The 37-supplement problem: why more is not always better
You have done the research. You have listened to the podcasts. You have watched the reels. And somewhere along the way you ended up with a shelf full of supplements that you half-take, feel vaguely guilty about purchasing and being inconsistent, and have no idea if any of them are actually doing anything.
I see this constantly. And I want to say something that might surprise you... most people are overcomplicating it.
The supplement industry is enormous (and highly profitable!). Anyone can recommend anything, and everything sounds important when it is framed the right way. But the human body can only absorb, process, and utilise so many things at once. And some supplements actively compete with each other - taking them together means you get less of both. Not to mention others being entirely redundant, or at least not a priority for you.
Here is what I actually look at when someone comes to me with a bazillion supplements:
What is the quality? Practitioner-grade supplements are not just marketing. The difference in bioavailability, dose, and purity between a practitioner formula and a chemist brand can be significant. Taking a lot of low-quality supplements is not the same as taking fewer high-quality ones.
Is the form right? Magnesium oxide is cheap and poorly absorbed. Magnesium glycinate or citrate is what you actually want - although it depends on what you are taking it for. Folic acid and methylfolate behave completely differently in the body, particularly if you have a specific MTHFR gene variant. The form matters as much as the dose.
Are there interactions? Zinc and copper compete. High-dose zinc long-term depletes copper. Iron and calcium compete. Some herbs interact with medications. A supplement stack that looks reasonable in isolation can be problematic in combination.
Is there a clear reason for it? Every supplement you take should have a clinical reason behind it. Not because someone said it was good for energy, but because your specific presentation, history, and ideally your pathology, supports it.
My honest advice: if you are not sure why you are taking something, stop taking it. Start with what you know is foundational - a quality prenatal or multivitamin, omega-3, vitamin D if you have not had sun exposure, magnesium at night. Everything else should be added for a reason. Sometimes the most boring basics are actually the most impactful.
If you want someone to actually look at what you are taking and tell you what to keep, what to stop, and what you actually need - that is exactly what a supplement review covers. It is one of the things I include in every IMCO plan and every clinical consultation.
Less is almost always more. And the right less, prescribed for the right reason, does a lot more work than a shelf full of maybes.
