What Supplements Should I Be Taking? Why More Isn't Always Better

I can't tell you how many times a new patient has walked into my office carrying a huge bag of supplements.

They may be taking something for their hormones, something for their gut, something for sleep, something for energy, something they saw on Instagram—and yet they still don't feel well.

I completely understand how this happens.

When you aren't getting answers and you don't feel like yourself, it's tempting to start researching your symptoms and adding supplements one by one.

But here's what I tell my patients:

More supplements don't necessarily mean better health.

In fact, one of my goals is often to simplify what someone is taking and figure out what they actually need.

Do You Really Need Supplements?

Maybe. But it depends.

Supplements can be incredibly useful when there's a clear reason for taking them. They may help correct a documented nutrient deficiency, meet increased nutritional needs during certain stages of life, or provide targeted support as part of an individualized treatment plan.

But supplements aren't a substitute for a nutrient-dense diet, adequate protein, sleep, movement, stress management, and addressing medical conditions that may be contributing to your symptoms.

And taking a multivitamin or a handful of individual nutrients doesn't automatically prevent chronic disease. For healthy, nonpregnant adults without known deficiencies, evidence is insufficient to recommend most vitamin and mineral supplements specifically for preventing cardiovascular disease or cancer.

So rather than asking:

“What supplements should everyone be taking?”

I think the better question is:

“What does this person actually need?”

Why I Don't Recommend the Same Supplements to Everyone

Your supplement needs can depend on your:

• Diet

• Age and stage of life

• Medications

• Medical history

• Digestive health

• Menstrual history

• Pregnancy or fertility goals

• Symptoms

• Laboratory results

• Existing nutrient deficiencies

• Lifestyle

A woman going through perimenopause may have completely different needs from a woman preparing for pregnancy.

Someone who eats very little animal protein may have different nutritional considerations than someone who eats a varied omnivorous diet.

And someone with a documented iron deficiency needs a very different approach from someone whose iron levels are already adequate.

This is why I don't believe in handing every patient the same supplement protocol.

The Problem With Taking Supplements Based on Symptoms Alone

One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to match every symptom with another supplement.

Tired? Take this.

Bloated? Take that.

Can't sleep? Add three more things.

Hormones feel off? Here's another supplement stack.

The problem is that the same symptom can have many different causes.

Fatigue, for example, can be associated with inadequate sleep, iron deficiency, thyroid disorders, inadequate calorie intake, stress, certain medications, blood sugar issues, and many other factors.

Adding an “energy supplement” doesn't tell us why you're tired.

That's why I prefer to investigate the bigger picture first.

Lab Testing Can Help—But More Testing Isn't Always Better Either

When appropriate, laboratory testing can help identify nutritional deficiencies or other health issues that may be contributing to symptoms.

Depending on the individual, I may review existing labs or consider whether additional testing would actually change the treatment plan.

The key is testing with a purpose.

I'm not interested in ordering every possible marker simply because we can.

I want to know:

What question are we trying to answer, and what are we going to do differently based on the result?

That's a much more useful approach than running enormous panels without a clear clinical reason.

What About Vitamin D, B12, Iron, Magnesium and Other Popular Supplements?

These are some of the nutrients patients ask me about most often.

And they're perfect examples of why supplement recommendations need context.

Vitamin D: Your needs may depend on your vitamin D level, diet, sun exposure, health history, and other factors.

Vitamin B12: This can be particularly important for people with low dietary intake of B12, certain gastrointestinal conditions, or medications that affect absorption.

Iron: I don't recommend taking iron simply because you're tired. Iron status should be evaluated because unnecessary iron supplementation isn't appropriate for everyone.

Magnesium: Magnesium is involved in many physiological processes, but that doesn't mean everyone needs the same form or dose—or necessarily needs a supplement at all.

The same principle applies to probiotics, omega-3s, B vitamins, zinc, and most of the other supplements filling your cabinet.

The supplement should have a reason for being there.

