Are Supplements Worth the Money?

One of the first things people do to try to improve their health is to take supplements, long before they make any changes to their diet or exercise. Why? Because it's quick and it's easy. Most people don't have the time or energy to invest in lifestyle changes, and taking supplements is a low-hanging fruit. Dietary supplements are compounds taken orally to supplement your diet. The global dietary supplement market reached more than 192 billion dollars in 2024, 36.5% of which was in America (grandviewresearch.com). Walk into any supermarket or co-op and you will find that the supplement aisle is the most crowded, more than the vegetable aisle or the meat and dairy refrigerators. What you will find in the wellness aisle: The leading dietary supplements are vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fatty acids, probiotics, bodybuilding supplements and natural products. Vitamins Vitamins are micronutrients that are essential for many processes in the body, including metabolism and immunity. There are two types of vitamins: Oil-based vitamins: Vitamins A, E, D and K. Oil-based vitamins, should be taken with the main meal of the day, as they absorb better when taken with fats. Water-based vitamins: Vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and B12. B vitamins are crucial for energy production in cells. Water-based vitamins can be taken anytime throughout the day. Minerals The body needs minerals to perform many functions, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, chromium, molybdenum, selenium and cobalt. You can find them all in "trace minerals" supplements. I use trace minerals only in people who are very depleted after struggling with a chronic condition. Proteins Proteins are chains of amino acids that perform structural, metabolic and regulatory functions in the body. People use protein to recover from illnesses and injuries, lose weight and enhance memory and brain function. Essential fatty acids Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that the body cannot synthesize. Omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid) are essential to humans, and your body counts on them in your diet. While omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. I use omega-3 with many of my clients who struggle with inflammation. Fish oil and cod liver oil provide these essential fatty acids when taken as supplements. However, you can get omega-3 from eating cold-water fish. Probiotics Probiotics include the intestinal microbiota, which aids in digestion and a healthy gastrointestinal tract. The microbes in probiotics don't bind to the tissue, they just pass through while lowering the risk of constipation or diarrhea and improving immune health. Bodybuilding supplements Bodybuilding supplements are another dietary supplement, often high in protein, that aid in bodybuilding, weightlifting and athletics since they help increase lean muscle mass. Natural products Natural products include herbs, glucosamine, collagen and resveratrol. What should you take and how much? The human body developed over six million years; the first supplements, though, were released in 1916. It is unclear if the body knows what to do with supplements without the context of food, and how much we absorb and utilize. The idea that food is good for you because of the substances it contains and that taking those substances as supplements can replace diet deficiencies is reductionist. A reductionist idea is when you describe a complex system as the sum of its parts. As an herbalist, understanding the body, food and herbs as holistic entities is the foundation of my work. A holistic understanding sees the body as a complex ecosystem that has developed in context with the environmental ecosystem. Micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, have a much better chance of absorption and utilization by the body when ingested through food than consumed as separate compounds. Why is that? In any living organism, be it your body or food, the sum is more than its parts. The different organs and compounds work together in synergy and balance each other. One of the reasons why pharmaceutical and even natural drugs have so many side effects in comparison to whole plant preparations is that they use only what they discern to be the "active ingredient," without the other thousands of compounds that are part of the plant. These compounds are essential for the absorption, utilization and balance of these remedies within the body. Many of the foods that are sold in supermarkets are fortified with vitamins and minerals. When foods are highly processed, they lose their nutritional value. For example, most white flours are fortified with B vitamins to replace those that are lost in the wheat germ processing. The idea that if you add more vitamins, minerals and so on to your intake, you will improve your health does not have any solid foundation. Most people who adopt a healthier lifestyle start by adding supplements to their daily intake, yet there is no evidence that it dramatically affects health and well-being. One of the reasons we are enamored with supplements is because we hope we can enjoy good health without the challenges that accompany a lifestyle change. Yet when you use supplements out of their context, you deprive your body of the roadmap it needs to use these vitamins and minerals. Another thing to consider is that when you take a supplement, you do not experience the taste of the substance you ingest. Tastes are a language — they provide the body with the vital information necessary to use them. When are supplements necessary? Supplements are not a replacement for a whole food, nutrient-dense diet, but they have their place for a limited amount of time if you are healing from a disease and your body is depleted. The exception to the rule: Like with every rule, there are exceptions. There are two supplements I recommend adding to your daily intake. Vitamin D You get vitamin D by exposing your skin to the sun, but the sun needs to be 45 degrees to the earth for your body to create vitamin D. You also need enough exposed skin and spend enough time outdoors. In all latitudes north of Atlanta, Ga., you do not get enough sun exposure to produce your body's needs for vitamin D year-round (health.harvard.edu). I recommend adding 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Magnesium Research that analyzed magnesium levels in different vegetables between the 70th and the 90th shows a dramatic drop in magnesium in vegetables. The decline of magnesium in vegetables has to do with industrialized agriculture. If you decide to add a daily dose of magnesium, start with 400 mg. You can grow up to 1000 mg. You'll know if the magnesium dosage is too much for your body if you get diarrhea. If so, reduce your intake. Food is medicine. There is no way to go around this fact. In the modern analytical mind, we can only perceive our body or nature as the sum of molecules or atoms. Life is much more than the sum of its parts. It's an energy that comes from weaving all the parts into a greater whole. It is magical and mysterious, but also grounded and simple. Eat real food.