How to Choose the Right Supplements Ep 109

Today, Chris explores how to make informed decisions about supplements by following a clear framework for determining if they're right for you. This practical guide helps navigate the confusing world of supplementation by asking key questions about necessity, effectiveness, and safety.

You’ll learn:

• Why whole foods should always be your foundation
• How restricted diets (vegan, dairy-free, fasting) change supplement needs
• The importance of legality and third-party testing (NSF Certified, Informed Choice)
• How to evaluate if a supplement is truly effective and necessary
• The role of genetics in determining supplement needs
• Why cost vs. food quality matters more than you think
• How to test and track results to prove if supplements work

👉 Listen in before you add another pill to your routine.

See the Decision Tree infographic here: www.theenduranceedge.com/how-to-choose-the-right-supplements

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and Supplement Decision Framework
• 3:16 Diet First: Your Nutritional Foundation
• 6:38 Legality and Third-Party Testing
• 9:14 Effectiveness: Evidence and Dosage Matters
• 15:08 Cost, Necessity, and Genetic Considerations
• 20:46 Avoiding Overdoing It and Measuring Results

Transcript

Chris: 1:01

Hey, y'all, and welcome back to the Find your Edge podcast. I am your host, kris Newport, and today is a fun one. I mean, when is it not a fun one? But, honestly, this is all about supplements Should you take them, why and more? And this was inspired by our Longevity Nutrition Coaching Group. In one of our accountability calls, somebody asked about some specific products that they're starting to see in their Instagram feed or their social media feeds, and it's kind of like well, what do you think about that? So I figured this was a good opportunity to educate folks on whether you should take a supplement and what are some of the questions that you need to ask yourself. So if you're watching this on YouTube, you'll be able to see the decision tree, and if you're only listening to it, it will be in the show notes and you can link over to our blog post, which will have this in there as well, but I'm going to walk you through this, so hopefully it will make sense whether you're listening or watching.

Chris: 1:59

So, number one big shocker on this question, y'all, are you eating a well-balanced diet? So a diet that includes a variety of minimally processed whole foods provides many of the nutrients your body needs, in other words, the nutrition that you get from real food is better recognized, if you will, by your body in order to be able to extract the nutrition that you need. So if you're not eating a well-balanced diet, or if, for some reason, you cannot eat a well-balanced diet, then certainly there may be a greater need for supplementing or for making some tweaks to your diet so we could go down the rabbit hole of our food system and the nutrient balance of our soil, and certainly those are questions that we should be asking ourselves. Where is your food coming from? But for the purposes of this podcast, let's just think of are you getting enough protein? Are you hitting your fruits and vegetables? And are you tracking what's going on inside your body with a regular physical and getting your labs to actually see what is your nutritional status? Okay, also, consider if you're eating some sort of a restricted diet. Then this may be a greater need for getting some type of supplement. Let me give you some examples. If you are vegan, you're definitely going to be missing out on some crucial nutrients things like zinc, things like B12, etc. If you are eliminating any types of food groups whether you have an allergy or something like celiac disease. You may be missing out on a few nutrients as well. If there is no dairy in your diet, are you getting enough vitamin D and other sources, for example? So if you are eliminating anything, then certainly the diet could potentially use some additional balancing.

Chris: 3:59

Another example is if you're on an intermittent fasting diet Now I know that that's kind of a broad term. Anytime I say intermittent fasting, it's kind of like asking somebody if they wear shoes, like okay, well, are these high heel shoes, are these running shoes, are these hiking shoes? Like, what are we doing with these types of shoes? So intermittent fasting is no different in my mind in terms of the number of flavors that you could have. If you're thinking of intermittent fasting during Ramadan, that's very different than if you did a four-hour eating window during the day or an eight-hour eating window. So it all depends on what your window looks like. Are you doing alternate day fasting? Are you doing something that you just found on the internet and probably is not potentially not well-research researched? We do have some separate podcasts specifically on intermittent fasting if you want to listen to those. But the point being is that if you are on a more restricted dietary plan like intermittent fasting, especially if you're doing something like alternate day fasting, then the need for a better balanced diet, or I should say better balanced nutrient inclusion, is going to be greater. So those are the things that we want to consider when it comes to eating food versus consuming supplements. All right.

Chris: 5:19

Second one to think about and maybe you even think about this first, honestly is is it legal? So if the product is free of substances banned by either your particular sport and that's really mostly relevant if you're in the NCAA or if you're a professional athlete, so there's some great resources. Ncaaorg or WADA or World Anti-Doping Association also has a list of banned substances for particular sports. But even if you're not competing at the collegiate or professional level, why would you want to have banned substances in your product? So if it's not legal, don't take it. That's kind of a duh. But if it is legal, then certainly it could be something that to go into your decision All right.

