I Reviewed the 7 Most Popular Supplements: Here Is What Actually Works | Sarah Ann Macklin

0:00Supplements are now a$150 billion industry, and if you open social media, it feels like everyone is taking something for their gut, their brain, their sleep, or their hormones. But the truth is, most people don't actually know why they're taking what they're taking. So today, I want to walk you through the supplements people ask me about the most as a nutritionist, and more importantly, how to decide whether you need them at all. So we're going to start with the three questions to ask before taking any supplement. One, why do I need it? Am I trying to fix a symptom or prevent something? Two, how will I know if it works?

0:42Can I track my symptom or test something or can I get a blood test to check the biomarkers? And three, could food solve this instead? So we're going to walk through the supplements that I think are helpful and the ones that might not be so helpful. So I'm going to give you my verdict on each one, whether you should bin or buy. For the last two years, I have kept a secret from you, and it's this. It's my new book, Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard. And I think it is a problem that we are all feeling. And I was feeling it so much that I wrote a book on it. Now, if you've been a guest of this podcast for a while, you know that I am all about kindness, self-compassion.

1:22But when I dug into the research of this, my mind exploded. The connection between the mind and body is so integral, but we completely miss out on all the conversations on health, on how we speak to ourselves. And that is such a driving factor on how our food responds to what we eat to, the choices that we make. And we are so overwhelmed right now in the$8.5 trillion industry that is the wellness industry, which is predicted to be by 2027. So if you need a helping hand, if you want a new way to live and be well, and buy my new book, Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard, out on May the 28th, but you can pre-order it now.

2:03I'll pop the link below in the show notes, and I would love if you could support me on this, and I honestly think it will support you too. magnesium buy it but food first why well magnesium can be helpful in certain contexts but it's not a magic solution and the foundations of health still come from the basics food sleep movement and stress management why magnesium is one of those supplements that is everywhere at the moment it's often marketed as a fix for sleep stress muscle cramps or anxiety and it's true that magnesium is essential. It's involved in hundreds of processes in the body, including muscle function, nerve signaling, blood pressure regulation, and energy production.

2:49But the one thing that people don't realize is that magnesium supplements are not all the same. The form of magnesium can influence how well it's absorbed and how it behaves in the body. So broadly speaking, magnesium supplements fall in to two categories organic and inorganic now organic forms such as magnesium citrate glycinate malate or lactate are bound to organic molecules like amino acids or organic acids now these tend to be soluble and generally better absorbed by the body inorganic forms such as magnesium oxide or magnesium sulfate, they contain a higher percentage of elemental magnesium but are less easily absorbed, which means they're often used for more short-term purposes like revealing constipation rather than correcting a deficiency.

3:44And now we also have different forms of magnesium. The first is magnesium glycinate. This is often recommended for people with sensitive digestion and is commonly used for relaxation and to support sleep. The next is magnesium citrate. It's well absorbed and it can also help with digestion because it has a mild laxative effect. Magnesium malate is sometimes suggested for energy production because the malic acid plays a role in cellular energy metabolism, although the evidence here is still quite limited. Then we have magnesium L3 and 8. This has gained attention because it may cross the blood-brain barrier and could potentially support cognitive functioning.

4:25But again, the research here is still emerging. Overall, systematic reviews suggest organic forms like citrate or glycinate tend to have higher bioavailability than inorganic forms, meaning the body may absorb them more effectively. But even with that said, magnesium supplementation isn't something everyone needs. Many people can reach the recommended intake around 300 to 400 milligrams per day through foods such as nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds and almonds, leafy greens like spinach or kale, and beans and lentils and whole grains like quinoa. So when it comes to my verdict, my general approach is food first.

5:08However, if someone is training very hard under a lot of stress, struggling with their sleep, or simply not getting enough magnesium-rich foods in their diet, then supplementation may be worth considering, ideally choosing from a well-absorbed form and discussing it with a healthcare professional, especially if you're taking medications. Creatine, especially creatine monohydrate. My verdict is buy it, especially if you exercise regularly, you're following a vegetarian or vegan diet, or are interested in supporting muscle strength and possibly brain energy metabolism as you age, creatine monohydrate is one of the more evidence-supported supplements to consider.

5:49But it's still not essential. Your body actually produces creatine naturally, and it can be obtained through foods like fish and meat. So as always, my approach is the same. We can start with our diet and understand your goals and use these supplements intentionally rather than automatically. Let me explain why. Most people associate creating with sports performance because it helps the body generate quick bursts of energy during high intensity activity. That's where the strongest evidence still sits. Creating helps regenerate a molecule called ATP, which is essentially the energy's currency of our cells, particularly during short intense bursts of activity like weightlifting or sprinting.

