Arete Athletics LLC

Happy 4th of July! Start your holiday off right with a special workout to celebrate 'Merica!

Arete Athletics 4th of July Workout 2024

Give thanks and get your sweat on before the feasting commences. Anyone is welcome to join us. Bring your family and friends and show them how "fun" fitness can be!

Big day!!! We broke ground on our new fitness facility being built on our property. Watch out Gig Harbor, there’s soon to be a new “gym” in town!!

Sober Curious?
It's all the rage, not drinking that is. Or at least that is what the media would like you to believe. However, I can say, I have quite a few friends and family that don't drink anymore, or occasionally take big breaks from consuming alcohol. It started as a fad, "dry January," and it has morphed into more of a lifestyle over the years for some folks. There are even bars that cater entirely to non-drinkers, serving fancy non-alcoholic "mocktails" and creating an ambiance that is similar to a typical bar. So obviously there is a market for it if whole establishments are being built around the premise of sobriety.
Have you thought about quitting for a while? Do you ever question if you drink too much, too often, or have any sort of unhealthy relationship with alcohol? If you have, you may want to seriously consider taking a break from the stuff for a while and see how you feel without imbibing. If this seems like a ludicrous idea to you, can I suggest starting with only 1 week? Go a whole 7 days without a drop- and see what kind of feelings that brings up in you. Are you anxious come Friday night, do you reach for that glass of wine at 7 pm every night and get mad that you can't have it? Or perhaps you really don't miss it all, in fact you find that you sleep better and feel better during your day and workouts. Both scenarios can be true, and neither one is wrong or right, but you won't know until you try.

I'm not here to demonize alcohol, or say what you should or shouldn't do or drink, but it's our job as your trainers and wellness advocates to tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly side of drinking. I have taken breaks from alcohol before, obviously most women do when they are pregnant (hopefully) and I have done it when I'm not growing a human as well. Every time I do, I am able to re-frame my relationship with alcohol and I tend to learn a lot about myself and my habits.
Myles and I have decided we are taking a break together this time. Just to see how we feel and what we learn. We love to experiment on ourselves and try to be an example so we aren't the ones saying, "do as I say, not as I do." I'll let you know how it goes.....
There are many reasons to quit for a while ranging from multiple health factors, to mental clarity (think- this is your brain on drugs... if you remember that egg frying commercial), to sleep quality and so on. If you need a little nudging, may I suggest listening to this excellent podcast by Andrew Huberman.
https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/
I listened to it after I had decided to go "dry" for a while and WOW it was eye opening and helped me solidify my decision to "try on" sobriety for an extended period of time. He does an amazing job of explaining how alcohol affects your body and the long term damage it can inflict, but also gives you reasons to pause, and evaluate if you could be prone to alcohol addiction even if you would never consider yourself an "alcoholic." And honestly, your willingness (or adamant refusal) to give it up for a while, can speak volumes about your current relationship with the substance.
One very important point he makes after reading multiple peer reviewed studies and interviewing a prominent sleep scientist is that only 1 drink; just one glass of wine, or one beer, will disrupt your sleep cycle architecture (think slow wave sleep, deep sleep, REM, etc). So even if you aren't drinking much, but you consistently have 1 drink a night, your sleep is most definitely suffering most likely with you not even knowing the effect that glass of wine is having on it. This is just one other reason why abstaining for a while will allow you to track your sleep when you aren't consuming alcohol and see how well rested you feel or if you use sleep monitoring apps/devices, what the data tells you.
Of course, not everyone will want to quit completely, even lessening the overall amount (quantity) you drink is helpful for improving many of the health factors he mentions in his podcast. Drinking is part of our social fabric, many events are centered around it and it feels "weird" not to drink sometimes when everyone else is. So if you aren't interested in the cold turkey method, you can try just a little bit less, or less frequently or take small breaks when it's convenient for you and so you don't feel socially awkward if that's a concern.
If you want less of a deep dive into the reasons why less is more in the case of alcohol, may I suggest this short article by the NYT?
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html?unlocked_article_code=I0DBkljOz7Sl1SnGwrXrNDXm8Ljs1k78OjWmBUarI-Wxe7aTPNvhJlxhd3gPlpDDjW5QQXRQTv-1iPFaYLPnIw1eECGmoyxU0kYakx0md3NBCCbrjgzZ-Ncxy6GS6MpiudRbx1G489Az70G9WDWyVUy6vNyMjZiVNSzgb7UZp0zAnA6SshqIm9TmrSngDa-_vC5JSYgqqcB0yUAVPeXtxPbYFd7HkZPGhpqof4PLB_7FSodSv5k2VkfUDHWa1DHrQhfRpiXLpN7uIk5PxRJthEPSj6bTySV6thwTwt2oenrH9sMj60qk1am72Lw4Qf4G0y8nVGS_VUEb3meGpTRyMt-1fg&smid=share-url
It also highlights the many negative health effects drinking has on our bodies.
I know- I get it, drinking is fun, and I enjoy a good cocktail, glass of wine, or IPA like anyone else. BUT, it comes at a cost and I want to minimize the damage I'm doing to my body, for a while at least, and see what shakes out in the end.
If the idea of drinking less resonates with you, but you are afraid to try because you think others might think you have a "problem," don't worry about it. So many people are "taking breaks" nowadays that there really is no stigma attached to trying out sobriety for a spell. You also have the option of using us as your scapegoat for trying. You can tell others, "my trainer has challenged me to refrain from drinking alcohol for "x" amount of time and I'm giving it a shot." In that same vein, if you need any support from us, please let us know. We can help keep you "on the wagon" and are open and willing to start a FB group or any other type of online support group (with just clients and friends) to bolster resolve and help navigate social situations that can make you feel awkward.
I have several female friends right now that are all not drinking and we are doing "mock" happy hours- like going bowling, or having game night, activities that don't revolve around drinking. We still want to hang out and have fun, but we don't need to center our outings around alcohol. I know from past experience, I can have just as much fun stone sober as I can drinking, and I usually feel a whole lot better the next day too.
I sincerely hope you all don't feel like I just rained on your parade, but the truth is we care about all of you and think this is VERY important information for people to know. Alcohol is not good for you, no matter which way you try to slice it, it's just the cold, hard truth. If you think "life's too short" to give up drinking (even for just a short time), that's fine- you do you, but we would be remiss in our health advocacy role, had we not shared all the information with you to allow you to make an informed decision.

Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health Recent research makes it clear that any amount of drinking can be detrimental. Here’s why you may want to cut down on your consumption beyond Dry January.

Should I Take Creatine?
When Myles told me a few years ago he was going to start taking creatine- I kinda freaked out. My line of questioning in my appalled state went something like this. "Isn't that a steroid? Why do you want to look like a "roided" up body builder? I don't think it's safe. I've heard it causes baldness and can shrink things most guys don't want shrunk!"
I'll say it once, I was wrong. There- never again!
After doing some research on creatine, (persuaded by Myles's gentle suggestions to work on my biases), I discovered I was wrong about all this.
First, creatine is a dietary supplement NOT a steroid. Our body creates it's own creatine and we can get it from meat and fish too. Creatine serves as a type of fuel for your skeletal muscles.
Secondly, it is one of the most thoroughly studied compounds, and it has been proven completely safe to use through many research models.
It has very few side effects and those are limited to minimal weight gain and GI discomfort (if taken in large doses-which is not necessary). And you'll be happy to know, it is not known to shrink anything important!
What we do know about creatine, and why I am writing about it today, is because it can, without a doubt, assist in physical performance. It's most beneficial in bouts of quick intense bursts of activity (think quick sprints, heavy lifts, or jumps) and it helps to enhance muscle mass when paired with exercise. Our body replenishes our creatine levels in our muscles throughout the day, but supplementing is a way to add just a bit more to your system that you can't make yourself or get from your diet.
Athletes have been using creatine for YEARS, it is safe and effective when used correctly.
And there is another reason you should consider adding creatine to your supplement list if you are into that sort of thing. Researchers have been studying the link between creatine and brain function, especially in older adults!
Ahhhh- I got your attention now!
Research into the effects of creatine on the brain is harder to conduct mainly because of the manner in which scientists usually perform this type of research. To study the effect of creatine in muscles, the researchers take muscle biopsies which are fairly easy to obtain from research subjects. It is much more difficult to study the human brain and the effects creatine has on its function because of the intrusive nature of brain biopsies.... we don't do those sorts of things for research's sake usually. So, to find out what effects creatine can have on the brain, the use of an MRI comes in handy and those machines are generally tied up with more important jobs to do.
There is ongoing research being conducted on the effects of creatine on the brain, but in the limited studies completed, they have found a positive association with improving cognitive function (particularly memory) as well as attenuating the symptoms from concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Add to that, the mountains of research on creatine and muscular fitness- in both athletes and older adults, and it makes a pretty convincing argument to think about adding it to your diet. If this does intrigue you, please reach out to us for dosage recommendations and product endorsements.