Chris: 6:12

Next one up, and this is related to its legality Is it third party tested? So, first of all, let's consider this. Y'all, you and me, we're going to go into business together. We are going to start a supplement company tomorrow. We're going to take some jars, slap some cool labels on it and we're going to fill it with a bunch of different powders and then say here you go Instagram world or here you go world, let's see what you think of this. That's literally what it takes to be able to put out a supplement.

Chris: 6:48

It is not nearly as regularously tested as something like a food product, so companies can go the extra step and get their products certified or tested by a third party company. The two companies or the two certifications that I like to see are things like NSF certification or informed choice, so those are more rigorous testing protocols to see. Is the product actually what it says it is? So if it has one gram of vitamin C, does it actually have one gram of vitamin C, for example? And then also, does it have any banned substances from it? So up to 15% of supplements tested have had some sort of product like a drug, because perhaps they're created on the same lines as actual pharmaceutical drugs.

Chris: 7:42

Kind of scary when you think about it. So if it's third-party tested, you wanna sort by that certification. So anytime, I'm looking for products for our clients oftentimes, and we use Fullscript, which is a company that holds a lot of professional supplement brands, and then there's a filtering process, and that's one of the first things that I'm doing is sorting it by NSF certified and there's some other certifications that we use for the professional lines of supplements to be able to determine am I willing to give this to a client? Because if I'm willing to give it to a client, then I should also be willing to give it to somebody in my family. That's how important I find that this is. So if it is not tested by some sort of a third-party company, I would suggest not taking it. So you are putting your health at too high of a risk if it's not tested. So make sure to look for those specific labels.

Chris: 8:45

Okay, the next couple are the more interesting ones. Is it effective? And then is it necessary? So, first and foremost, is it effective? Is there evidence that the product does what it claims to do? That also leads me back to what are the supplements that you're taking, and a few questions I have for you regarding that one, do you know what it is and how much it is? So I just use this case of vitamin C. If you say I take vitamin C, then I'm going to ask you how much, and then some people are like, uh, I don't know, let me go get the bottle. You know it's the brand with the blue label. All of that sort of means nothing to me, so I want to know exactly what you're taking from the brand and the actual amount.

Chris: 9:45

Other things that I see that are commonly taken is proprietary blends. Now I get it for these companies that want to have, want to sort of corner the market. When they create a proprietary blend it's harder to copy because I just told you you and I are going into business together. We're creating a supplement line, so that's how companies try to prevent other companies from copying their product. If they are leaving out the actual amount that's on the bottle, it's harder to replicate somewhere else.

Chris: 10:18

But when you look into the evidence, that's typically what's being studied is how much are you actually consuming? Sometimes the research will look at the amount per kilogram of body weight. Sometimes they will look at a specific amount that's given irregardless of gender or body weight, and then they're looking at that. So if it's not telling me what is actually in the product in the amounts that I can see in the evidence, I certainly don't want to take it, because, especially with the products that have just laundry lists of things and then it's like 0.5 milligrams. It's like, well, that's hardly even effective just in and of itself. So when you look at a label and you see that it has a laundry list of things and it says a lot of proprietary blends, I would get very skeptical, if it's even effective, which begs the question same kind of thing that I was just asking you what are you taking Exactly? How much are you taking it? When are you taking it? That's another important one. And then, most importantly, why are you taking it?

Chris: 11:32

So many people are like, oh well, I heard that this is helpful. Or they're just walking along the grocery store shelves and they're like, oh, that looks like a pretty label and I think I'm supposed to take an omega-3 or a CoQ10 or whatever. And then they just grab it and throw it in their cart and then they start taking it without knowing whether it's third-party testing, without even knowing why they're taking it, whether it's effective and in the dose that is appropriate. Is it actually evidence-based and is it actually effective at that particular dose? If you have questions, this is something that we, as sports dieticians, totally nerd out on. Like this is one of my favorite things is actually looking at what is the effective dose for the proposed need or for the proposed claim.

Chris: 12:29

Are you taking X amount for a performance gain? Are you taking this because your B12 is low? Are you taking this because there's some other sort of nutritional imbalance or trying to prevent something? So what exactly is it that you're taking it for, and is there enough evidence behind it to support the opportunity to take it and then that goes along with? Is it actually necessary? So this kind of ties into a couple of different things.