6:36But what's interesting is that creating role in the body goes well beyond the muscle. It's also involved in energy production in the brain and that's why researchers are now exploring the potential role in areas like cognitive performance, aging and mental health. One question scientists are starting to ask is whether many people, particularly women, may actually be consuming relatively low amounts of creatine in their diet. Now creatine is naturally found in foods like red meat and fish and one analysis suggested that around 6 out of 10 women may not reach the creatine intake levels that some researchers recommend with nearly one-fifth of pregnant women consuming none at all.

7:21Now that doesn't necessarily mean everyone needs a supplement. As I said our bodies can produce creatine naturally in the liver and kidneys, but it does raise an interesting question about whether certain groups, including vegans, vegetarians, older adults, or women with a lower muscle mass, might have lower creatine stores overall. Beyond exercise performance, there's also growing research into creatine's role in brain health. Because creatine helps support cellular energy metabolism, scientists are exploring whether it could support brain function particularly during times when energy demands are high.

8:01For example some studies have looked at creatine alongside therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy also known as CBT for depression and found that people who received creatine in addition to therapy experienced greater improvements in symptoms over time compared than just therapy alone. Now one possible explanation is that creatine helps support energy production in the brain which can influence neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation. And this is what I find really interesting. There is also some really early research in neurodegenerative disease models including Alzheimer's. In animal studies creatine supplementation has been shown to improve bio-energenetics and certain biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease alongside improvements in cognition.

8:54But it's really important to stress that these findings are largely pre-clinical, meaning they've mainly been observed in laboratory or animal studies rather than large human trials. But now researchers are also starting to explore creatine across the female lifespan. And this is a real interest of mine because I'm a woman. But women tend to have lower total creatine stores than men, particularly because creatine is still primarily in the muscle and women have generally less muscle mass than men. Some early studies in peri and post-menopausal women suggest that creatine may support muscle strength, physical function, and even aspects of sleep quality when combined with resistance training.

9:38Now these studies are still relatively small but they're part of a growing interest in how creatine might support healthy aging particularly in women. Now in terms of safety creatine is actually one of the most studied supplements we have with a strong safety profile in healthy individuals. The form most commonly used in research is creatine monohydrate and typical doses are around three to five grams per day. Some people do use higher dosages in what's called a loading phase, which can be around 20 grams per day for a short period. But this isn't necessary for most people and higher doses can cause some digestive discomfort like bloating or stomach upset.

10:22I attended TED earlier this year and I found myself in conversations with the founders of No Watch. You've probably seen me wear something on my wrist and lots of you have messaged me asking me what this is. It looks like a classic watch but it's actually quietly tracking something much more meaningful, your autonomic nervous system. This is the system that governs everything from how you respond, from excitement to anxiety, calm to overwhelm. Most wearables just give you a score but if you're anything like me that score can sometimes make you feel worse, like you're already behind before your day even begins.

10:57No watch works differently. There is no judgment and there is no dopamine chasing dashboard. It simply reflects what your body is already experiencing and also helps you notice what it might be missing. It gives you minute by minute timeline of your stress responses and your recovery. The recovery is the most important part and it's the part that no one talks about and it is often the most revealing marker of our long-term health. In just five days it calibrates to your body and it builds your personal health fingerprint. You can try for free now for 30 days and if you use the code LWBW you can also get 15 % off.

11:32If you want to understand your body not just through performance but through self-awareness then this is where I'd begin.

11:41Omega-3 fatty acids. My verdict is buy if you don't eat oily fish regularly if you're a vegetarian or vegan. If you are eating two portions of oily fish a week, then you're probably getting enough. But here is my advice when you're buying a supplement. As always, check the label because the number really matters. You need to be looking for EPA and DHA because these are the ones that are important when buying a supplement, not just the total of omega-3 listed on the front of the bottle. You also do not want in your omega-3 supplement omega-6 and omega-9. So there are the two things to look out for.

12:24So this goes in my buy-it pile. So why is omega-3 important? Omega-3 is one of the supplements where evidence is actually quite strong, particularly for heart health and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA are found mainly in oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel and anchovies. These fats play an important role in the body's ability to regulate inflammation. In simple terms, they help the body switch off the inflammation once it's done its job by producing molecules known as specialised pro-resolving mediators. It's a big word, but you don't need to know that. The problem is that most people simply aren't getting enough.