100 Most Nutritious Foods

A report came out in 2020 when a group of scientists decided to rate raw foods on their nutritional value. Unfortunately, there is not one "perfect" food that meets all of our nutritional needs (although I believe W***y Wonka was working on that... ) so we need to combine the foods on this list with one another to maximize our nutritional intake. These foods are well balanced and don't provide an insane amount of one particular nutrient so that they can be combined with others without throwing our bodies out of whack by over consuming certain vitamins, minerals, etc.

The list is comprised of many types of seafood and fish as well as nuts, seeds, vegetables, a few fruits and spices.
I'm going to list the top 10 and if you want to see the whole list of 100 just follow this link https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180126-the-100-most-nutritious-foods
to go to the article.

SPOILER ALERT!!!! Wine and chocolate don't make the cut.

10. Snapper (fish): Nutritional score- 69

9. Beet Greens: (the top leafy parts of beets that often get tossed in the bin):
Nutritional score- 70

8. Pork fat: (WHAT??- a better source of unsaturated fat than beef or lamb)
Nutritional score- 73

7. Swiss Chard: Nutritional score- 78

6. Pumpkin Seeds: (Scoop out those jack-o-lanterns and roast some up!)
Nutritional score- 84

5. Chia Seeds: (for more than just growing hair on terracotta heads)
Nutritional Score- 85

4. Flatfish: Nutritional score- 88

3. Ocean Perch: (Rockfish- we catch these all the time BUT never eat them, I suppose we should) Nutritional score- 89

2. Cherimoya (fruit- lots of vitamins): Nutritional score- 96

1. Almonds: (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) Nutritional Score- 97

The world’s most nutritious foods After analysing more than 1,000 raw foods, researchers ranked the ingredients that provide the best balance of your daily nutritional requirements – and they found a few surprises.AAs many countries urge populations to stay at home, many of us are paying more attention to our diets and how the foo...

Fasted Training- Hype or Helpful?
In my last post, I wrote about the importance of focusing on either building muscle OR burning fat, and encouraged you to choose one, instead of trying to do both simultaneously.
Along this same vein is the idea of fasted training, basically working out in any capacity while you don't have food actively digesting in your system. Most commonly, this occurs in the morning after you have had a night of rest and have not eaten breakfast prior to your training session. But it can also be anytime you have had an extended period of time without eating- like if you are practicing intermittent fasting, or just skipped lunch and are working out in the afternoon.
People usually have a fairly strong opinion one way or the other, on whether eating prior to working out is helpful or harmful.
In one camp, they say, "eating before working out gives my body the fuel it needs to push hard, and if I don't eat I feel flat, and dizzy, or just weak."
The other side says, "if I eat before I work out I feel sick and sluggish and have GI issues."
Neither one is necessarily right or wrong and you may have played around with this already and know your body does really well in a fasted state while pushing yourself, or perhaps you just can't make the same progress and push as hard if you don't eat first.
But I'm guessing most of you haven't really consciously set out to do a workout in a fasted state and then debriefed with yourself afterwards about how you felt during and after that workout.
That's what we are here for! Hooray- your meddlesome trainers who constantly ask you try new things that may or may not make you feel uncomfortable. (It's a love/hate relationship- we get it!)
As with everything, there are pluses and minuses to fasted training but we think it's worth trying, just to see how your own body responds. This does not mean we want you to wait all day until your 3pm strength session having not eaten since the night before! We would prefer everyone starts out slow, by doing a fast walk, jog or low-intensity workout in the morning once per week (or more if you like) for the next month. See how your body feels when you workout without food in your stomach. And yes, you can have a cup of coffee or tea (and hopefully a big glass of water) before you do your training. If you workout with Myles in the morning and you want to do it during one of your sessions with him, you can let him know and he can adjust the intensity of your session if you are concerned about how you might feel.