Chris: 13:06

What is the cost that you are willing to spend on supplements on a regular basis, whether it be that you buy your supplements on a quarterly basis or whether you buy them on a monthly basis, because I know there's a lot of different products, certainly products that we recommend, like, for example, magnesium. Magnesium is an easy one, just because we have so many people to take it. They are heavy sweaters typically and there are some genetic links that point to their necessity, and it's generally relatively benign and it's certainly effective. So, using magnesium as an example, you can buy them in these massive bottles of like 360 capsules. So if you know that that's going to last you for six months, or if you're taking one a day roughly a year, great. Then factor that in to what you are willing to spend on your supplements. No-transcript what quantity of supplements.

Chris: 14:30

So this particular gentleman was sharing that he takes 111 pills per day. I obviously find that that is an extreme case. And to what end is my question To you at least? Would you rather consume a pill or would you rather have food? What is the value that ties in to what is important to you? So cost can be a big thing. If you're doing 111 pills per day, you're probably spending at least a dollar per pill, if not more, because certain supplements obviously are much more expensive than others. For example, vitamin C cheap. You can generally find that pretty easily, pretty cheaply, maybe even less than a cent per pill, depending on what the actual dose is.

Chris: 15:24

And then looking at something like CoQ10, a very effectively absorbed version of CoQ10, which is very specific antioxidant that ties into heart health and can be depleted if you're on things like statins. And just quick medical disclaimer this is just for educational purposes, not for medical advice, but that would be a reason for someone to take additional CoQ10 if they're on some sort of statin that's going to deplete that. Ubiquinol is a very well-absorbed version and typically the dose is somewhere between 100 to 200 milligrams per day. The cost of ubiquinol is more expensive than certainly the example that I just gave you for vitamin C Other things that might be more expensive. Glutathione is one that can be more expensive. Your omega-3s might be more expensive. Some of your single nutrients are less expensive.

Chris: 16:20

So it's all in, what is it worth to you and how much are you willing to spend on your supplements? And then I would question you would you be willing to spend more on food than you would on supplements if you were going to get a higher quality of food? Who? You know how he treats his animals and you purchase his grass-fed beef and his farm-raised eggs and chickens and his beautiful bok choy that he is growing on his land, and you know that they take care of the land and it's not necessarily certified organic. But you've had a conversation, you know who this person is, you know that you can trust them and you can know that they're taking care of the earth. Is it better for you to spend more money on something like that, knowing that you're getting better nutrient absorption, or do you want to spend money on, maybe, a lower quality of dietary plan and on supplements, and I can't answer that for you. That's something that you need to determine. On supplements, and I can't answer that for you. That's something that you need to determine.

Chris: 17:39

Okay, another one that's not necessarily on this decision tree but certainly comes into play with the lens that we like to use in our practice, that being the genetic lens. It's one of our favorite things that we like to do in our Longevity Nutrition Coaching Program is look at your genes and basically give you the textbook to seeing what combination of your genes is more important to be taking or avoiding in some cases, certain supplements. So let me give you some examples. Any of our folks that need additional support with what's called methylation so it's kind of like that process, that sort of relay runner of creating new DNA some of us need some additional support in that process. So there are specific nutrients that are involved in methylation, in particular, things like B12 and things like folate. But we want to make sure we're not getting them from the things like the store shelf folic acid, which is the synthetic version, versus something like a methylated folate, which is going to be much more optimally absorbed. Similar with B12, making sure we're getting a methylated version of B12, rather than something that you would get off the regular store shelf, which is typically cyanocobalamin, which is very stable and it's affordable for companies, but also it's from a molecule of cyanide and, in my opinion, we don't need any of that. So may as well get either methylated cobalamin or something like an adenosylcobalamin. Those are some of the other options when it comes to getting appropriate supplementation based on your genetics.

Chris: 19:21

Other things that we look at as it relates to genetics is how are you at absorbing vitamin D? How are you absorbing vitamin C? How are you at absorbing, again, the ones that I just mentioned, b12 and folate, which ties into also methylation. What is your propensity for inflammation? What is your propensity for oxidative stress? What is your propensity for detoxification? So there are certain supplements that are ideal for certain situations, in particular genetic SNPs, that are ideal for certain situations, in particular genetic SNPs, and there are certain situations where certain things are not ideal. One of the things that's coming to mind is anyone with a particular comped genetic SNP may do well with things like caffeine and things like quercetin and EGCG, which we think of with green tea, and another genetic snip does really poorly with those particular substances. So those are the things that we keep in mind when it comes to a supplement, whether it be anything from a multivitamin, to single nutrients, to to even herbal things.

