How do I know if my supplements are actually working?
Open that cabinet or look at that shelf.
You know which one I'm talking about.
The one with all the different bottles and bags, silently collecting dust. That special magnesium you bought after that podcast. The ashwagandha a friend told you about that works so well for her. The maca that women's magazine was talking about. And all the other stuff like the vitamin D, omega-3s, etc. With each one you thought — this is the one thing that I have been missing! And with each one it goes the same way: you take it (at least in the beginning), it costs money (sometimes A LOT of money), and if someone asked you if it's working, the honest answer would be: Yes, I think so, it might, maybe?
That maybe is worth looking into. Not because supplements are useless — some can help a lot in the right situation. But not knowing whether something is helping means you can't make good decisions. Is it worth taking? Is it worth the cost? If you can't tell the difference between what is working and what isn't, you can't keep the one that works and drop the one that isn't.
Why is it so difficult to know if they’re working?
There are different reasons why this answer isn't as obvious as we would like it to be.
The effects can be subtle. For example, a supplement that helps with sleep. It's not like your sleep was a 3 on a scale of 1–10, and suddenly, after taking the supplement for a few days, your sleep is at a nine. Most of the time the effect is small — it might make your sleep slightly better.
The timeline varies. With some supplements you can feel a difference fairly quickly, while others like nutrients can take a while. Some actually have to build up in the body. How long it takes to see a difference depends on the supplement, the dosage, and what you expect it to do. So in the first few days of taking them, when you are still aware and are paying the most attention, there might not be happening a lot.
And then there is hope. The placebo effect is real. So buying a supplement and hoping that it will have a certain effect can actually make that effect real. And it works the other way around too — if you have already decided that it won't do anything, chances are you won't notice anything.
And, very important, the baseline. By the time you have taken the supplement for a while, for example 3 weeks, you can hardly remember how you felt before, or how your sleep was. Our memory is terrible for this kind of comparison.
What's wrong with "Take it for 3 months and see"?
It would make sense: take it for some time and see if it helps. But as stated with the baseline, our memory is really bad for this kind of stuff. It's July. Do you really remember how you felt in April? Probably not. Between now and then the season has changed, maybe you went on vacation at some point, you had a really stressful project, or were sick in between. So it's difficult to make a well-informed decision on the basis of the way you think you felt at the time.
So how do you actually test one supplement?
Decide on what you want to change, is it your sleep or your energy levels, or something else? And based on that decide on a supplement.
Important: Decide on one supplement you want to try, and only one, and also use the same supplement, same brand, same dosage. If you test more than one at a time, you won't know which one is actually working, should you notice a difference.
Then you need to define what "it's working" means. Is your sleep better, do you have more energy, can you concentrate for longer, does it reduce the number or duration of your hot flashes?
Get a baseline. Before you start taking the supplement, for example while waiting for the delivery - but definitely for a few days, better 1–2 weeks - notice how you are actually doing. Depending on what you are trying to improve, jot down the hours you slept and the quality, or how your energy feels, or if it's your concentration, how long you can concentrate on one task at a time. A scale from 1–10 works well. Don't skip this step. Without it, you are just guessing — remember the memory problem. And if you experience a lot of changes during your cycle, keep that in mind as well. Then maybe 4 weeks are more appropriate as a baseline. If you need a template, you might want to try out the tracker page from my free 7-day Cortisol Experiment. Note the supplement and jot down mood, sleep & energy each day - or adjust for whatever you are tracking.
Start and keep noticing. Start taking the (one) supplement and keep on noticing the same way you did while you were getting your baseline. Don't try to judge or interpret right away, just jot down the numbers.
Then after 3–4 weeks — for some supplements like adaptogens it might even take longer — look at your numbers. Are they better than your baseline? Do you sleep more hours, or did your sleep quality improve? Have your energy numbers gone up, or can you concentrate for longer?
Now you're comparing data with data and not memory with hope.
Regarding the results: sometimes there is a pretty clear picture, sometimes it's not so clear. Then do the experiment a little longer. Keep that in mind especially if your cycle could have an effect as well.
That sounds like work
Yes and no. After you set up what you want to notice, it takes less than 30 seconds a day to jot down the numbers. The hard part is remembering to do it. So maybe keep it on your bedside table or on your desk. Somewhere you come by regularly every day.
If you’re not a fan of pencil and paper, you might want to try my free iPhone app, My Inner Balance. Track your supplement and log your mood, energy and sleep with a few taps each day. Once there is enough data, the Pattern Explorer compares how your next-day sleep, mood or energy looked after days when you logged the supplement with your other days. It helps you spot a possible personal pattern.
A gentle note: dietary supplements are regulated differently from medicines, but that doesn't mean they are automatically harmless. They can cause side effects, affect laboratory tests and interact with prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting something new if you take medication, have a health condition, are pregnant, are planning surgery or are treating a diagnosed deficiency. Strong or unusual reactions deserve medical attention.
