know, I saw this doctor a few years ago who told me to take this, but I have no idea why.

Because a lot of times when we ask patients, why are you taking this or why are you taking that? They don't know. They just say, oh, you know, I started this a couple of years ago because I saw somebody on Instagram talking about it. Or, you know, I saw this doctor a few years ago who told me to take this, but I have no idea why.

So there's just a couple of things worth acknowledging before we jump into this. And it comes from discussions that I've had many times, which go something like this. Hey, I don't believe in taking any medicine, just so you know, only natural supplements. Now, my response to that is, tell me the difference.

So there's just a couple of things worth acknowledging before we jump into this. And it comes from discussions that I've had many times, which go something like this. Hey, I don't believe in taking any medicine, just so you know, only natural supplements. Now, my response to that is, tell me the difference.

There is a difference, but I just want to make sure you as the consumer of this understand the difference. And it's really a question of regulation. So supplements are not regulated. By definition, the FDA has tacitly referred to them as generally regarded as safe supplements. But the process by which that's determined is not entirely that rigorous.

There is a difference, but I just want to make sure you as the consumer of this understand the difference. And it's really a question of regulation. So supplements are not regulated. By definition, the FDA has tacitly referred to them as generally regarded as safe supplements. But the process by which that's determined is not entirely that rigorous.

And pharmaceutical products, while far from perfect, do have more in the way of regulation and oversight. There are places where these overlap. I'll encounter a patient who says, listen, I will never take a statin to lower my ApoB, but I will definitely happily take red rice yeast.

And pharmaceutical products, while far from perfect, do have more in the way of regulation and oversight. There are places where these overlap. I'll encounter a patient who says, listen, I will never take a statin to lower my ApoB, but I will definitely happily take red rice yeast.

at which point you have to sort of explain to them that a very high dose of red rice yeast is effectively a modest dose of pravastatin.

at which point you have to sort of explain to them that a very high dose of red rice yeast is effectively a modest dose of pravastatin.