Chris: 20:33

Something else I want you to be aware of, and perhaps caution you with, is overdoing it on certain things. Now, yes, there are some water-soluble vitamins, and if you don't use a lot of it, then you're going to excrete it via something like your urine or your stool. There are fat-soluble vitamins that can be more problematic. Those are your AED and Ks and more so specifically, I think of E and A as the more problematic ones. Yes, you can have vitamin D toxicity. Any of those can be toxic, but from specific nutrients that you get from supplements. There are different types of those nutrients. So I'll give you an example vitamin E or tocopherols. There are different types of them and typically a supplement is just going to have one type of them rather than having the whole selection of different types of vitamin E, and that is the better way to go so that you're not overdoing it on one particular type of, in particular, fat-soluble vitamin.

Chris: 21:38

So that's one tip there, and then overdoing it from, let's say, you're doing a multivitamin and you're also doing something like an AG1 or a Nutrafol. I am not supported by any of those, but those are common ones that I hear from folks that oh yeah, you know, I saw this inrafol. I am not supported by any of those, but those are common ones that I hear from folks that oh yeah, you know, I saw this in a commercial, I saw this in Instagram, I saw this on my favorite podcast of like. I should be taking this right and not everybody. Again, not everybody should be taking the same thing that's based on your goals, based on your needs, based on if there's any nutrient imbalances, based on if there's any other medical conditions or medications or things that you're trying to achieve.

Chris: 22:19

So some of the things that we don't consider are are you getting something from, say? I'll use the case of B vitamins? Generally speaking, it's probably not going to be that big of a deal, but consider that you might have some in your multi. You might also have someone in something, in some sort of like greens product maybe, that you take, and then you also get it from your energy drink. And then we start to wonder why we're having particular issues, especially when it comes to synthetic versions of those may create certain symptoms that are not ideal, and you don't even know it because you're getting it from so many different angles. So overdoing it in one particular bucket is not a great thing. And then also considering that there might be crossover. So if you're getting a therapeutic dose from one particular supplement and then you're also adding to it with something else whether it be something that you just buy off the grocery store shelves or something that comes in another product that is fortified in a particular way so there can be some potential dangerous issues that go on with overdoing it or getting too much crossover from different products that you're consuming.

Chris: 23:34

And then the last piece I want to mention is how do you know if they're working? How are you going to prove it to me that all of these things are either effective and or necessary. The way that I like to do it is to test and not guess. So, for example, if someone has a nutrient deficiency let's say they're low on B12, how are we going to determine whether this particular dose and type of B12 is effective? You certainly want to test, luckily, something like B12 and folate. Those are relatively cheap to do. Same thing with B12, same thing with iron and ferritin and those types of things. It gets a little pricier when you get into some more specific micronutrient testing.

Chris: 24:21

The other thing that I like to do to test and not guess whether a certain supplement strategy and nutrition strategy and lifestyle strategy are all working is gut testing and micronutrient testing. So, for example, if you're doing gut testing and we put you on a particular strategy of, let's say, prebiotics or butyrate or a certain type of probiotic, because they're all strain specific and dose specific, rather than just being like, oh well, I saw this on my Instagram feed so I figured I would take it and again go through that decision tree Is it legal, is it third-party tested, is it effective, is it necessary? And then what's your tipping point for cost and could you get this from a well-balanced diet? Anyhow, if you're looking at things like gut testing and then we put you on a specific strategy or we look at micronutrient testing to correct some of those things, then how are we going to know if that's working?

Chris: 25:21

You retest and that's one of those things that I really like to push, especially in our longevity nutrition coaching program, is keeping up with your own personal trends. Is keeping up with your own personal trends, because so many times we're only looking at just a little tiny snapshot of what's happening with you in this moment when it comes to your laboratory results, what's going on over a longer period of time, and then also taking notes of things like I started Ironman training during this time. I stopped Ironman training during this time. I had a death in the family and so was under more stress, or I wasn't sleeping, I had a move, I was in a house with a lot of mold, I was in a job that I was unhappy in. There's so many different things that can come into play as it relates to what is actually going on inside of you.

Chris: 26:13

So definitely keep track of your labs, supplement wisely according to what you specifically need, if it's effective, if it's necessary and also if your genetics need it. So I'm curious what are some of the supplements that maybe you don't know anything about but you're taking anyway? Or, if you go through your supplement drawer and actually determine what is the amount that I'm taking, is this something that's effective? Shoot me a DM Head over to Instagram at theenduranceedgecom. I'm so curious. What is it that you're taking? What is it that maybe you don't even know is effective or isn't effective? What are your questions about supplements? I want to know so that I can do any follow-up podcast episodes for you guys. Check you over there and I will see you next time. Thanks for listening.