The Good

B-vitamins are a great all-around supplement to help support energy production, improve your mental state, and general well-being. The issue with this is that most B-vitamin supplements are worthless. The problem is that they are not chelated! Chelation processing modifies the vitamins and allows your body to absorb them at a much higher rate. So instead of urinating all your vitamins (literally flushing your money down the toilet), you can reap the rewards!

Another great supplement is Taurine. It can help reduce stress, and improve your sleep patterns. The best part? Most companies aren’t aware of how powerful it can be to someone with an active lifestyle. This translates to cheap prices. Taurine is dirt cheap, no matter where you get it!

The Bad

By and far, marketing is typically the key to a products success. Think about Oxi-Clean, Flex Seal, the Snuggie, PedEgg, Ove Glove, Dollar Shave Club….the list goes on.

All of these products have amazing marketing strategies; and yet, would you have bought any of them if you just happened upon them in the store without hearing about them on TV during every commercial break? Most likely not. Vitamins and supplements are no different. There are massive marketing strategies, and an even larger army of social engineers working around the clock to get their respective products in front of your eyes and into your memory.

So how do some of the most popular products stand up to scrutiny? Let’s take a look at a few examples

 Whey Protein:

 Below is a listing of a few popular whey protein brands and their respective protein contents, as tested by third-parties.

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard - 73.4
• Muscletech Nitro-Tech - 64.7 %
• CytoSport Muscle Milk - 62.9 %
• GNC Pro-Performance - 68.0 %
• Quest Nutrition - 76.3 %

Unbelievable, right? Imagine buying a popular protein supplement and literally throwing away, roughly, 25% of your money on fillers and additives! Moral of the story is that although something may seem popular, it pays to do a bit of your own research before joining the band wagon. 

The Funny

It’s not all doom and gloom today, though. We’ve saved the best for last!

Let’s take a minute to discuss Magnesium. A potent supplement, it has the power to calm your nervous system, improve recovery, and increase nutrient uptake. But which derivative shall we take?

Magnesium CITRATE?

No, No, and another heaping bowl of No. Unless, that is, you wish to have the crazy poops for a solid 24 hours (or should I say a “runny 24 hours” …). The citrate derivative is a VERY potent laxative. So potent, in fact, that it is commonly used in individuals preparing for a colonoscopy!

Do yourself a favor and opt for the magnesium glycinate derivative instead!