Why should I do this? Well, for several reasons actually. First and foremost, to burn fat. If you are in a fasted state your body is more likely to burn fat as your main fuel source for your training. When you have food in your stomach and readily available your body will usually grab onto those quick carbs (glucose- for the nerds among us) and use those instead of digging deeper (in a sense) and use your fat stores. But, when you don't have that glucose just hanging out for use, the body is smart and decides to break down your fat molecules and use that as your energy source. I could get REALLY NERDY here, but I won't. Yes, your body can, and will, break into your muscle stores too and break those proteins down if you aren't properly fueled, but that's a debate for another day.
The second reason we want you to try this is because we want you to be "metabolically flexible." I bet that wasn't on your goal sheet for 2022, but it is now! This means, we want your body to be able to quickly and easily switch back and forth between energy sources- like fat and glucose. Again, this can get too sciencey, but the general idea is, that the better you are able to adapt to using various methods of fuel, the more of a robust human you become. AND we all want to be robust humans, am I right?
One thing to note, if you are one of those people who says, I ALWAYS feel dizzy/nauseous/weak when I do any activity before I eat, then this is your body's way of telling you, you are not very metabolically flexible. In this scenario, your body is reaching for glucose, not finding any, and then unable to break into the fat stores to use that as your energy source. And, EVERYONE has fat stores to use... no matter how svelte you think you are.
So please, make your trainers happy this month, and try this out. Let us know what you experience and how metabolically flexible and robust you become by playing our game. As Myles famously likes to say, "you may be surprised" at what you discover.

Can you Burn Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time?
The short answer, if you're reading this blog post, is probably not.
If you are new to training, like have under a year of experience, then yes, any addition of fitness will affect both your fat stores and lead to building muscle. Remember that show, "The Biggest Loser", those contestants (dare we say... athletes) lost huge amounts of weight each week, while putting on muscle.
Well, you don't have to be obese to see dramatic results within your first "training year." It's pretty common to see the immediate positive impact on your physique by just adding some form of exercise and reigning in your diet even slightly for those that are just starting out on their fitness journey.
This is great, given that it helps newbies achieve "big wins" and keeps them coming back for more if they like the results and want to keep seeing gains (or losses- depending on their goals).
Things get a little murkier as your "training age" increases. Ever heard someone say, "I've done the same thing for years and now I'm eating less, but I'm still putting on weight."
This is your body saying a few things to you.
First, with age our metabolism changes and that is an undeniable and inevitable reality for all humans. As we age we burn fewer calories for daily activity, and this usually coincides with a decrease in daily movement too, so it's a double whammy.
Secondly, your body is craving CHANGE, nothing kills physical transformation more than repetitive behaviors that don't vary in intensity, ever. It's like that saying, the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result. Your body is very smart, and it adapts to your activities and gets better and more efficient at the things you do everyday. You have to trick it to think you are doing something new. A few ways to trick your body to change and adapt are by varying these factors:

