The One Danger of Supplements

No One Talks About…

Many of the over the counter supplements people take can impact each other’s absorption.

For example things like calcium and zinc could actually inhibit the absorption of each other as they can interact.

Additionally supplements containing vitamin E; it is actually relatively easy to overdose on vitamin E in the supplement form.

Supplements aren’t just an “insurance policy” and more is not always better.

Quick fire review of common supplements…

Probiotics: Hype. Most probiotics on the market are not only ineffective but they may exacerbate, or even create, issues like bloating. 

There is no scientific evidence that taking a probiotic supplement can support ‘general’ gut health. Eating more diverse plants is the best way to achieve that.

If you’re desperate to take probiotic supplements, always ensure there is a clinical trial to back the exact strain—aka the type of bacteria—in the probiotic. Make sure the probiotic strain is matched to the specific health issue you’re trying to manage.

Vitamin D: Worth it. Vitamin D3 (aka cholecalciferol) in a recent review which included 20 studies, shows that it is more effective at raising your vitamin D levels. When choosing a product, check the label and see if it’s this type, rather than D2 (the type produced by some plants, including mushrooms).

However, if you only have access to D2 don’t stress, it’s still worthwhile taking and, with any vitamin D, you don’t need to go for an expensive brand.

Also, vitamin D is fat-soluble. So it’s best to take it with a meal that contains some healthy fat to help support absorption from your gut into your blood.

Omega 3: Worth it…if you can’t get it from diet.

Best to get it from dietary sources like oily fish but otherwise just ensure your supplement contains both EPA and DHA (types of omega 3 fatty acids).

“If you enjoy learning actionable science to improve your every day life, you can find even more tips like this in my book “This Book May Save Your Life”:

Season 2 Is Back

I’ve rebranded and am relaunching my podcast after a longer than expected hiatus next Friday (19^th April). It’ll be audio and video (you’ll be able to find it on all the usual places…Spotify, Apple, Youtube etc).

I’ve called it “Dr Karan Explores”. It will mostly be useful and interesting things from the world of science, health and medicine… and hopefully providing you with lots of actionable tips that you can implement into your daily life and debunking a lot of the BS you see and hear online.

BUT the reason I’ve left the title slightly open is because I don’t plan to just have guests who are doctors or scientists on… keep watching this space!

These are the first few episodes + themes: sleep, gut health, psychedelics, CBD, muscle gain + weight loss… the guests I recorded the above with were phenomenal.

It’ll be one episode airing EVERY Friday and I’m fully booked with guests until the end of June and there are some phenomenal ones coming soon!

If you have any interesting guests that are experts in any areas and you think they’d be a great fit – let me know!

What Did People Do Before Toothpaste…?

It’s fair to say dental hygiene has advanced significantly over the past few hundred years and actually even over the last few decades!

We have increasing evidence that good oral and dental health is associated not only with better brain and heart health but longevity as a whole. But what did our ancestors do to keep their pearly whites neat and tidy and keep gum disease at bay?

Some evidence of dental care has been found on 130,000 year old Neanderthal molars from a Croatian cave which suggests teeth were scraped by some sort of abrasive instruments, most likely bits of bone or stone.

The Egyptians made dental care slightly more sophisticated and actually developed the world’s first toothpaste! This consists of egg shells mixed with oxen hooves, myrrh and pumice and was more of a powder than paste.

The Romans added to this and threw in some charcoal and tree bark to help with bad breath.

Many Middle Eastern cultures also used chewing sticks taken from specific trees such as the Neem tree and Salvadora persica (miswak) which have some antimicrobial properties. In fact the miswak is still used as a form of oral care in many Asian and Middle Eastern countries to this day!

It’s The WHO Not The HOW…

People say focus on the journey not the destination. I used to subscribe to this philosophy but have changed my mind on one thing.

I no longer focus on either the journey or the destination but focus on people.

When you surround yourself with the right sort of people, the journey and the destination take care of themselves.

Over the past 5 years of being on social media, I’ve had the chance to interact with some pretty interesting people who I would now consider close friends. A modicum of notoriety I’ve gained in recent years has also attracted the wrong kinds of people into my circle and I’ve learned lessons from those too.

You cannot sit down and plan the ideal journey but you can choose your fellowship and company on your quest. You’ll find with the right people, the path reveals itself in due course.

Find your tribe.

What You Should Watch

Fallout — Amazon Prime

Similar to the HBO hit show “The Last of Us” – this was based on a popular game and turned into a TV show.

I never played the game but you don’t need to have to enjoy this. The series starts a few decades ago and the premise revolves around heightened tensions in the cold war between Russia and the US where the world is on the brink of a nuclear war.

As we know, this never happened in real life but it does in the series. Fast forward 200 years and the world in a post nuclear winter is totally different.

If you’re a fan of dystopian genres, sci fi, action and just bizarre things – this one is for you!

Why Are Some Accents More Attractive Than Others?

For example people will consistently rank French as a more attractive language than German and a common explanation for that is German is a “harsh” language but there's no linguistic basis for that claim. 

Having studied German for a number of years, it can actually be a beautiful poetic language contrary to popular opinion.  There's nothing in its sound that makes it less attractive instead it's all in how we stereotype the speakers of these languages.  

Spanish, Italian and French accents are considered more attractive because their countries are associated with things like romance, culture, art and wine and because of this effect a lot of first world countries have accents that tend to be regarded as more attractive.

For example every single country that Britain colonised agrees that the British accent is “hot” and at its core this basically comes down to sociolinguistic daddy issues or the “prestige dialect” effect.  

P.S in under a month I’m doing my first ever LIVE show! I’d love to see you there.. over half the tickets have gone. Grab tickets here!