Supplements have exploded in popularity in the last few years. COVID brought a greater awareness and focus on health which naturally served as a boon to the supplement industry.

And for those of you who have been in the world of fitness any significant amount of time, I'm sure you've heard the debate: Should you be taking supplements?

Some are avidly against taking any supplements while there are others who take several or even dozens each day.

I'm not here to convince you either way. Seriously.

In this article, I'll present the case against supplements and the case for supplements, helping you determine for yourself if and what makes sense to take.

The Case Against Supplements

Here are the most common arguments made against supplements.

Note: Keep in mind that these are not all applicable to every person. Weigh these arguments against the case for supplements made in the next section.

Unnecessary

One of the main arguments against supplements is that they simply aren't necessary, according to some.

If you are eating a wide variety of whole foods (which is optimal for health), then you should be getting every nutrient necessary for normal function, including workout regimens.

Unnatural

Because most supplements need to be synthesized in a lab, they are by definition "unnatural". Some people view this to be inherently bad and not conducive to long-term health.

Potentially Sketchy Ingredients

It can be hard to find supplement brands that you can trust that use safe and effective ingredients. There have been a number of incidents over the years that have resulted in recalls, thus degrading trust in some brands.

Expensive

Many supplements have a high price tag and that money could be better used on other aspects of your health, such as purchasing whole foods and gym equipment.

Minimal Effect

The claimed benefits of supplements can be difficult to see for many people. This may be due to ingredients which are hard to absorb or you already have sufficient levels of this supplement. There are also many supplements for which there is not good evidence to back up the claims made.

The Case For Supplements

All of the reasons stated above for the case against supplements should be considered seriously. And I'll admit, I am of the opinion that it is almost always better to get nutrients from a wide variety of whole foods as it has the highest efficacy and most well-understood long-term effects.

However...

The real world can be more complex, leading to a few circumstances for which supplements might be a good choice.

Lack of Access to Whole Foods

"Food deserts" are a real thing in America. There are many people who do not have access to whole foods or a variety of foods that would allow them to be fully covered, nutritionally speaking.

In such cases, getting a good multivitamin might be wise choice.

Genetic Mutations and Malabsorption

There are a number of genetic mutations that prevent nutrients from being fully absorbed or utilized by the body.

Of course, unless you've had genetic testing done, it can be hard to know whether this is actually the case. 

So if there are certain symptoms you are noticing and think you found a supplement that might help, talk to your healthcare provider and give it a try! If it helps, awesome. If you're not noticing any difference after a few weeks, cut it and save the money.

Disease

Certain chronic conditions may cause you to be quickly depleted of vital nutrients for normal function. It might also be the case that having more than the daily recommended value for a specific vitamin or mineral would be beneficial for you given your circumstance.

Tough Workout Regimen

If you have a physically taxing workout regimen, there are a number of nutrients that can quickly be depleted from your body.

One of these is creatine. It is naturally formed in your muscles and it helps with the production of ATP to fuel your muscles. Supplementing with creatine will help you get a better workout, even though it isn't "necessary".

Protein powders are in a similar camp. If you have a clean source of natural protein, it is often better for you to consume that than a protein powder, but it's better that you get in some protein (even from a powder) than nothing at all.

There are other vitamins and minerals as well that can get depleted during workouts, but a normal healthy diet should have you covered for the most part.

Environmental Constraints

Your environment might cause you to be deplete of certain nutrients in ways that are unavoidable (aside from moving).

For example, if your area doesn't get much sunshine during the winter months, it might be wise to supplement with Vitamin D. Additionally, if you don't have access to fresh fruits where you live, you could deplete in Vitamin C and require supplementation.

Conclusion

The best path to sustainable health will come from eating a wide variety of whole foods. Supplementation often isn't necessary and can come at a cost.

However, there are circumstances that warrant supplementation. This could be due to personal genetics, disease, habits, and environment that make supplementation a good choice.