Intensity & Velocity: How fast and hard can you move your body or an object/weight?
Volume: How many sets/reps are you doing? With what weight?
Speed: How fast or slow is your tempo?
These are just a few things that can make a HUGE difference in what you do. A squat is just a squat but it can differ dramatically by adding resistance in the form of weight or bands, where you attach the bands or hold the weight, how fast or slow you move in and out of the position and how many reps and sets you do of the squat. If you always goblet hold 20 pounds and do 3 sets of 10 squats, your body will adjust and adapt to that volume quickly (like within a week) and you need to change something to make your body respond. It may still be hard, or make you tired, but you are getting diminishing returns for your effort at this point.
As your coach, we mess around with these variables all the time to "trick" your body into thinking it's doing something novel. It's also important to mess with more than just one variable. For example, if you are a client that has been lifting the same kettlebell for over a year when you do a standard squat, you probably need to add more resistance in the form of adding a band or raising your weight. We can mess around with your tempo (and we do) but it's important to recognize the need to up the ante in the form of resistance as well.
And for the ladies, I will say it again..... lifting heavy weights will not turn you into a female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. You need a whole lot more testosterone to bulk up. In contrast, lifting heavier will make you stronger, build lean muscle, and help your body burn more calories at rest with that lean muscle. These are all positive side effects from lifting heavier weights- no bulging biceps and gigantic quads to contend with.
Circling back to burning fat and building muscle at the same time question. Basically a good rule of thumb is to work on one and then the other.
If you are someone that is overweight and needs/wants to lose body fat primarily- we would suggest you work on that first mainly by adjusting your nutrition and adding exercise. Then when you have leaned down a bit you can build strength and muscle to help you continue to get lean.
If you are someone who is at a good place with your weight but just wants to change your body composition a bit, we would suggest lifting and building muscle first, and then futz around with your nutrition to lean you out a bit.
The place where people run into problems is when they try to switch things up and don't stay the course. It takes time to achieve these goals, like 6-12 months. If after 6 weeks, you decided to quit lifting and go on a keto diet instead and then 6 weeks later change to Pilates only, you won't ever get to where you want to be. You have to stick with a plan and see it through. Think about it this way, if you were climbing a mountain and switched trails every few miles to start at the bottom and go on a trail you think will get you to the top faster, and then do that again and again, you aren't actually getting anywhere. Whereas if you stuck to the same trail and slogged through the ups and downs, you would eventually get to the top and achieve your goal. It's not magic, and it's definitely not sexy, but consistency is the key to making your goal achievable, otherwise you're just spinning your wheels and most likely getting frustrated.
So the moral of this fitness story is:
You have to keep your body guessing and you have to be consistent to make a change.

Estrogen, bone health, and all things "heavy"

This post is obviously directed toward women, however if you aren't a woman but know a woman, it might also be good for you to read so you can share the knowledge and sound smart.
Menopause- "the big change", mother nature sure has a fantastic sense of humor. As women, we get the opportunity to have a fluctuating hormone cycle for 30-40 years with some lovely hormones that are quite beneficial to our health and wellness. Then, during a very short period of time, those hormones all but disappear, leaving us suffering from a myriad of side effects and having lasting effects on our overall health. I want to discuss today, how our steroid hormones (particularly estrogen) can be useful in helping maintain our bone health and keep our hearts happy.
Without dragging you all into the weeds of a long debated study, I wanted to provide a brief background on why estrogen is important and how it became demonized during the last 20 years. In 2005 the Women's Health Initiative study findings were released and it is to this date the most expansive study conducted on women's health ever. However, this is also the point in history where hormone replacement therapy (HRT) took a deep dive off a cliff. The study found that hormone replacement therapy (using estrogen, or a mix of estrogen and progesterone) can increase your risk of breast cancer and possibly affect your heart health. Yikes! That sounds like something to avoid.
But for the last 15 plus years, doctors and researchers have been trying to find out just how much of these findings are impactful for menopausal women.
Most the subjects in the study were older and past menopause (like 65 years old) and many of them had contributing health factors (like obesity). There are multiple other flaws in the study design and participants that can be debated also.
So the question is, is estrogen really all that bad?
Well, when we are younger (pre-menopausal), it seems to do all sorts of wonderful things for our heart and brain and body. But is it ok to supplement with it during or after menopause to help alleviate some of the negative symptoms of menopause? There are two schools of thought on hormone replacement therapy and many variations between the two extremes.
Group 1: Nature intended for you to lose these hormones over time so it's "natural" to just go through the change, deal with the symptoms, and move on. Plus it causes breast cancer and possibly heart issues.
Group 2: We have the medical knowledge and know-how to safely replace these hormones to allow women to remain feeling good while they transition through menopause, so why not use it?
Some new findings (and not so new findings) about what estrogen does for women:
Increased elasticity of the blood vessels, allowing them to dilate (widen) and let the blood flow more freely throughout the body
Improved short-term symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and mood swings, dry skin, and sleeplessness.
Decreased risk of osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones)
Decreased incidence of colon cancer
Protects against heart related disease in young women
Can positively affect cholesterol by increasing HDL and decreasing LDL
Osteoporosis is scary. Women lose up to 20% of their bone density 5-7 years after menopause. When your bones become more brittle, your likelihood of breaking them increases and breaking a hip is a leading cause of death in older populations! You need strong bones ladies, and drinking milk isn't gonna cut it.
Estrogen replacement can help with this, and do you know what else can? I bet you can't guess........ that's right!; lifting up heavy things and putting them back down again (aka strength training).
Exercise that puts stress on your ligaments, tendons and muscles, helps to strengthen your bones as well. So walking, although pleasant and good for your health in general, is not going to build stronger bones. You need to stress your system by loading it with either body weight dynamic movement (think jumping, sprinting, plyometrics) and/or loading it with weight and doing big movements.
So, if you are menopausal, or post-menopausal, I would suggest doing some more research into HRT and don't just write it off as a bad idea. The tide is turning on this subject and it's worth re-visiting if you had once discounted using estrogen replacement because you heard it caused cancer. I listened to this podcast and found it fascinating.
https://peterattiamd.com/caroltavris-avrumbluming/
They speak about a book titled, Estrogen Matters. I haven't read it yet but I plan to.
AND.... keep loading your skeleton. Jump, run, lift...... keep at it. Your bones will thank you!