Supplement Quality Matters

Dietary supplements aren't regulated in exactly the same way as prescription medications, so quality can vary between products.

I pay attention to things such as ingredient transparency, dosing, unnecessary additives, manufacturing standards, and independent quality testing when available.

I also look at the entire supplement list.

It's surprisingly easy to unknowingly take the same nutrient in several different products—a multivitamin, a hormone formula, an immune supplement, and a separate vitamin product, for example.

Suddenly you're taking much more of a nutrient than you realized.

And more isn't always better. Excessive doses of some vitamins and minerals can cause adverse effects.

Supplements Can Interact With Medications

“Natural” doesn't automatically mean harmless.

Certain supplements can interact with prescription medications, affect bleeding risk, alter medication absorption, or be inappropriate with certain medical conditions.

That's another reason I want to know everything you're taking—prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbs, powders, vitamins, and supplements.

Bring the bottles or take pictures of the labels.

It makes reviewing everything much easier.

Food Comes First

This is probably the least exciting advice in the supplement world, but it's one of the most important.

You can't out-supplement a diet that isn't meeting your basic nutritional needs.

Before adding ten products, I want to know:

Are you eating enough protein?

Are you getting vegetables and fruit?

Are you eating enough overall?

Are you getting healthy fats?

How much fiber are you eating?

Are you skipping meals?

Are you relying heavily on ultra-processed foods?

What does your digestion look like?

Supplements can fill specific gaps, but I don't want them replacing the foundation.

What About Supplements for Hormones?

This is an especially big one in my practice.

Women are constantly marketed supplements for cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, menopause, thyroid health, metabolism, and “hormone balance.”

But hormone-related symptoms don't all have the same cause.

Sleep problems, weight changes, anxiety, irregular periods, fatigue, hot flashes, PMS, and changes in libido can occur for many different reasons.

Instead of automatically reaching for a “hormone balancing” supplement, I want to understand what's actually happening physiologically and where you are in your reproductive life.

That's especially important during perimenopause, when hormones naturally become more variable.

Do You Need to Take Supplements Forever?

Not necessarily.

Some supplements may be used temporarily to correct a deficiency or address a particular nutritional need.

Others may be appropriate longer term depending on your diet, health history, medications, stage of life, and laboratory findings.

Rather than automatically telling everyone to stop supplements after a certain number of months, I prefer to reassess.

Do you still need it?

Is it helping?

Has the reason we started it changed?

Should the dose change?

Can we meet that need through food instead?

Your supplement plan shouldn't remain frozen in time just because someone recommended it three years ago.

💡 Dr. Stephanie's Tip: If you have an entire cabinet full of supplements and aren't even sure why you're taking half of them, don't add another one.

Make a list of everything you're currently taking, including the brand and dose, and review it with a qualified healthcare professional.

For every supplement, you should ideally be able to answer:

Why am I taking this? What is it supposed to do? Do I still need it?

If you don't know, that's a good place to start.

My Approach: Less, But More Intentional

As a functional medicine and Chinese medicine practitioner, I still believe less is often more when it comes to supplements.

That doesn't mean I'm anti-supplement.

Far from it.

I use supplements in my practice when I think they can be genuinely useful. I just don't believe every symptom needs another bottle.

I would rather identify the factors that may be contributing to how you feel, improve the foundations of your health, use laboratory testing when it's appropriate, and then choose targeted supplements for a specific reason.

The goal isn't to build the biggest supplement routine possible.

It's to create the simplest plan that actually makes sense for you.

Need Help Figuring Out What You Should Be Taking?

At New Direction Natural Medicine, I use a personalized functional medicine approach to look at nutrition, symptoms, lifestyle, health history, medications, and laboratory findings when appropriate.

If you're confused by your supplements—or you've accumulated a cabinet full of products and still don't feel your best—we can simplify the picture and determine what deserves a place in your routine.

You can also find the professional supplement brands I recommend through my Order Supplements page.