Supplements — What Is Worth Taking?
Walk into a pharmacy—or search online—and you can find supplements claiming to improve almost every aspect of health.
The difficult question is: Which supplements are actually worth taking?
Food should provide most of the nutrients we need. But that doesn't necessarily mean that supplements have no role. Nutrient needs and absorption can change with age, diet, medications, health conditions, and individual differences.
Some physicians recommend a small group of supplements as foundational to good health, particularly as we age. However, the strength of the scientific evidence varies considerably among supplements.
We begin with five commonly recommended supplements:
Multivitamin/Mineral
Can a daily multivitamin fill nutritional gaps—and might it have benefits beyond preventing deficiencies?
Omega-3 EPA/DHA
The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found primarily in fish have been studied extensively for cardiovascular and brain health.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for bones, muscles, and many other biological functions. Low vitamin D levels become more common with age, but there is considerable debate about how much supplementation people need.
Magnesium
Magnesium is involved in hundreds of processes in the body, including muscle and nerve function, glucose regulation, and blood pressure. Many older adults consume less than recommended amounts.
Creatine
Creatine helps support muscle strength and physical performance, particularly when combined with resistance exercise. Emerging research suggests it may also benefit brain energy, memory, and cognition, making it especially interesting for healthy aging.
Iodine
Iodine is essential for thyroid function. Some experts believe deficiency may be more common than generally recognized, while others caution that too much iodine can also cause thyroid problems.
Questions Worth Asking
What does it do?
How strong is the evidence?
Who is most likely to benefit?
Can you get enough from food?
Are there meaningful risks or interactions?
And perhaps most importantly: Does taking it actually improve health—or just improve a laboratory number?
Learn More
Dr. Davis explains why he considers vitamin D, omega-3 EPA/DHA, magnesium, and iodine particularly important and why he includes them in his Infinite Health approach.
Information on vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements, including evidence for their benefits, recommended amounts, possible risks, and interactions with medications
Independent testing and reviews of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements, including whether products contain the ingredients and amounts listed on their labels and whether they meet quality standards.
A supplement database and tracking app that helps users compare products, evaluate ingredients and quality, and organize the supplements they take. Includes research summaries, product ratings, and a personal supplement tracker.
Videos
Dr. Mark Hyman talks with Steve Martocci about which supplements may be beneficial, which claims lack convincing evidence, and how to evaluate supplement quality and safety.
A wide-ranging discussion of nutrient deficiencies and how inadequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals may affect health and aging.