The benefits of using a framework is that you can almost self-answer whether you need to take a particular supplement or not.
Here are what Peter uses to assess whether he wants to take a supplement:
1. What is the objective? The more clearly you can define your objective, the more clearly you can assess if this is the right tool for accomplishing that objective
2. How do you plan to track the effectiveness of it?
3. How do you plan to customize, track, and adjust your treatment over time?
If there is no biomarker to monitor as a measure of effectiveness, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the supplement or medication; it just means you may need to be more intentional about monitoring results in other ways.
4. Does the risk outweigh the reward? Everyone has a different tolerance for risk.
5. Is the mechanism of action well understood?
6. How many patient-years of use exist?
7. What are the short- and long-term risks of taking the medication?
8. What are the risks of not taking the medication?
Let's give an example. Here, I want to assess whether I should use B12 vitamin supplement or not.
1. My objective is to address the deficiencies.
2. I can use blood test to see whether I'm deficient in B12. If I cannot take blood tests, then I can track my symptoms over time. Common symptoms include:
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet.
- Difficulty walking (balance problems).
- Anemia (causing weakness, tiredness, and pale skin).
- Memory problems or difficulty thinking and reasoning (cognitive difficulties).
- Mood changes, like depression or irritability.
Improvement in these symptoms can be a good indicator that my B12 supplementation is working.
