The supplement industry is booming!
When I first started seeing clients in clinic, most people were taking a vitamin C, maybe a multivitamin or vitamin D. Today it’s not uncommon to be taking five - sometimes even ten - supplements.
Yet despite this, many people are still not getting the results they hoped for.
They’re still struggling with fatigue, PMS symptoms, brain fog, gut issues - the list goes on. In some cases, symptoms have even worsened.
So what’s going on?
The Supplement Boom
More people than ever are turning to supplements to support their health.
This growing interest in wellbeing is positive. Many nutrients can play an important role in supporting the body, particularly when diet, stress or lifestyle factors increase our nutritional needs.
However, not all supplements are created equal.
The quality of ingredients, the forms of nutrients used, the dosage and the overall formulation can all dramatically influence how effective a product is - and how easily your body can absorb and benefit from the nutrients.
This is why some supplements deliver noticeable benefits, while others may have very little impact.
Why Many Supplements Fall Short
There are several reasons why supplements may not deliver the results people expect.
Poorly absorbed nutrient forms
One place to start is understanding what we mean by natural and synthetic nutrients.
Natural nutrients may come directly from whole food sources - for example vitamin C from acerola cherry or plant compounds from ingredients like mushrooms or baobab in our superfood blends. You might also see nutrients described as food grown, where a vitamin such as a B vitamin is produced using a food source like yeast or mushrooms.
Synthetic nutrients are created in a lab rather than extracted directly from food. But synthetic doesn’t automatically mean bad. What really matters is the form of the nutrient and how well the body can absorb and use it.
Some synthetic forms require several conversion steps before the body can use them effectively, while others are already in highly bioavailable forms that the body can utilise more easily.
When we formulated Rheal’s capsules, we focused on choosing forms that the body can actually absorb and use. For example, we used:
- Methylfolate instead of folic acid
- P5P instead of pyridoxine hydrochloride
- Iron bisglycinate instead of ferrous fumarate (which can be harsh on the digestive system)
- Zinc picolinate rather than zinc oxide.
It’s not about synthetic versus natural, but about how the nutrient is used and absorbed within the body.
Under-dosed ingredients
Another reason supplements often fall short comes down to ingredient quality and dosing.
Many supplements on the market are incredibly cheap, which understandably appeals to consumers.
For example, forms such as magnesium oxide are inexpensive but poorly absorbed. In other cases the dose is simply too low to have any meaningful effect.
But when we strip this back in clinic, we often find that the reason they are cheap is because they are using low quality ingredient forms, very small doses, or fillers and bulking agents that add volume to the capsule without adding nutritional value.
If someone is trying to support something specific like sleep, energy or PMS symptoms, we look at clinical research to understand the doses that have actually been shown to work. Many supplements on the market are significantly under-dosed, or occasionally overdosed in less effective forms.
Fillers and unnecessary additives
Many supplements also include fillers, binders or artificial additives.
These ingredients may help with manufacturing or stabilising capsules, but they do not contribute to the nutritional value of the product.
While some excipients are sometimes necessary, excessive fillers can dilute the quality of the formula.
Ingredients that don’t work together
Nutrients rarely work in isolation.
Plant compounds, vitamins and minerals often support each other’s absorption and function within the body. When ingredients are combined thoughtfully, they can enhance one another’s effectiveness.
Without this synergy, formulas may be less effective.
What Makes a Better Supplement
So what makes a good supplement?
In my experience, it comes down to thoughtful formulation. That means:
- Combining whole food ingredients with bioavailable vitamins and minerals that are both effective and safe.
- Looking at how ingredients work together. Nutrients rarely work in isolation. Plant compounds, vitamins and minerals often support each other’s absorption and function within the body.
- Quality sourcing also matters. Ingredient purity, responsible sourcing and nutritional integrity are all important parts of formulation. This is why we work with carefully selected suppliers and ingredients that are supported by credible research.
The Rheal Approach
At Rheal, formulation always begins with one key question:
Does this ingredient serve a clear purpose?
Across the Rheal range we use functional superfoods alongside targeted nutrients to support different areas of health.
Our superfood blends focus on nutrient dense plant ingredients.
Our greens blends bring together a variety of plant compounds and micronutrients.
Balance Tonic cycle combines whole plant foods like acerola cherry, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants alongside researched forms of vitamin B6, such as P5P, to support PMS and mood fluctuations.
Our targeted capsules - including Brain+, Night Reset and Pre + Probiotic - use the most bioavailable, clinically researched ingredients designed to support areas such as cognitive function, sleep and gut health.
Finding What Works for You
It’s also important to remember that supplements are not one-size-fits-all.
People have different nutritional needs, lifestyles and biology, which means responses can vary.
What matters most is finding a supplement that works well for you and supports your individual needs.
Ultimately, a good supplement should support the body through using effective ingredients, appropriate doses, high quality sourcing and formulations grounded in research.
When supplements are designed thoughtfully, they can genuinely support health, help prevent nutritional gaps, and act as a protective investment in our wellbeing as we age.
