{"id":309283,"date":"2026-03-02T11:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/309283\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:06:09","slug":"which-supplements-are-actually-worth-your-while-and-which-ones-to-avoid-according-to-the-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/309283\/","title":{"rendered":"Which supplements are actually worth your while – and which ones to avoid, according to the experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supplement adverts are everywhere \u2013 multivitamins<\/a>, collagen, sleep aids, green powders and more. Many are discussed as if they\u2019re essential for better health<\/a>, yet their name suggests otherwise: they are designed to supplement any shortcomings you have in various vitamins, minerals and other dietary compounds, courtesy of your diet<\/a>, lifestyle and genetics. <\/p>\n

In which case, surely social media\u2019s massive \u201csupplement stacks\u201d \u2013 great piles of pills gobbled down each morning or night \u2013 are overkill for many of the recreational exercisers taking them? <\/p>\n

Perhaps the gaps they are trying to fill could be better met with food. To test my hypothesis, I asked some nutrition experts which supplements are actually worth your while, which ones to avoid, and how to find products that are genuinely beneficial. <\/p>\n

The supplement dilemma <\/p>\n

Supplements are sold as a way to help you feel better. To do this, they are designed to fill in nutritional gaps and supply your body with the resources it needs to function at its best. <\/p>\n

However, most supplements will only be effective if you are low or deficient in the nutrient they are providing, clinical dietitian and University of Lancashire lecturer Vassiliki Sinopoulou tells me. The placebo effect often does some heavy lifting too, she adds. <\/p>\n

Signs you are low or deficient in a certain nutrient include tiredness, low mood and headaches. However, these are also common consequences of a typical 21st-century routine of low sleep, high stress and poor diet quality. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would definitely recommend looking at your sleep patterns, diet and stress levels before you turn to a magic pill,\u201d Sinopoulou says. \u201cBut the solutions to these problems are often difficult to implement, and in some cases impossible,\u201d she adds. Finding an extra hour to spend in bed, investing in fresher ingredients or asking your boss to lessen your workload are not possible for many.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn those situations, people will use everything at their disposal to help themselves, including supplements. But it doesn\u2019t mean they are necessarily the solution,\u201d says Sinopoulou.<\/p>\n

In fact, adding high doses of certain supplements into your body could throw other internal systems off kilter, says Heart Research UK<\/a> nutritionist Amie Leckie.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we do consume a high dose of specific minerals, that can impact the balance of other minerals in the body, which can then impact metrics like blood pressure,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, somebody might take zinc for immune health, but too much can impact our copper levels, which is another mineral needed for overall mineral balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: So, if intermittent fasting doesn\u2019t work for weight loss, then what does?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Supplements<\/p>\n

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Supplements are big business in 2026 (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

What supplements do you need?<\/p>\n

There is no simple answer to this question. Every body is different, with varying needs and abilities to assimilate different nutrients. This leads many people to pay for supplements they don\u2019t need. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often end up spending a lot of money on supplements to take, and all many of them end up with is expensive wee,\u201d Leckie says, referring to the body\u2019s excretion of what it does not need. <\/p>\n

To sidestep this problem, Sinopoulou doesn\u2019t view supplements as part of a balanced diet, but rather, an added substance akin to a pharmaceutical drug; to be used in a targeted manner to fix a specific problem, rather than generally applied for better overall health. <\/p>\n

Read more: I tried the 12-minute daily workout Helen Mirren\u2019s used for her \u2018whole life\u2019 \u2013 here\u2019s why it\u2019s stood the test of time<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nutrition<\/p>\n

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Nutrition experts recommend a food-first approach to meeting your nutrition needs (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Assess your diet <\/p>\n

To work out if you need a supplement, your first course of action should be to look at your diet and lifestyle to identify any nutritional holes. Working with a nutrition specialist can streamline this process.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, if people don\u2019t eat fish, I would consider omega-3 supplements,\u201d Sinopoulou says. \u201cIf you don’t eat meat or dairy, maybe go for a B12 vitamin supplement. If you\u2019re low in iron, consider an iron supplement.\u201d<\/p>\n

No supplement is universal, adds Leckie. But some will have wider appeal and efficacy than others. <\/p>\n

\u201cOmega-3 is really important for heart health, as well as overall health and wellbeing,\u201d she says. \u201cUltimately, if we\u2019re not eating oily fish a couple of times a week, we\u2019re probably not going to be getting enough, so that\u2019s one that’s probably safe and helpful for a lot of people. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen there are things like vitamin D [created from sunlight on the skin], which the NHS recommends<\/a> supplementing through winter and autumn months. That can be useful if you\u2019re somebody who doesn\u2019t spend a lot of time outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, needs will still vary on these more widely applicable supplements. \u201dSomeone might spend a lot of time outside but have poor vitamin D levels, while another person who barely spends any time outside might absorb it more efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why I think it\u2019s very difficult to give blanket advice when it comes to supplements,\u201d Leckie says. \u201cTrial and error has a place, as long as you are buying from a reputable company. Be mindful of avoiding mega doses, then try a supplement consistently for two to four weeks and see if it works for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother good thing to look out for when buying a supplement is that it\u2019s third-party tested for contaminants like heavy metals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: I specialise in coaching people aged 40-plus \u2013 do these six things for immediate results<\/a><\/p>\n

\"It<\/p>\n

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It is worth trying to improve your diet, sleep and stress levels before spending money on supplements, clinical dietitian Vassiliki Sinopoulou says (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Ask the experts <\/p>\n

Another way to find out which supplements will benefit you is to ask a pharmacist or GP.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would urge anyone who is feeling any symptoms [of nutrient deficiency] that impact your everyday life to investigate it,\u201d Sinopoulou says. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience is that GPs are always helpful,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m mindful of telling everyone to run to their GP for a blood test, because we know the NHS is overwhelmed. But if we have concerns about our health, we should be going to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For less pressing concerns, Leckie suggests discussing your diet and symptoms with a nutritionist. If this isn\u2019t an option, a more affordable alternative is to visit a high street store like Holland and Barrett, where the staff are trained to help you find supplements relevant to you. <\/p>\n

Read more: Four things you can do to reduce inflammation and cut heart disease risk, according to the experts<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Speaking<\/p>\n

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Speaking to a nutritionist can help identify any gaps in your diet (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

What to do before buying supplements<\/p>\n

Sinopoulou suggests looking at ways to improve your sleep patterns, diet and stress levels before spending heavily on supplements. And Leckie also prescribes a \u201cfood first approach\u201d to hitting your daily nutritional quotas. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t out-supplement a bad diet,\u201d she says. \u201cAre you eating enough fibre, enough protein, enough fruits and vegetables and limiting refined sugar? Are you stressed? Are you sleeping well? If you\u2019ve not ticked these things off, put your energy into doing that before buying the next supplement.\u201d<\/p>\n

People see supplements as a \u201cmagic pill\u201d, says Leckie. But as far as health benefits are concerned, they have historically been outperformed by these fundamental pillars: sleeping well, eating a nutritious diet, staying hydrated, reducing stress, exercising and connecting with other people.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupplement companies are there to make money, so they\u2019re going to tell you their supplement is the best, but Mother Nature knows best,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m not anti-supplement \u2013 I use them daily. But what I use is based on tests and specific needs I know I have.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: Just dry enough: how to tweak your drinking to reduce its harmful effects<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more: What foods nutrition experts really eat to stop chronic illness in old age (and always avoid)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Supplement adverts are everywhere \u2013 multivitamins, collagen, sleep aids, green powders and more. Many are discussed as if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309284,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[134,111,139,556,69],"class_list":["post-309283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nutrition","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}