Have I got a good and easy deal for you today! Guaranteed results! Free of charge, too!

A simple action you can set in motion today, and easily maintain for the rest of your life. One that will pay handsome dividends both in terms of your health, and in your wallet.

What is it? Here it is:

Never buy dietary supplements ever again.

Simple enough, right?

I know, I know, you want to tell me that you already don’t use that stuff, so this advice does not apply to you.

Well, the statistics are pretty clear on the subject: About 20% of us regularly buy some sort of supplement, be it protein or herbal “stuff” with wildly exaggerated properties, none of which have been scientifically demonstrated. The industry of supplements is estimated to be raking in some $5 billions annually. Taken together, those numbers mean that if none of you admit to taking some, some of you are lying.

By the way, I’m not talking about pills of vitamins or minerals. To be fair, unless you have a medically diagnosed condition that requires you to supplement your nutrition with vitamins or minerals, they are also a waste of money. Were I to include them, the proportion of those who take some sort of supplement on a regular basis would go above 50%. And the value of the industry would go to some $30 billions, most of which wasted by consumers because they simply don’t need any supplements.

No, I’m talking about the large number of products, supposedly based on plants, which are touted as cures or insurance for a wide range of diseases or problems. And for which there is no credible scientific support.

Worse than that, however, is the fact, well demonstrated scientifically in this case, that the supplements often don’t even contain what they claim to contain.

So, to put a big nail in the coffin: Even if you insist on believing that Echinacea, for instance, has some near-miraculous effect on your health, taking a pill that does not even contain Echinacea will definitely not do anything for you. But it will still cost you a pretty penny.

How can I make such a bold claim as “it is good for your health” to not take any supplements, you ask? It follows logically:

If makers of those supplements can make outlandish claims about their properties without having to demonstrate them, and they still don’t get sued out of business, then it must be because the supplements don’t really do anything. Therefore, not using them must be as good for you as using them.

Except when the supplements actually do hurt people, because the stuff they contain is sometimes dangerous. In which case, not taking supplements is much more healthy than taking some. (Just have a look at this Consumer Report, or do a search on the Web for “dietary supplements pulled from shelves”…)

At best, supplements don’t do anything; at worst, they might have seriously bad consequences. Ergo, not taking supplements is healthier, on average, than taking some. And it does not cost a thing, so start thinking about what you could do instead with the money you will save. As my wife would put it: QED.

If you ever feel the urge to pop a pill made of lord knows what, do this instead: Have a tall glass of water, but without the pill.

Think of it as the ultimate dosage of homeopathic medicine against dietary supplements. (I hope most of you get that. It is quite funny, if I do say so myself.)

So, maximize your health, and that of your wallet, by not buying supplements. If you really must take minerals or vitamins because of a medical condition, of course, do so; otherwise, don’t bother.

And move, everyday.

You’re welcome.

Picture from Pixabay

By the way, this report from 2013 that started the ball rolling for the New York State Attorney General’s office to ban some supplements is worth watching as well.