Omega 3's and me?

We have been sifting through the research and listening to podcasts with experts, and Omega-3 supplementation has become a top contender for "easy ways to increase your life expectancy", so we figured we should share this with you.

Omega-3 fatty acids come in three different forms: DHA, EPA, and ALA. DHA and EPA are commonly found in cold water marine life (salmon, cod, sardines, etc.), whereas ALA is found in various nuts, seeds, and oils (flax, chia, walnuts, vegetable oil, etc.).
These are considered "essential" fatty acids, AND our body cannot make these anti-inflammatory gems, so we need to consume them in order to use them. It is recommended to eat at least two meals a week containing 4oz of fish or seafood that is high in Omega-3's to get the minimal amount of the fatty acids through diet alone. To some, it may seem like a stretch to eat even two Omega-3 dense meals a week, in that case, supplementation is the suggested course of action.

Why would you put so much effort into ingesting these fatty acids?

They have a laundry list of health benefits:
To name a few, they can reduce inflammation, lower elevated triglycerides, increase mood (act as an antidepressant), assist with infant brain development, reduce arthritis, and possibly decrease the symptoms of ADHD and Alzheimer's.
I could spend a good deal of time explaining why and how they help in all these area's but the gist of the story is, they are exceptionally good at reducing inflammation and providing ways for your body to heal itself.

"What makes omega-3 fats special? They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation." (Harvard.edu/ Nutrition Source)

So if you are considering supplementing with Omega 3's how much should you take and what type of supplement is best? This isn't as cut and dry as one would hope. There are many contradicting opinions about both dosage and delivery methods of Omega 3's.

I can tell you what we take and I will provide several links to this post that lay out different recommendations. The general recommendation is to take 2-4 grams of combined DHA and EPA a day.
Both Myles and I try to take 4 g of Omega 3's per day. We currently use a high potency oil and take a tsp per day. Pills are also effective but you have to make sure you get a quality supplement that has high levels of DHA and EPA per serving.
A nutritionist/dietician friend of mine once told me, if you buy the supplement at Costco, it probably isn't the best option.

You can also be prescribed Omega 3 supplements by your doctor if you have high triglycerides and commonly your insurance will cover the cost of the prescription. This is a great option because it saves you the out of pocket expense and the prescribed supplements are very good quality. Some commonly prescribed supplements are Epanova, Lovaza, Omtryg, and Vacepa.
There is very little risk involved in adding Omega 3's to your daily regime, however there isn't zero risk. Therefore, it goes without saying, check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet.

Links for more information:
General Info about Omega 3's:
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17290-omega-3-fatty-acids
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/

Info about choosing supplements:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/ODS_Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx
https://www.webmd.com/diet/how-to-evaluate-vitamins-supplements

How to Evaluate Vitamins and Supplements WebMD explains how to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of vitamins and supplements.