Let’s begin with a corralling definition—when
we discuss supplements, I refer to any and all non-food, non-prescribed items
one swallows in pill form, mixes and drinks, or transdermal patch or injection.
I repeat—we are discussing NON-PRESCRIBED supplements.
If a medical professional writes a scrip and
you take it to a pharmacy and they hand it over without batting an eye—we ain’t
talking that.
What we are discussing—anything that you can
freely walk into a vitamin aisle and grab off the shelf, anything “prescribed”
by a blog [this one included], a podcast, web article and, very likely our
current “super-scientific” head of Health and Human Services.
All of these voluntarily chosen supposed “helpers
on the margin” are what is in the crosshairs today.
Before we get all sciencey and get to the
real meat of this essay, let’s get three things out of the way.
ONE
Full Disclosure: The Old Man’s Current
Supplement Regimen
·
A
low-dose statin prescribed by my doc as there is a genetic history within my
lineage and an uptick in numbers that said, “Let’s jump on it now.”
·
What
else?
·
Nada,
that is, unless or until a qualified medical professional says otherwise.
·
I’ll
be 60 years old in 9 days—likely more medication is in my future.
·
I’ll
not voluntarily add to the intake with powders and potions with dubious
efficacy in the meantime.
TWO
·
I
have a deep and abiding love for historical verisimilitude.
·
I
approach all of my combat related training with a “What did the Old-Timers do?”
mindset.
·
If
they did it, I do it.
·
If
they didn’t do it, neither do I.
THREE
Why do I desire to enhance progress/health
outcomes at a time when entropy is in full swing, but skip all supplements?
Part 2.
Iatrogenic Effect
Wha?
An iatrogenic effect is related to illness
caused by medical examination or treatment.
Iatrogenic risks are a reality.
There are risks associated with surgery, with
any treatment.
I do not eschew or poo poo medical treatment.
Far from it. The Mavens of medical science
have been performing what to my ignorant eyes are well nigh miracles in the
treatment and management of my wife’s brain tumor.
If there weren’t 21st century medical
wizardry—she wouldn’t be here now--FACT.
These wizards aid and abet this fight.
I can also vouch for all the cadre I meet in
neurorecovery wards.
There are real Heroes out there wearing
scrubs helping out in dire times.
I get a little tetchy when some well-meaning
but benighted soul wants to tell me “You know if she just drank pomegranate extract,
she’d be fine.”
Um…yeah, I know they mean well, but this
blithe gambling with someone else’s life, it simply does not sit well.
So, to all the helpful graduates of the Joe
Rogan/Andrew Huberman School of Medicine—Shhhh, roll the dice on your own
mortality, si’l vous plait and let’s stay friends, keep your doctorin’
to yourself.
ADDED IATROGENIC RISK
·
All
sanctioned medical treatment can come bundled with a side of risk.
·
The
question to ask is…do I compound lifetime risk by adding potential iatrogenic
effect by the additive property of choosing supplements?
·
Do
I increase risks by hectoring for TRT?
·
Do
I increase sarcopenia by cadging for GLP-1 class drugs?
·
Hell,
does even my multivitamin add to my risk?
“Risk from multivitamin? Really, Old Man?
C’mon.”
LET’S START HERE: A PERSPECTIVE FROM TRT
Testosterone Replacement Therapy [TRT] is
wise in cases where it is medically prescribed.
But a few of the associated risks are…
·
Increased
risk of prostate cancer, heart disease, and sleep apnea.
But if you need it, ya need it, right?
The medical recommendation begins when Measured
testosterone levels fall below the normal range for adult males (typically
300-1000 ng/dL).
So there, some need it.
You bet…But…
It turns out that in the vast majority of
these cases lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, exercise, and stress
management, may improve testosterone levels.
These methods [what Old Timers would have formerly
called discipline, work, grit—Let’s call it Vitamin G for Grit] do the job in
the VAST majority of cases.
In whom are these methods unsuccessful and
TRT is still recommended?
