Do Supplements Actually Work?

Are the promises made actually delivered, or is it all just wellness marketing?

Need better sleep, more energy or a gut check? For many, lifestyle changes are now being swapped for a stop by the vitamin aisle, where the packaging is aesthetic, the tastes are sugary and the promised health benefits are too good to pass up.

From collagen to creatine and adaptogens to probiotics, the supplement scene is booming. With some 100K options on the market—and 55% of Americans buying in—there’s a gummy or pill for just about every ailment. But are they actually worth the hype—or are they essentially just really expensive candy?

Raleigh-based nutrition pros Anne Till and Christine Byrne agree: Supplements are named so for good reason. They’re meant to support a healthy diet, not replace it—which means the supplements you take should depend on your body’s needs and your doctor’s recs.

And not all supplements are created equal. Many go-to vitamins and minerals—think B12 and magnesium—are only helpful when there’s a deficiency to fix. 

But even then, the choice isn’t clear. One brand’s supplement might have only 10% of the amount you need, and others could have 10 times the daily recommendation—which can be dangerous. “Some vitamins are fat soluble, which means you’ll actually store that extra in your body’s fat,” explains Byrne. “And sometimes that’s okay, but sometimes too much of that can become toxic.”

Aside from straight-up vitamins, there are also the trendy “blends,” marketed for uses like sleep, focus and immunity (see: Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme gummies). Till and Byrne approach supplements of that nature with caution. 

“When a supplement is making these vague, broad claims and targeting these symptoms that doctors have a hard time targeting because they’re difficult, that’s a huge red flag,” emphasizes Byrne, referring to wellness fixations like gut health, hormone harmony and weight loss.

So, if your body is in the market for a boost, how do you sort the effective supplements from the not-so-effective?

Till advises doing your homework. If you’re curious about a supplement, researching key ingredients can go a long way. Then, figure out how much you need to take, how much is safe (i.e. staying under that toxic upper limit), and whether there’s any science to back up benefits. But stick to the legit resources—Till recommends the National Institutes of Health. 

Byrne says it’s also a good idea to look for a third-party testing label (like the National Science Foundation or U.S. Pharmacopeia) on the bottle. “Without testing, there’s no way to really know if what you see is what you get,” the nutrition expert notes.

Lastly, keep it simple. Buying supplements with just one vitamin helps you know what you’re getting every time. The bottom line? Less trend-chasing, more label-reading. Your body—and bank account—will thank you.

Related Articles

Do’s and Don’ts of Supplement Use Boosting low “T” Harmonious Health Nap Time!