I took a vitamin b capsule from the dollar store. Says it give me energy now I don't sleep
Be careful with vitamins. You want to take non synthetic ones or else your body won’t absorb any of it-making them a complete waste of money! In my experience, it takes more than a week to see any results, but I suspect that depends on how deficient someone is in said vitamin.
@trysdet B12 is good. I don’t recommend buying vitamins from a dollar store , they will not be good quality and you may feel sick. Nature’s Bounty or Nature Made brands at CVS/Walgreens .. I take the gummies .
The ones from a “major” pharmacy are fairly reliable. I also get a B12 shot at least every 2 weeks because I run.
Google the supplement and it will tell you if it has any fillers/synthetic properties. 🤘🏼
Anything from the dollar store is complete trash. I understand we all have varying financial situations, but, when it comes to health and well being, i think it’s best to aim for the highest quality possible.
In regard to B vitamins; it’s a delicate balance. They deal with the nervous system, so being irresponsible with them can literally short circuit communications within your body, and possibly blow out major organs.
This is an extreme example, but it puts into perspective how important it is to have quality will sourced vitamins, minerals, and supplements.
If you don’t have a vitamin deficiency, there is little evidence that taking vitamin supplements will do much of anything to help you, and if you don’t take the recommended doses, there is some potential harm for a number of them if you take too much, or if you have an undiagnosed condition that might predispose you to adverse effects.
If you choose to take them, be mindful that there are precious few regulations around nutritional supplements, so one way to try to assure quality and reliability is to check the labels for reputable third party testing labs. 2 well known examples are U.S. Pharmacopeia and NSF International.
All of what @NYCLatnGuy said. Especially:
If you don't have actual deficiencies confirmed by a doctor and a medical lab, taking vitamins is wasting money at best. If you do decide to supplement, make sure to inform your doctor — there can be interactions and contraindications they need to be aware of when diagnosing or prescribing for you.
Because supplements are almost completely unregulated in the US, there are a metric shit-ton of predatory companies and influencers who fund their own research studies — which are largely not up to medical research industry standards. These products are pushed by algorithms and unethical alternative providers who profit off people's ignorance and media illiteracy. If you don't know how to vet medical research sources, evaluate the quality of a study, or find yourself relying on ChatGPT to interpret one for you — please, PLEASE talk to a fully accredited, licensed doctor who has zero financial stake in selling supplements.
I know many in the medical field are woefully undereducated about nutrition, but that doesn't mean we should keep feeding the largest snake oil industry in modern medicine. Supplements absolutely can be life-changing for people who genuinely need them — I'm one of those people, thus why I'm so passionate about this topic and why I've made it a point to learn as much as I can about it. But far too many fall for fads and dishonest advertising online.