Supplements

Most supplements are unnecessary and some are actively counterproductive. The ones worth taking earn their place by correcting a specific deficiency, supporting a mechanism food cannot reach, or replacing something modern agriculture stripped out of the soil. These pages cover what each compound actually does, the dose the research used rather than the dose on the label, and the situations where the honest answer is that you do not need it.

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AdaptogensPlants traditionally used to blunt the physiological response to stress — ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil. Some have real trial data behind them, particularly on cortisol and subjective stress; others have centuries of use and little else. These pages separate the two and cover interactions worth knowing about.

B VitaminsA group that fails together, because they work together. Methylation depends on B12, folate and B6 in the active forms — and a substantial share of people carry variants that handle the synthetic forms poorly. These pages cover which forms matter, who needs them, and why the number on a multivitamin label is not the whole story.

CollagenEaten as protein, not absorbed as collagen — the amino acids are broken down like any other. What the trials suggest is that supplying glycine and proline in quantity supports the body's own synthesis. These pages cover what the evidence shows for skin, joints and gut lining, and what it does not.

CreatineThe most studied sports supplement in existence, and increasingly studied for the brain rather than the muscle. Effects on strength and power are well established; the cognitive and mood research is younger and more interesting. These pages cover dosing, the loading question, and what the newer trials are finding.

IronThe nutrient where both deficiency and excess are common and both do damage. Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant, so a normal result can hide depletion during inflammation. These pages cover reading the panel properly and why supplementing without testing is a bad idea.

MagnesiumInvolved in more than three hundred enzymatic reactions and depleted by exactly the things modern life supplies: stress, caffeine, alcohol, and soil that no longer holds it. The form determines what it does — glycinate for sleep, citrate for bowel, malate for energy. These pages cover which one for what.

NAD+ & NMNNAD+ falls with age and is required by every energy-producing reaction in the cell, which makes restoring it an attractive target. Whether oral precursors raise tissue NAD+ enough to matter is still an open question, and the human outcome data is thin. These pages cover the mechanism honestly and mark the gap between it and proof.

Omega-3The ratio matters more than the amount. A diet heavy in industrial seed oils shifts the omega-6 to omega-3 balance far from anything humans evolved with, and supplementing fish oil on top of that treats the symptom. These pages cover the ratio, testing for it, and the difference between EPA and DHA.

ProbioticsA field where the marketing has run considerably ahead of the science. Strain specificity is everything: results from one strain say nothing about another, and most products list neither the strain nor a viable count. These pages cover what specific strains have been shown to do and how to read a label.

SeleniumRequired for the enzyme that converts thyroid T4 into active T3, and for glutathione peroxidase — the body's own antioxidant system. The therapeutic window is narrower than for most minerals. These pages cover the dose, the food sources, and the thyroid connection.

Vitamin CCheap, safe, and surrounded by more overstatement than almost any other supplement. Its role in collagen synthesis and immune function is established; the claims made for high-dose intravenous protocols are a separate question with much weaker support. These pages keep the two apart.

Vitamin DLess a vitamin than a hormone, and one of the few supplements where deficiency is genuinely widespread at northern latitudes. Dose matters, but so does what it is taken with: vitamin D raises calcium absorption, and K2 determines where that calcium ends up. These pages cover testing, dosing and the co-factors that are usually left out.

Vitamin K2The nutrient that decides whether calcium is deposited in bone or in arterial wall. Largely absent from modern diets because it comes from fermented foods and pastured animal fat. These pages cover the MK-4 and MK-7 forms, the interaction with vitamin D, and the evidence on arterial calcification.

ZincCentral to immune function, wound healing and testosterone synthesis, and in direct competition with copper for absorption. Which is why sustained high-dose supplementation causes its own deficiency. These pages cover the ratio, the testing, and the situations where short-term high doses are justified.

July 30, 20263 min

How to Choose a Supplement Without Being Sold One

Most of what is on the shelf is unnecessary, underdosed or in a form the body handles poorly. A few things are genuinely worth taking. Here is how to tell them apart.

Bioavailability Dosing