Which supplements are actually worth taking?
Five supplements stand out in the video: vitamin D3, vitamin K2, omega-3s, magnesium, and creatine. But the ingredient name is only the first filter. Whether a supplement is worth taking depends on the specific form, a meaningful dose, verified product quality, and whether it actually fits what your body needs.
The Label Can Be Right and Still Miss the Point
A supplement can contain a well-researched ingredient and still be poorly designed.
The video points to three common reasons: the dose is far below what the research used, a cheaper and less absorbable form is substituted, or the ingredients are hidden inside a proprietary blend that makes the actual amounts impossible to evaluate.
That is where supplement shopping often stops too early. Seeing “magnesium,” “vitamin D,” or “fish oil” on the front of the bottle does not tell you whether the product is likely to do what you bought it for.
Third-party verification from organizations such as NSF, USP, or ConsumerLab adds another useful quality filter.
Five Supplements That Hold Up Better
The five highlighted in the video each have a stronger evidence base, but the details still matter.
- Vitamin D3: The video favors D3 over D2 and emphasizes testing your vitamin D level rather than taking higher doses indefinitely without monitoring.
- Vitamin K2: K2 works alongside vitamin D by helping regulate where calcium is deposited. The video specifically discusses the MK-7 form.
- Omega-3s: EPA and DHA have substantial research behind them, particularly for cardiovascular and inflammatory signaling. Form, oxidation, and the actual EPA and DHA content matter more than the total “fish oil” number.
- Magnesium: Glycinate, bisglycinate, malate, and threonate are presented as more useful forms than magnesium oxide for many purposes.
- Creatine: Creatine monohydrate has decades of research behind it and supports ATP regeneration in both muscle and brain tissue.
Form and Dose Change the Entire Conversation
A good ingredient at an ineffective dose is still an ineffective product.
The same applies to form. Magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate may both legally say “magnesium” on the label, but the body does not necessarily handle them the same way. Fish oil can vary substantially depending on the form, oxidation, and how much EPA and DHA are actually present.
As a functional medicine practitioner, I would rather know those details than add another supplement based on the front-label claim.
Use the List as a Filter, Not a Protocol
The larger lesson in the video is not that everyone should automatically take all five.
A better starting point is to ask three questions about anything already in your cabinet:
- Do I know the specific form?
- Does the dose resemble what the research actually used?
- Has an independent organization verified what is in the product?
Those questions narrow the field quickly. They also keep supplementation where it belongs: as a tool chosen with context, rather than another list applied before the actual need is understood.
Additional Resources:
- If the bigger issue is whether a supplement belongs in the plan at all, 3Ts for Strategic Supplementation: How to Avoid the “Green Pharmacy” Trap explains how targeted, therapeutic, and temporary use changes the decision.
- When the ingredient looks right but the amount may not be doing anything meaningful, Therapeutic Dosages: The Key for Effective Herbs & Supplements explains why dose and bioavailability have to be considered together.
- In Most Supplements Are a Waste of Money BUT These 5 Are Worth It, Dr. Kenny explains why vitamin D3, K2, omega-3s, magnesium, and creatine only make sense when form, dose, and product quality are read in context.
- This pooled analysis of 7.9 million people found vitamin D deficiency was common worldwide, supporting the case for checking status rather than assuming supplementation needs.
Ready to understand which parts of your supplement routine actually match your physiology?
Answered by Dr. Kenny Mittelstadt, DACM, DC, FMCP
Functional medicine practitioner and Root Cause Health Detective helping people uncover the hidden patterns behind fatigue, gut issues, hormone imbalances, and other unresolved health mysteries.