Follow us over to It’s OK To Be Smart to find out about the weird science behind the placebo effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPwIQ6GCj8 This week Reactions is taking a look at the science and chemistry, or lack thereof, behind supplements. You’ve seen them in late night commercials and at your local pharmacy—little pills that claim to cure your cold, help you wake up or maybe help you lose weight. Vitamin and mineral supplements are everywhere and generate billions of dollars in revenue in the U.S. each year. But do they really work? Find us on all these places: Subscribe! http://bit.ly/ACSReactions Facebook! http://facebook.com/ACSReactions Twitter! http://twitter.com/ACSReactions Tumblr! http://tumblr.com/ACSReactions Music: Funk Delite Nylon Flares Producer: Elaine Seward Writer: Sam Lemonick Executive Producer: Adam Dylewski Scientific consultants: Francisco Tomás-Barberán, Ph.D. Darcy Gentleman, Ph.D. Sophia Cai Sources: Should you take multi-vitamins? http://www.berkeleywellness.com/supplements/vitamins/article/should-you-still-take-multi Prenatal vitamins: http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/prenatal-vitamins Industry revenue: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324392804578362073624344816 Large multivitamin studies showing no significant benefits for healthy people: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789253 http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=728199 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211978 http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1767855 http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/97/2/437.long Some experts recommend multivitamins as “nutritional insurance”: http://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/do-multivitamins-make-you-healthier http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/01/30/382587987/study-sheds-light-on-benefits-of-multivitamins For those with diabetes, supplements can help: http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=716096 Adverse effects: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1504267 Fish oil claims not supported by research: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/fish-oil-claims-not-supported-by-research/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fish-oil-supplement-research-remains-murky/ Choline: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/choline Other sources: Trials for supplements don’t show adequate evidence of benefits http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/12December/Pages/Study-finds-vitamin-pills-have-limited-benefit.aspx http://www.health.harvard.edu/alternative-and-complementary-medicine/the-arguments-against-dietary-supplements http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2014/06/do-vitamins-work/index.htm http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-vitamin-supplements-improve-health/