Thanks to an explosion of social media advertising, bogus health and weight loss products have seen an
unprecedented spike in sales, with their entrepreneurial inventors raking in the cash by implementing
successful methods of reaching consumers via paid ads, false claims and celebrity endorsements. In this
article, I will highlight the 3 most notable supplement scams taking the industry by storm today.
Collagen:
For those who are no longer interested in injecting collagen into their tired and withered skin;
consumers are now looking to collagen supplements for their unbelievable claims of healing ailments
ranging from aged skin, damaged tendons and ligaments, joint pain, brittle hair and nails plus many
more. But you should be skeptical.
Collagen is a group of fibrous structural proteins that help hold your body's tissues together, and it's
found everywhere from your skin to your tendons to your bones. Collagen supplements are made up of
the byproducts of animal connective tissues. They are incomplete proteins containing 8 of the 9
essential amino acids and are comprised of primarily 3 amino acids (Proline, Lysine, Glycine). Collagen,
like any digested protein, is broken down into its fundamental amino acid structures, which are then
used for many things such as tissue repair, hormone production, cell repair etc. So, when these amino
acids reach the blood they are nearly indistinguishable from any other protein amino acids and they
CANNOT selectively boost or miraculously be turned into collagen in the body.
Our body’s production of collagen is based on several factors including age, genetics, activity levels,
sleep patterns, diet and environmental exposure. Your bodies utilization of amino acids to produce
collagen will be at its own physiological discretion. Chowing down on desiccated animal connective
tissue and expecting it to be utilized in the body to produce collagen is just wishful thinking. Save your
cash and focus on eating a diet high in protein, rich in micronutrients and wear your sunscreen.
Exogenous Ketones:
Ketogenic diets are all the rage for weight loss these days and they CAN be effective. But not from what
you may have been led to believe.
A ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates causing blood glucose levels to fall. Low blood glucose then
activates a complex physiological process where store triglycerides are released, broken down to fatty
acids and processed by the liver to produce Ketones. These Ketones are then used for energy instead of
glucose from carbs.
The truth is, having high ketone levels isn’t what makes you lose weight. What creates weight and fat
loss is the basic principle of ANY diet. It is simply a calorie deficit. When you cut out and entire
macronutrient you are generally going to be henceforth restricting calories.
BUT! Supplement companies will have you believe that you must always be in ketosis and use
exogenous ketones and extravagant testing measures to stay in this “magical keto fat-burning zone”.
Taking exogenous ketone supplements increase ketone levels in your body, imitating the state of ketosis
but they DO NOT create a calorie deficit, in fact they have calories themselves.
Exogenous ketones may have some benefit in medical treatment, sports performance and appetite
suppression but if you are one of the many that believe they are going to magically help you start
shedding pounds of fat by taking them, you will be sadly disappointed.
The bottom line is you need to be in a calorie deficit for weight loss to occur. You cannot defeat the laws
of thermodynamics with any magical elixir. Save your money and focus on your nutrition. Start tracking
your calorie intake or consult a nutritionist.
Weight Loss/Detox Teas
Weight-loss tea's recent marketing campaigns combine attractive influencers and powerful household
names with the promise of an easy, tasty solution to cleanse the body and help lose weight.
But... Does it work? Nope. Because detoxing isn't real — not the sort of detoxing these marketers want
you to believe in, at least. “Detox” is a case of a legitimate medical term being turned into a marketing
strategy – all designed to cash in on hopeful consumers. In the setting of real medicine, detoxification
means treatments for dangerous levels of drugs, alcohol, or poisons, like heavy metals.
Our bodies are fine without detox scams. The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are
detoxifying as you read this.
In reality, these teas are a concoction of various ineffective herbs and botanicals that promote fasting
and at best will lead to temporary weight loss through dehydration, depletion of muscle glycogen, and in
some cases diarrhea. ALL weight lost will be regained as soon as you return to your normal patterns of
eating. Furthermore, Long-term fasts promoted by these products lead to muscle breakdown,
micronutrient deficiency and unhealthy eating behaviors.
Any product with the word “detox” or weight loss tea is only truly effective at cleansing your wallet of
cash. Save your money and focus on your fitness and nutrition.
Conclusion
When it comes to general health, losing fat, or building muscle –which is what most people are willing to
spend their hard-earned cash on–there just isn’t much you can do beyond eating and training right.
There are however a handful of science based ergogenic aids that have been clinically shown to be
effective in aiding your performance, increasing muscle mass and improving body composition which I
highlight in my E-Book, The No Bull Shit Guide to Sports Supplements. Click the link below to learn more.