Supplements You Desperately DON'T Need

Ever opened Instagram and felt attacked by ads for "miracle" supplements that promise to solve all your problems? Yeah, me too - dietitians aren’t immune from the pressure (I’m a human being too!). The supplement industry is very much like that one auntie who won't stop recommending things you didn't ask for.

Do supplements even live up to the hype? Not as much as the Internet will have you believe.

You don’t really need to take vitamin C as a supplement. Studies have been done around the use of vitamin C supplementation in preventing or reducing the severity of the common cold, and what has been shown so far is only a minor reduction in severity and duration - not occurrence. Plus, consuming most fruits and vegetables makes up for our vitamin C needs much more appropriately than a high dose supplement. The human kidney has a relatively low threshold for vitamin C, so that 1000mg you’re taking is making some pretty expensive (and neon yellow) urine. If you’re a smoker, vitamin C supplementation may be appropriate for you as smoking introduces free radicals and oxidative damage, as well as depleting vitamin C rapidly. Talk to a provider to see if this is right for you.

You don’t need a gummy vitamin for your hair, skin or nails. Research shows us that supplementing with biotin, the top vitamin in these squishy lil guys, doesn’t support hair or nail growth unless deficiency is present. It’s hard to be deficient in biotin, because it’s readily available in many of the foods we eat, including grains and animal proteins. And while they’re cute and tasty, proprietary ingredient blends are a dangerous game where you don’t know the breakdown of compounds and could be consuming way too much of a nutrient.

You don’t need to take apple cider vinegar as a supplement. Yes, there is some small data to show improvement in glycemic control (read: blood sugar) and cholesterol with the use of apple cider vinegar, however taking it as a supplement comes with risks such as indigestion and dental enamel erosion. It makes much more sense to use ACV in homemade dressings, stir fry and other meals to provide the benefit you MIGHT get out of it without creating a myriad of other issues.

And you definitely, absolutely, do not need a detox supplement. If you have a functioning liver, kidney, digestive system, lungs and skin, your body is already detoxing. And don’t get me started on the “but there are so many more toxins in our environment!” argument - dose and exposure over time are important contexts that we need to remember here. Safe upper limits are set for a large majority of compounds that are used in, on and around humans, for our safety and in most cases the safety of the environment. Yes, there are corporations that dump toxic sludge into waterways - drinking a detox tea supplement will not benefit your health in this context. If you are worried about the effectiveness of your body clearing its typical, run of the mill stuff (i.e. you’re constipated, don’t drink a lot of water or have a history of liver issues), talk to a provider. Keep in mind additionally that increasing the number of supplements you take is also very hard on your liver, and increases your risk of liver failure over time.

It’s so tempting to take a supplement, I totally get it! Ads are bright and colourful and it feels like absolutely everyone is doing it. Honour the desire to connect with other people over similar interests, and then avoid clicking on ads on your social media feed.

No two bodies are the same, and what works for your gym buddy might not work for you. A dietitian can give you personalized recommendations based on your health needs, making sure you're not wasting money on unnecessary supplements. Your body is one of a kind!