Those undergoing certain medical treatments,
such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
So, unless you fall into that truly needful
cadre, there’s a good chance your “recovery” is in your hands minus the
iatrogenic effects.
I have harped on TRT [GLP-1, anabolic steroid
use and many others could stand in for us here] to get to here…
·
Testosterone
replacement therapy (TRT) can suppress natural testosterone production.
·
TRT
involves administering exogenous testosterone to individuals with low
testosterone levels. When the body receives additional testosterone from
external sources, it signals the pituitary gland to reduce its production of
luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These
hormones are essential for stimulating the testes to produce testosterone.
·
As
a result, the body's own testosterone production DECREASES while the exogenous
testosterone from TRT supplements the levels. This suppression can be
temporary or permanent, depending on the duration and dosage of TRT.
So, in addition to increased risk of prostate
cancer, heart disease, and sleep apnea we are looking at the iatrogenic concrete
fact that while we are on any “aiding and abetting” therapy our own body suppresses
the very substance we wish it to kickstart.
The effect can be temporary or….not.
In the radiation and chemotherapy cases,
well, that seems a given—take the therapy.
For everyone else, it might be a case of “Hmm?
Maybe I’ll drop a few pounds, hit the gym some, tune down some of the needless
stress chatter and see what that gets me first”
You know, a dose of Vitamin G.
“OK, Old Man, maybe [maybe] there are some
worries about some of these more aggressive approaches, but you said multivitamins,
what the hell, man? Are you sayin’ my Flintstones chewables are a bad idea?”
ANTIOXIDANTS & THEIR ILK
You can step into any Walmart in the country
and buy your fill of vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, turmeric, polyphenols etc.
We do so for that bit of healthful “insurance.”
Despite multiple studies, including one with
230,000 participants that show in double-blind placebo studies no benefit to a
negative impact.
“Negative, you say? But antioxidants are
good for you, don’t they operate as sort of scrubbers cleaning up bad stuff?”
In short—antioxidants are POWERFUL medicine.
We are fortunate when they course through our
body.
But…like our TRT analogy there is a marked
difference between an added dose and a dose of Vitamin G that self-manufactures
the proper dose.
In fact, added antioxidants may do more harm
than good when combined with exercise.
·
In
2009, researcher Michael Ristow recruited 40 healthy males to undergo four
weeks of supervised exercise.
·
In
other words, no “self-reporting” and faking exercise—the monitors saw to it
they did it.
·
Half
of the participants were given large doses of the antioxidants vitamins C and
E, the other half placebos.
·
Muscle
biopsies [punching holes in muscle tissue—ouch] were taken before and after
exercise sessions.
·
Physical
exercise produces oxidative stress.
·
All
participants showed elevated oxidative stress.
·
But…those
taking the antioxidant supplements showed MORE oxidative damage.
·
Stress
leads to growth. Damage, not so much.
·
I
repeat, both groups showed the same stresses were inflicted by exercise, the supplement
group showed MORE damage.
·
Why?
The addition of the supplement, as in the case of TRT, caused the body to DECREASE
its own natural production of antioxidants.
·
Even
with the massive supplement intake it did not match what the placebo cadre were
able to produce on their own.
The takeaway—Outside of serious medical intervention
there is often little need or wisdom in “supplementing” what the human body can
do on its own if [IF] the Old School prescription of Vitamin G [Grit] is taken regularly.
This science holds true for large supplement interventions
and small.
What we imbibe at the margins to aid and
abet, may very well be hamstringing us.
Save your money. Do the work.
And if you wanna delve deeper into the Old School
Ways of Physical Culture body transforming, have a look-see at some of our
Unleaded Whole Hog Conditioning.
·
5
workouts per week, all under 30 minutes.
·
They’ll
cut body fat, lean ya up, give you some Go and dose you with all the Vitamin G
you can digest.
More Info here: https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/2025/07/throwing-away-everything-i-knew-about.html
Resources for Livin’ the Warrior Life
The Black Box Store
https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/
The Rough ‘n’ Tumble Raconteur Podcast
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