Walk into any supplement store or spend ten minutes on social media and you'll probably discover something new that you apparently
need.
One person says you need magnesium. Another says creatine. Then it's CoQ10, vitamin D, methylated B vitamins, probiotics, adaptogens, greens powder, mushroom extracts, and the newest supplement that is going to change everything.
Before you know it, you're taking 15 or 20 supplements every morning and you're not entirely sure why you're taking half of them.
I see this all the time.
The problem isn't necessarily that these supplements are bad.
Many of them are good ideas.
But a good idea isn't automatically a good idea
for you.
When I see a patient taking a long list of supplements, one of the first things I want to understand is why each one is there.
What are we trying to accomplish?
Was it recommended based on a deficiency? A symptom? A health condition? Lab work? A specific goal?
Or did someone on the internet say everyone should take it?
Supplements should have a purpose.
If we're adding product after product without knowing what we're trying to change, eventually we create so much noise that it's difficult to know what's actually helping.
You feel better. Why?
You feel worse. Which supplement caused it?
Your labs change. What made the difference?
When you're taking 20 different things, those questions become surprisingly difficult to answer.
I Don't Have a “Perfect Stack”
Patients sometimes ask me:
“What supplements should every man take?”
Or,
“What's your longevity stack?”
I don't really have one.
That's because the supplements I recommend depend on the person sitting in front of me.
Your diet, medications, laboratory results, medical history, sleep, exercise, symptoms, age, goals, and existing supplements all influence what may or may not make sense.
Someone working on cardiovascular health may need a very different approach than someone focused on digestive health, athletic recovery, metabolic health, or correcting a nutritional deficiency.
That's individualized medicine.
I like supplements. I use them in my practice.
But I think of them as
tools, not collectibles.
Sometimes the right tool is a supplement. Sometimes it's nutrition. Sometimes it's exercise, better sleep, a medication, or simply removing something that isn't helping.
And sometimes the best thing I can do is tell a patient:
“You don't need that.” (Which sometimes makes them want it more lol)
My goal isn't to see how many products I can add to your plan. It's to figure out which interventions actually fit your clinical picture.
I would rather have you taking a few things with a clear purpose than swallowing 20 capsules because 20 different people had 20 different good ideas.
Because when it comes to supplements,
more isn't necessarily better. Better decisions are better.
-
Dr. C
