13 replies to this topic

[Alex Libman]

The idea that there can be an ideal multivitamin / mineral supplement pill for everybody is obviously silly, as even the mainstream supplement manufacturers already market different products for men, women, teenagers, seniors, people with specific concerns, etc.

The next step in the evolution of the ideal supplement is even greater customization enabled by just-in-time manufacturing and a Web-based ordering process. Instead of there being a dozen different formulations there would now be hundreds, with ingredients and dosage matched from a questionnaire that goes beyond the basic age / gender stats and also considers the person's weight, body-fat percentage, exercise habits, eating habits, sleeping habits, sunlight exposure, and so on.

The next step is to abandon standardized formulations altogether and have robots mix powders for each person based on specific numerical calculations of that individual person's needs. This will allow an even more detailed questionnaire to identify even more specific nutritional needs of that person (ex. ailments, medications, allergies, family history, fitness goals, etc), as well as genetic and chemical data coming from a blood test and other medical inputs.

The final step that I can envision is the optimization of the product shipping cycle from weeks to mere days or even hours! Every morning the customer would take a couple of minutes to use several Internet-enabled (and hopefully secure) medical devices that would stream data like weight, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood / urine / stool sample analysis, recent food / beverage / smoking / exertion / stress history, meals planned for the day, etc to the laboratory, which would adjust the recommended supplement formula accordingly (with some ingredients being added only in special situations), and ship the day's supplements to the customer via some sort of an urban air-tube package delivery system.

In addition to hyper-customization, shipping the customer's supplements more frequently would also enable less compact refinement requirements (ex. a beverage instead of a pill / powder), less preservatives, and fresher ingredients for better absorption.

Edited by Alex Libman, 04 April 2010 - 05:52 PM.

[bacopa]

that sounds like a great idea, and I agree whole heartedly with you.

[Alex Libman]

Another thing we might see in the near future is pill combining. After my mom had a heart transplant they had her taking a total of like 50 pills a day, which is quite a lot to swallow and after a while can lead to throat irritation and other problems. Most pills can be compacted in size quite a bit by getting rid of fillers and stuff... I wonder if the drug makers were worried about the psychological effects of old folks saying "bah, that pill is so small it can't possibly be any good"... Well that effect is likely to disappear for the iPod Nano generation. As doctors and pharmacies start to hyper-customize pills based on a patient's daily vital signs and other medical data, multiple pills are likely to be combined into just one small pill / fluid per patient per serving.

We will probably also see more "gradual release" devices where a patient would load up a day's supply of capsules / etc into a special implanted device and it would release a specified dose at regular intervals. We might also see those devices becoming more intelligent and adjusting the dosages for each of the substances being released based on real-time input from other devices attached to the patent, without the patent being bothered unless something is seriously wrong.

[rwac]

It would be great to have a supplement printer or something of that sort. You would get supplement cartridges which can be squirted into a beverage in the appropriate amounts.

We will probably also see more "gradual release" devices where a patient would load up a day's supply of capsules / etc into a special implanted device and it would release a specified dose at regular intervals.

Like an implanted insulin pump, and an artificial pancreas ?

All the technology you desire exists. It's a matter of putting it all together.

[beatsme]

The idea that there can be an ideal multivitamin / mineral supplement pill for everybody is obviously silly, as even the mainstream supplement manufacturers already market different products for men, women, teenagers, seniors, people with specific concerns, etc.

Everybody needs calcium don't they? Vitamin D? B12?
While it's true that every body is different, there is considerable shared variance, and hence, there is theoretically a supplement that can cater to everyone while still being beneficial.

[rwac]

Everybody needs calcium don't they?

Not really. Calcium is seriously overrated. Don't take it, unless you have a specific need for it, like osteoporosis.

[bacopa]

based on studies I've read and recommendations from top doctors I agree Calcium is overrated and can be harmful considering we get the rda from most of our diet.

[Phasmatis Aevum]

The idea that there can be an ideal multivitamin / mineral supplement pill for everybody is obviously silly, as even the mainstream supplement manufacturers already market different products for men, women, teenagers, seniors, people with specific concerns, etc.

Everybody needs calcium don't they? Vitamin D? B12?
While it's true that every body is different, there is considerable shared variance, and hence, there is theoretically a supplement that can cater to everyone while still being beneficial.

Then everyone could take that same baseline multivitamin/supplement and let the daily dynamic dose do the rest. I know that my life is different enough every six months that taking the same supplement all the time seems counter-intuitive.

[Alex Libman]

Human diet can be so varied that I don't think any baseline supplement can ever be universal. For example, a fan of chopped liver or even a carrot-munching vegan child may already be getting more than the recommended upper limit for Vitamin A, while people on some rice-centric diets will be dangerously deficient. Giving the former person additional Vitamin A could do more harm than good, especially while pregnant.

Edited by Alex Libman, 23 May 2010 - 02:16 PM.

[The Immortalist]

The idea that there can be an ideal multivitamin / mineral supplement pill for everybody is obviously silly, as even the mainstream supplement manufacturers already market different products for men, women, teenagers, seniors, people with specific concerns, etc.

Everybody needs calcium don't they? Vitamin D? B12?
While it's true that every body is different, there is considerable shared variance, and hence, there is theoretically a supplement that can cater to everyone while still being beneficial.

That's why Alex Libman suggests that there should be customized supplements based on the physiological conditions of your body the day of being monitered by special medical equipment. That way you wouldn't have to have a general multivitamin for everyone and hope that that general multivitamin covers everyones needs (a lot of times they don't).

[The Immortalist]

What there was a type of food created that was just calories(fat, protein, carbs) and fiber but no other nutrients then we have a general multi vitamin that covers what a human needs? That way multi vitamins could cover most peoples needs.

[PWAIN]

There is already 2 companies that do this (personalised supplements) and these have been discussed on these forums.

[The Immortalist]

There is already 2 companies that do this (personalised supplements) and these have been discussed on these forums.

Could you link me to those discussions please?

[PWAIN]

There is already 2 companies that do this (personalised supplements) and these have been discussed on these forums.

Could you link me to those discussions please?

Sure, Here is one:

http://www.imminst.o...l=mitamins&st=0