13:08Globally, around three quarters of people fall short on the recommended omega-3 intake. And in the UK, about 75 % of people don't eat enough oily fish to even meet the lowest UK guidelines. If you want to hear more about this more in depth, head over to my conversation with Dr. Philip Kedler, where he was the one who actually conducted that research study and gives you a real depth insight into omega-3. But here is a bit more of a top line. Now the current UK recommendations suggest roughly 450 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day, which is about one portion of oily fish per week. But many researchers believe closer to one gram per day may be more optimal for overall health.

13:56Another interesting point is that omega-3 content of farm fish has actually declined over the past couple of decades because the fish feed now contains more plant oils. So one portion of salmon today may contain less EPA and DHA than it did 20 years ago. If you don't eat fish, this is where supplements can be really helpful. Omega-3 originally comes from marine algae, which is then eaten by the fish. So for people following a vegan or vegetarian diet, algae-based omega-3 supplementation provide the EPA and DHA directly from the original source. One thing that connects back to my question of number two at the very beginning is how can you test for your omega-3 levels?

14:42An omega-3 index test measures the amount of EPA and DHA in your red blood cells. Ideally, you want your level to be above 8%, but many people in the UK are sitting closer to 4 % or lower. So you can actually track your symptoms if you start supplementing. Or if you're not sure where your levels are, go and get them tested first and then decide what supplement is right for you. NAD plus. My verdict is bin. Why? There's some really interesting emerging evidence here, but the science is still in its infancy. Right now, The lifestyle factors that naturally support your cellular health, which is NAD's plus promise to do, is sleep, exercise, nutrition and metabolic health.

15:32They remain far more established than any AD plus supplement. This is a molecule that is getting a lot of attention in the longevity world. NAD plays an essential role in cellular energy production, DNA repair and mitochondrial function, which is why scientists are interested in it as we age. Levels of NAD appear to decline over time. And supplements like NR and MNN are designed to help the body produce more of it. But when we look at the science, clinical trials do show that these supplements can increase NAD levels in the blood and tissues. So biologically, they are doing something. But the key question is whether that actually leads to meaningful improvements in health or longevity.

16:18And at the moment, the evidence there is still limited and inconsistent. While NAD levels may rise, we don't have any strong proof that this translates into better long-term health outcomes in humans. There are also still open questions around long-term safety. Because NAD is involved in cellular growth and repair pathways, some researchers are exploring whether excessive NAD signaling could potentially influence cancer biology. There's no clear evidence of harm in humans so far, but it's still an area that needs much more research. When things are new and exciting, things can feel like a hype and like a magic pill.

16:59But what's really interesting is here is that we don't have enough long-term data. So for that reason, my thing is focus on the lifestyle interventions that you can be doing that we know has predictors to increase longevity, like nutrition, sleep, movement, resistance exercise, and also connection. These are the things that will move your markers more than an NAD plus supplement. I want to talk about something important to you guys. People today are lonelier than ever. Most long-term relationships aren't happy ones and a third of people under 30 haven't had sex in the past year. Sexual issues among young people have surged over 3 ,000 percent.

17:41But what most people miss, the vast majority of relationships and intimacy struggles aren't physical problems. They're psychological and yet most people never get traditional therapy because it feels awkward, expensive or just impossible to access. So much about Live Well Be Well's mission is aimed to reduce stigma around health and help us understand ourselves better and that is exactly why I wanted to tell you about Mojo, an app for dating, sex and relationships that I am genuinely excited to tell you about. They have partnered with the world's leading experts in sexology, including some that you're actually here on this podcast to create expert-led courses.

18:23Now, their AI personalizes everything to your specific situation, so you can work through it privately, at home, and on your own time. Suffering in silence doesn't help anyone. And I don't say this slightly because I've believed in mojo so much that I've personally invested in the company. Now if any of this resonates go to mymojo.com forward slash livewellbewell and use the code livewell15 for 15 % off. Our sexual well-being matters and everyone deserves support. Vitamin D especially vitamin D3. My verdict is to buy particularly if you live in northern climates or you spend a lot of time indoors, which by the way, 90 % of our time is spent indoors.

19:11If you can, it's always helpful to test your vitamin D levels with a blood test so you know exactly how much you need. For many people, a daily dose of vitamin D3, usually somewhere between 1 ,000 international units and 2 ,000 international units, depending on your levels, can be a really simple way to support your bone health and immune health. Now, vitamin D is a bit unusual because it actually behaves more like a hormone than a traditional vitamin. It plays a really important role in bone health, immune function, muscle strength, and your mood regulation. Now the main way we get vitamin D isn't actually through food at all.

