What Supplements Should You Take?

What Supplements Should You Take? Honest Answer: I Don't Know — And Neither Does Anyone Else Without Your Bloodwork
It's one of the questions I get most often.

"What supplements should I be taking?"

And my honest answer is always the same: I can't tell you — and anyone who confidently tells you without seeing your bloodwork is guessing.

Deficiencies are personal. What you're low in depends on your diet, your lifestyle, your genetics, your age, your health history. There is no universal supplement stack that fixes everyone. The only way to actually know what your body is missing is to test for it.

 
Will Supplements Hurt You?
Probably not. For most people, taking a standard multivitamin or a few common supplements is unlikely to cause harm.

But here's the thing — they're not cheap. And if you're eating a diet built around whole, real foods, there's a good chance you don't need most of them at all. You're literally paying for something your food already gives you.

 
The Get Out of Jail Free Card
Let me be direct about something I see all the time.

A lot of people use supplements as a way to avoid dealing with their actual diet. Pop a greens powder in the morning and suddenly the drive-through doesn't feel so bad. Take a multivitamin and check the "health" box for the day.

That's not how it works.

You cannot supplement your way out of a bad diet. Supplements are meant to fill gaps — not replace the foundation. If the foundation isn't there, no pill, powder, or capsule is closing that gap.

 
A Protein Shake Is Not a Meal
This one needs to be said louder.

A protein shake is not a meal. It doesn't have the fiber, the micronutrients, the complex carbohydrates, or the dozens of compounds found in whole food that your body actually knows what to do with.

And while we're here — do you know how whey protein is made?

Whey is a byproduct of cheese production. It's the liquid left over after milk is curdled and strained — essentially an industrial waste product that the dairy industry figured out how to dry, flavor, and sell back to you at a premium. That doesn't make it toxic, but it's worth knowing what you're actually buying.

A chicken breast, some eggs, Greek yogurt, lentils — these are meals. A shake is a supplement. Know the difference.

 
If You're Going to Spend Money on Supplements, Prioritize These
If you've assessed your diet honestly and you still want to fill some gaps, my general recommendation is to focus on vitamins and minerals rather than the flashy performance or weight loss products. The basics — Vitamin D, magnesium, B12 (especially if you don't eat much meat), omega-3s — are where most people actually have room for improvement.

But again: get tested first. Then spend your money on what you actually need.

 
The FDA Does Not Regulate Supplements
This part matters and most people don't know it.

Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA before they hit the shelf. A company can formulate a product, put it in a bottle, make health claims on the label, and sell it to you — all without proving it works or even that it contains what it says it contains.

So how do you protect yourself? Look for third-party tested products.

Organizations like NSF International, Informed Sport, and USP independently test supplements and verify that what's on the label is actually in the bottle — and that it doesn't contain contaminants or banned substances. If a supplement hasn't been third-party tested, you're taking the manufacturer's word for it.

Know your source.

 
The Bottom Line
You can't know what you need without bloodwork and proper testing
Supplements probably won't hurt you, but they're expensive and often unnecessary if you eat well
They are not a replacement for a real diet
A protein shake is not a meal
Focus on vitamins and minerals over trendy products
Always choose third-party tested brands
And most importantly — you cannot supplement a bad diet
Eat the food first. Then talk about supplements.