19:51It's through sunlight hitting your skin. The problem is if you live in a northern hemisphere, like I do in the UK, or you spend most your time indoors working at a desk, which many of us do, it becomes quite difficult to produce enough naturally, especially during the winter and autumn months. Certain groups are also more at risk of a deficiency. People with darker skin tones, including many South Asian and black populations, produce less vitamin D from sunlight because they have higher levels of melanin reduced in the skin's ability to synthesize it. People who cover their skin for cultural or religious reasons, older adults and those who spend very little time outdoors are also a much higher risk.

20:36In the UK, we actually have a public health guideline that recommends that most adults consider taking vitamin D supplementation now throughout the whole year. So my advice is this is one thing that you cannot get from food and for that very reason, a supplement is actually critical. And this is also something really interesting. When you go on holiday or you're in the sun, don't apply your sun cream for the first 20 to 30 minutes because this is the time when you can absorb vitamin D the most. There is a huge rise in sun cream for sun protection, but it's really important to allow your arms and your legs some time in the sun and don't have the sun cream to block it as a barrier.

21:20Probiotics. My verdict on probiotics in general is Bennett. Why? For everyday gut health, the evidence is much stronger for feeding the microbes you already have through fibre-rich foods, plant diversity and fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, kimchi or sauerkraut. Think of your microbiome as an ecosystem and ecosystems tend to thrive more from diet and lifestyle diversity than a single capsule. Probiotics are having a real moment. They're everywhere, promising to fix your gut, improve your immunity, boost your mood and even support your metabolism. But the science here is more complicated than the marketing.

22:03Probiotics are live bacteria or yeasts that are intended to help restore the balance of microbes in the gut, even if it's being disrupted. For example, after an illness, antibiotics or certain digestive conditions, certain targeted probiotics can actually be helpful. But the challenge is that your gut microbiome is incredibly complex. It contains hundreds of different species of bacteria and most probiotic supplements only contain a handful of strains. That means that a daily probiotic capsule isn't necessarily capable of reshaping your entire microbiome. In fact, research suggests that the benefits of probiotics tend to be strain-specific and condition-specific.

22:47Some evidence shows that they may help with things like antibiotic-associated diarrhoea or certain digestive disorders, but there's much less evidence that they meaningfully improve gut health in otherwise healthy people. Another challenge is simply survival. These bacteria have to survive stomach acid, bile and digestion before they even reach the gut, which doesn't always happen. So when you're looking at wanting to improve your gut health, the things that I would suggest that are really important is managing your stress through techniques like mindfulness, connection, or doing things that you love.

23:22Looking at prebiotics like fiber-rich foods that actually help feed the gut microbiome and act as a fertilizer to naturally build up your own ecosystem. Collagen. My verdict, it may be helpful, but it is far from a miracle. So in that instance, I would say bin. Collagen supplements appear to be relatively safe for most people, but the biggest risk is probably spending a lot of money for a small or uncertain benefit. If you want to support your body's natural collagen production, the evidence still points to the basics. Adequate protein, vitamin C rich foods, exercise, sleep and protecting your skin from excessive sun exposure.

24:10Collagen is another supplement that's everywhere right now. It's often marketed as a cure from everything from wrinkles and joint pain to better sleep. Collagen itself is actually the most abundant protein in the body. It forms the structure of our skin, cartilage, bones and connective tissues. And as we age, sadly, our natural collagen production declines, which is why people have become so interested in supplementing it. But the science here is a bit more complicated than the marketing suggests. When you consume collagen, it's just a protein. And like any protein, it's broken down during the digestion into amino acids, which the body then uses wherever it needs them.

24:53The thing is, there is no guarantee that those amino acids will specifically become collagen in the skin or joints. Some studies do suggest that hydrolyzed collagen supplements may slightly improve the skin hydration and the elasticity, but many of these studies are small and sometimes funded by supplement companies, so the quality of the evidence is still mixed. There's also some early research suggesting that collagen could help joint pain or tendon health, particularly combined with resistance exercise. But again, the studies are still relatively small. You might get some benefits from supplementing with collagen, but I think the most important thing here is that it is so abundant in protein foods, and we know how important protein is for our overall health.

25:38So what I would say is trying to get all of the forms of protein, the 21 different amino acids that you need, as opposed are just supplementing one. So there you go, there's my verdicts. I would love to know what surprised you. Maybe it was the probiotics, maybe it was the magnesium, or maybe it was the collagen. But write your comments below, tell me what your thoughts are. Tell me what you're finding helpful right now. Because as I said, this is so individual, but I hope that this video has shown you some evidence-based around the supplement market right now, and what I am finding personally helpful too.

26:13as always I love to know your thoughts this is an open discussion and who knows maybe I'll do the next one on this too maybe I've missed out a load of supplements that you have been shouting at the screen that you've wanted me to cover if this is the case tell me what they are and maybe I'll do that for the next video